Strawberry Shortcake
Published
Published
This easy Strawberry Shortcake recipe is the perfect spring and summer dessert. It’s got juicy strawberries, sweet biscuits, and clouds of whipped cream piled high, so every bite feels fresh, simple, and classic. While these strawberry shortcakes are made from scratch, you can use store-bought shortcuts to save time (I share how below), but I highly recommend making it fully homemade! I have a feeling you won’t look back.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThis post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
Not one spring or summer can go by without me making this strawberry shortcake recipe. It’s a classic layered dessert made with tender homemade biscuit rounds, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream, and it always feels just right for warm-weather gatherings. I start by letting the strawberries macerate in sugar, salt, and lemon juice until they’re glossy and syrupy, then I bake the shortcakes until golden and split them open while they’re still slightly warm. Once everything is ready, I stack each biscuit with strawberries, plenty of their juices, and a big spoonful of whipped cream for an extra pretty dessert that’s buttery, juicy, creamy, and just a little messy in the best way.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Use COLD butter. Keep the butter cold for flaky, tender shortcakes. If your kitchen is warm, chill the cubed butter for at least 10 minutes before mixing.
- Mix the dough just until combined. Overworking it can make the shortcakes dense instead of soft and fluffy.
- Press down with the cutter. When cutting with the 3-inch cutter, press straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and may prevent the shortcakes from rising fully.
- Sprinkle Demerara sugar lightly on top. Too much can create a hard crust instead of a delicate crunch!
- Assemble just before serving for the best texture. The biscuits will soften once layered with strawberries and cream, so I don’t recommend making this recipe too far in advance.
- Why didn’t my shortcakes rise tall? Make sure your baking powder is fresh, the butter is cold, and avoid twisting the cutter when cutting rounds. Twisting can seal the edges and prevent a good rise.
- Save time with store-bought biscuits. You can use store-bought biscuits instead if you want a faster version. Bake according to package directions, then slice and fill as directed!
Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Strawberries
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the Shortcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp whipping cream, for topping
- 2 tbsp Demerara sugar, for topping
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries. In a bowl, combine them with sugar, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice. Stir gently and let sit for at least 15 minutes so the strawberries release their natural juices.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Pour in the milk and vanilla extract. Stir gently with a spatula until the dough just comes together, being careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, gently flatten it to about 1½ inches thick. With a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 5-6 rounds (be sure to cut straight down, without twisting.)
- Carefully transfer the rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops lightly with heavy whipping cream and sprinkle a little Demerara sugar over each biscuit.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the shortcakes cool for 5–10 minutes. Once shortcakes have cooled slightly, slice each one in half horizontally using a serrated knife.
- While shortcakes are baking, chill a medium bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then pour in the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Spoon a generous amount of the macerated strawberries with their juices onto the bottom half of each shortcake.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
- Place the top half of the shortcake over the whipped cream. Add more strawberries and a small swirl of whipped cream on top. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Step by Step
Gather all of your ingredients.
Prep the strawberries: Rinse, hull, and slice 2 cups fresh strawberries. Add them to a bowl with 3 tbsp granulated sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir gently, then set aside for at least 15 minutes so the strawberries can get nice and juicy.
Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the shortcake dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt until everything is well combined.
Add ½ cup cold cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Cut the butter in using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips until the mixture looks crumbly with a few pea-sized bits of butter still visible.
Pour in ⅔ cup whole milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir gently with a spatula just until a dough forms, taking care not to overwork it. Overmixing the dough can make your shortcakes tough and dense!
Shape the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it to about 1 to 1½ inches thick, then use a 3-inch cutter to cut out about 5-6 rounds.
Top with sugar: Place the rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Brush the tops lightly with heavy whipping cream (2 tbsp total) and sprinkle over Demerara sugar (2 tbsp total).
Bake and slice: Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are baked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let the shortcakes rest for 5-10 minutes, then use a serrated knife to carefully slice each one in half horizontally.
Meanwhile, place a medium bowl and the beaters in the freezer for about 5 minutes to chill.
Make the whipped cream: Remove the bowl from the freezer. Add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the cold bowl, then beat on medium-high until soft peaks form.
Assemble the strawberry shortcakes: Spoon some of the strawberries and their juices onto the bottom half of each shortcake. Add a generous spoonful of whipped cream, then place the top half of the shortcake over it. Finish with more strawberries and a little extra whipped cream on top. Serve right away and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These strawberry shortcakes are lovely served slightly warm, when the biscuits are still tender, and the strawberries are nice and juicy. Since they’re sweet, creamy, and a little rich, I like pairing them with something fresh and light, like a simple spinach apple salad. I’d also serve these shortcakes as part of a fruity dessert spread with other treats like my lemon gooey bars and this blueberry muffins!
Make Ahead and Storing Leftovers
- Room temperature. Store baked, unfilled shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Don’t store assembled shortcakes at room temperature, as the filling will soften them quickly.
- Fridge. Refrigerate sliced strawberries for up to 2-3 days and whipped cream for up to 24 hours. Baked shortcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature or warm them slightly before assembling and serving. Assembled shortcakes will soften over time.
- Freezer. Freeze baked, unfilled shortcakes wrapped tightly for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly before assembling. I don’t recommend freezing assembled strawberry shortcakes because the cream and fresh strawberries will not hold up after thawing.
More Strawberry Shortcake Recipes
- I make this Strawberry Shortcake Milkshake when I want a cool, creamy dessert drink that tastes like one of my favorite desserts (and you can make it boozy if you like!!)
- These Strawberry Shortcake Scones are tender, flaky, and packed with fresh strawberries.
- I love how my Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes turn this classic dessert into a simple handheld bake that’s perfect for bake sales, birthdays, or summery parties!
- Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits layer cake, pudding, whipped cream, and berries into an easy little treat.
- This Strawberry Shortcake Dip is a sweet, silky party dessert with just 6 ingredients.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
