I have had the opportunity to taste the largest strawberry shortcake in the world. You can see it (the shortcake) in a video here, or a picture here. The year was 2009 and we had visited the Pasadena Strawberry festival with my sisters, then boyfriend (now hubby) and my nephew and niece.
I remember getting in line to get a piece of the cake. You could smell the shortcake as soon as you entered the pavilion where it was. The line went around it, until you reached the spot where they handed out the pieces to eat.
I wanted to make a soap version of it, so here we are. I bought a fragrance called Sugared strawberry from Nurture Soap (aff link) and I wanted to test it. It smells very sweet out of the botlle so it is appropriately named. In the past, I have done strawberry soaps with strawberries on top made of soap dough, and even one with chocolate covered strawberries, so this time I wanted to change it up and show primarily pieces of the berries, as they would be covered with the jelly (or glaze).
Most of the strawberry fragrances I have used have accelerated with my soap recipe, this one was no exception (I also have a significant water discount). I decided to take advantage of this and made a layered soap (I added the fragrance individually to each layer). However, the actual (edible) strawberry shortcake did not have any layers. As I remember it, it was the size of a pan sheet cake with the frosting and the strawberry glaze on top.
I made two soaps at the same time, this one and the Orange Marmalade Cake, but I am showing this recipe as if I was making a whole 2 lb soap of strawberry shortcake.
Recipe Totals
Note: I am using a lye blend that includes Koh (Potassium hydroxide), mainly because I bought some for a project, did the project, now I have a lot leftover and want to use it up. Also because I have read that it helps increase bubbles, and my husband loves a bubbly soap. You can enter the ingredients in a lye calculator and modify the recipe, to get the correct amount for just Naoh.
| Liquid Required | 7.82 oz | 221.83 g |
| NaOH Weight | 4.82 oz | 136.67 g |
| KOH Weight | 0.4 oz | 11.21 g at 90% Purity |
| Lye Weight | 5.22 oz | 147.88 g |
| Oil Weight | 36 oz | 1020.58 g |
| Fragrance Oil Weight | 2.25 oz | 63.79 g |
| Superfat | 5% | |
| Total Batch Weight | 51.8 oz | 1468.62 g |
| Lye Concentration | 40% | |
| NaOH / KOH Ratio | 95% / 5% | |
| Liquid : Lye Ratio | 1.5 :1 |
Recipe Oils, Fats and Waxes
| Oil | % | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 30 | 10.8 | 306.17 |
| Tallow Beef | 30 | 10.8 | 306.17 |
| Coconut Oil, 76 deg | 25 | 9 | 255.15 |
| Castor Oil | 8 | 2.88 | 81.65 |
| Shea Butter | 7 | 2.52 | 71.44 |
| Total | 100 | 36 | 1020.58 |
Custom Additives
| Add at trace | |
|---|---|
| Tetrasodium EDTA mixed with water (50 % each) (Optional, I use it to help prevent DOS and soap scum in my hard water city) | 0.51 ounce of blend |
| Rosemary Oleoresin extract – 0.05% of oils (you would need a jewelers’ scale to measure. |
For more information on these additives you can click in the links below, please note above links are affiliate ones.
- Rosemary oleresin (My oils already had this added when I masterbatched the oils)
Fragrance
| Sugared strawberry | 2 oz (split in half for each layer) |
This fragrance is sweet and although it does not have vanillin, it does discolor slightly. Below is a picture 2 months later, next to the orange cake soap.
Equipment
Mold
Colorants
- 1/4 tsp of Trial by Fire Mica (Nurture soap aff link)
- Titanium dioxide from Make your own or Titanium Dioxide from Nurture Soap for the frosting.
Embeds
- Red Soap dough
- Strawberry mold or you can shape them yourself with below video
Frosting:
I made the soap frosting the following day. Same recipe as above. I think 8 oz should be enough, I made more because I wanted white soap dough leftover (I made 12 oz I think). Here is a link to the recipe in a lye calculator.
Glaze
To make the glaze I used a red colorant for Melt and pour (from Hobby Lobby) and the below base:
*Several of the links above are affiliate links, if you use them, I will get a small percentage back that will help keep this blog running.
Slight discoloration 2 months later compared to orange marmalade cake soap
Soaps by Glenda 