Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This high temperature is essential for roasting the pitted sweet cherries. Grab a 9x9 baking dish and combine all the ingredients for the cherry sauce. Pour the mixture into the dish, ensuring the cherries are evenly coated.
Roast the cherries for about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir them every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. You’re looking for the cherries to become soft and for the mixture to thicken. Once done, remove the dish from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Gather your two baking sheets and line them with parchment paper. This will prevent the shortcakes from sticking and make for easy cleanup.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain yogurt, heavy whipping cream, vanilla bean seeds, the pure vanilla extract, lemon zest, and egg. This mixture should be creamy and well-blended. Once combined, refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
Next, in a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Pulse twice to mix. Then, add the frozen butter pieces. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with no large chunks of butter left. This is key for a flaky texture!
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Pour your yogurt mixture over the top and gently fold everything together. Be careful not to overmix; you want a raggedy dough to form. As you stir, you’ll see the flour start to absorb the moisture.
Once everything is combined, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough, working in any loose pieces. Roll it out into a rectangle about an inch thick. This thickness is crucial for proper baking.
Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles. Place each circle onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to give them some space as they will expand while baking.
Bake the shortcakes in the center of the oven for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Watch closely for the tops to turn lightly golden. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes.
While the shortcakes cool, prepare the buttermilk whipped cream. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk on high speed with an electric mixer. Keep whisking until you achieve thick cream that forms soft peaks. If you notice it’s not thickening, a pinch or two of cream of tartar will help stabilize it.
Finally, it’s time to serve! Grab one of your warm shortcakes, and pile a generous scoop of whipped cream on top. Spoon over a few servings of the roasted cherry sauce, and if you like, garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy every bite!
