Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is my favorite summertime dessert. Tender, fluffy biscuits are topped with juicy fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. It’s a delightful combination of buttery, fresh, and creamy flavors that’s not too heavy for warm summer nights. I love that it’s totally unfussy to make (it takes less than an hour!) and unpretentious to serve– a little mess is part of the fun!

I love strawberry shortcake, but I’ve always made mine with pound cake in the past. Little did I know, it can be made with angel food cake, biscuits, or even regular vanilla cake. For this recipe, I tried to go a bit more traditional by making a flaky biscuit base, and I think it turned out perfectly. The tender, flaky biscuits hold up so well to the juicy strawberries and soft whipped cream.

What’s in This Strawberry Shortcake Recipe?

Strawberries: I highly recommend using fresh over frozen strawberries for the best flavor and texture. A pint of fresh strawberries weighs approximately ¾ of a pound, so grab 3 pints to be on the safe side!
Sugar: Granulated sugar helps draw moisture out of the strawberries and sweetens both the biscuits and the whipped cream.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the biscuits structure.
Baking Powder: Helps the biscuits rise to become light and fluffy.
Salt: Kosher salt enhances the flavor of the biscuits.
Butter: Cold unsalted butter is the key to flaky biscuits. It melts as the biscuits bake, releasing steam that creates layers.
Heavy Cream: Adds moisture to the biscuits and forms the base of the whipped cream.
Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and vanilla flavor to both the biscuits and the whipped cream.

overhead view of a serving of strawberry shortcake on a white plate.

Tips for Success

Mix the strawberries and sugar together before making the shortcake so they have plenty of time to get juicy.
Use cold butter for the flakiest shortcakes.
Make sure your baking powder is fresh!

How to Store

I recommend keeping the biscuits, strawberries, and whipped cream in separate airtight containers for the best results. The biscuits can stay at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The strawberries will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I recommend making a fresh batch of whipped cream for each serving, or follow my stabilized whipped cream recipe if you’d like to store it for longer.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Strawberry shortcake is a delightful combination of buttery, fresh, and creamy flavors that's not too heavy for warm summer nights.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings shortcakes

Author Laurel Perry

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Berries

2 pounds strawberries 907 grams; hulled, quartered, and divided
⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 grams

For the Shortcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour 360 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
2 tablespoons baking powder 8 grams
1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
¾ cup unsalted butter 170 grams; cold and cut into small pieces (1½ sticks)
1⅓ cups heavy cream 303 grams; cold, plus more for brushing the shortcakes
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
Turbinado sugar optional, for sprinkling

For the Whipped Cream

1½ cups heavy cream 341 grams
3 tablespoons granulated sugar 38 grams
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add half of the strawberries and sugar to a large bowl. Mash the strawberries into a chunky sauce. Stir in the remaining berries and set aside in the fridge as you make the shortcakes.

2 pounds strawberries, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add in the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. The mixture will be crumbly and the largest pieces should be the size of peas.

¾ cup unsalted butter
In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the heavy cream and vanilla extract.

1⅓ cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour the liquid into the dry and stir with a spoon or spatula. The dough will be very shaggy chunks of butter – this is good.
With floured hands, form the dough into 8 balls (about 112 grams per ball). They will be lumpy and not smooth. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush each ball with heavy cream and sprinkle on some turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden. Let the biscuits cool while you make the whipped cream.

Turbinado sugar
Using a hand mixer, whip all the whipped cream ingredients until soft peaks form.

1½ cups heavy cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To assemble, cut each shortcake in half and place the bottom half of your serving plate. Top with berries, a dollop of whipped cream, the top of the shortcake, more cream and more berries. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If your strawberries are large, you may want to slice rather than quarter them.

Storage: Store the shortcakes and strawberries in separate airtight containers. The shortcake will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The strawberries will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make fresh whipped cream before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1shortcake

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Step by Step

Macerate the Berries: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Add half of 2 pounds of strawberries and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar to a large bowl. Mash the strawberries into a chunky sauce. Stir in the remaining pound of berries and set aside in the fridge as you make the shortcakes.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Cut in the Butter: Add in ¾ cup of cold unsalted butter cut into pieces and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. The mixture will be crumbly and the largest pieces should be the size of peas.

cutting butter into flour with a pastry cutter.

Stir the Wet Ingredients: In a liquid measuring cup, stir together 1⅓ cups of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Mix the Dough: Pour the liquid into the dry and stir with a spoon or spatula. The dough will be very shaggy chunks of butter – this is good.

Divide into Biscuits: With floured hands, form the dough into 8 balls (about 112 grams per ball). They will be lumpy and not smooth. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the Biscuits: Brush each ball with heavy cream and sprinkle on some turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden. Let the biscuits cool while you make the whipped cream.

Whip the Cream and Assemble the Shortcakes: Using a hand mixer, whip 1½ cups of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until soft peaks form. To assemble, cut each shortcake in half and place the bottom half of your serving plate. Top with berries, a dollop of whipped cream, the top of the shortcake, more cream, and more berries. Serve and enjoy!