The Best Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

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Strawberry Shortcake spells S-U-M-M-E-R! Ripe, juicy berries bursting with flavour, nestled between a light flaky shortcake biscuit.

What happens next? A crazy amount of freshly whipped cream! That’s what our Best Homemade Strawberry Shortcake recipe is all about!


You know that potluck youโ€™ve been invited to next weekend? The one you may not go to because you donโ€™t think you have time to make anything?


Our easy strawberry shortcake recipe is here to save the day. A simple old fashioned recipe takes no time at all to bake and put together, and Iโ€™m here to help you every step of the way.

close up view of strawberry shortcake shows biscuits, whipped cream and big juicy red strawberries

Be sure to check out our top recipes for Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

You will need: 3 quarts of fresh strawberries, a pint of whipping cream (35%) flour, sugar, buttermilk, baking powder, butter, and raw sugar.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Backstory

As a young girl, one of the first things I learned to bake was shortcakes. And this was a shortcake recipe from scratch, not Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake.

Now there is nothing wrong with using Bisquick! My Mom used it often, but I think more because that was what her generation did. Prepackaged and processed foods were new in the 50โ€™s and 60โ€™s, and a novelty.

All designed to save everyone time in the kitchen.

In this case I donโ€™t think using Bisquick or a similar product saves any time at all, and the benefits of homemade outweigh the few minutes it takes to measure flour and baking powder.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and I whipped up a batch of homemade shortcakes to take to our friendsโ€™ for a BBQ dinner. Iโ€™m often asked to bring the dessert!

I knew I wanted an easy recipe, one that would use the fresh strawberries that are on sale right now, and also a dessert that would travel well, and come together quickly when the time was right!

And of course be a beautiful presentation! Thatโ€™s because I always love to WOW my guests!

The baking of the shortcakes came together quickly, and cleaning the berries and letting them chill in a sugar syrup was just fine.

I whipped up the cream on arrival, so that it would be ready for me to build the strawberry shortcakes once we finished the main course. You can see Puccini, their golden retriever, watching me very closely!

Golden Retriever sitting in the kitchen watching
Puccini likes Strawberry Shortcake!


They were just so scrumptious. See for yourself!

round wooden dining table with friends sitting getting ready to eat strawberry shortcake
Ready to eat our Strawberry Shortcake!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE FROM SCRATCH

  • Use the freshest strawberries you can find. Local if you can.
  • Clean and slice the berries first
  • Follow the instructions exactly
  • Mix the berries and sugar, then let me chill in the fridge, theyโ€™ll be that much sweeter for it.
  • Make sure you donโ€™t overwork the shortcake dough, or youโ€™ll end up with very tough cakes and we donโ€™t want that!
  • You build the strawberry shortcakes in layers. I like to put a spoonful of berries right on the bottom, then half a shortcake biscuit, more berries, a little whipped cream, another shortcake, biscuit, berries and cream!
  • Check out the gallery below to see the steps!


EASY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE FAQs

Can Strawberry Shortcake be made in advance?


Absolutely! Thatโ€™s the beauty of this recipe. You can clean and prepare the strawberries, and bake the shortcakes a day or two before.

What is strawberry shortcake made of?

Strawberry shortcakes include strawberries, lots and lots of whipped cream, and the shortcakes include flour, butter, heavy cream, and baking powder.

What is strawberry shortcake’s cats name?

Ha ha! My daughter had a Strawberry Shortcake blanket that she loved so much. I think the catโ€™s name was Custard!

Why is it called shortcake?

The term shortcake is similar to shortbread – The word โ€˜shortโ€™ is from the English dictionary and it means to add fats – so in both cases, unsalted butter is added to form the shortcake or shortbread.

YOU MAY NEEDโ€ฆ.

Using a baking mat or silpat is very useful with this recipe. The mat keeps your countertops clean, but more importantly, itโ€™s a non-stick surface, so you can mix the ingredients together without over mixing your shortcake!

baking mat

YOU MAY ALSO LIKEโ€ฆ.

There are so many amazing Strawberry Dessert recipes out there, like this Strawberry Dump Cake!

And more summer desserts like:

strawberries and whipped cream piled high on shortcake biscuits

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Now you are all set. This recipe will make you the Dessert Hero at your next party, or family gathering.

But be warned.

Everyone will love your dessert so much, that youโ€™ll be sure to be asked to bring it again and againโ€ฆ

Oh and be sure to have the recipe handy on your smartphone, coz you know they will ask you for it!

close up view of strawberry shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

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Judy
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine North American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups sliced strawberries - 3 quarts will give you lots of berries, I like to have extra!
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar - for the berries
  • WHIPPED CREAM
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240mheavy cream
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • BISCUITS
  • 3 cups white all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter - cold and cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream - 35% MF
  • Raw sugar

Instructions
 

  • Start with the strawberries: Stir the strawberries and 1/4 cup (50granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready to use. This time allows the strawberries to release their delicious juices.
  • Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl.
  • Pour buttermilk on top. Stir everything together until just about combinedโ€“ do not overwork the dough. The dough will look like shreds and be very crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently mold it together in a ball using your hands. Gently flatten until it is evenly 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Re-roll any scraps until you have about 12 biscuits. (I didnโ€™t re-roll my scrapsโ€“ thatโ€™s why you only see 9!)
  • Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or close together on a lined baking sheet. (Make sure theyโ€™re touchingโ€“ see photo above.)
  • Brush the tops with 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (or buttermiland sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before assembling.
  • Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  • Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.

VIDEO

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @pieladybakes

Enjoy, and have a blissful summerโ€ฆ xo


Thanks so much for stopping by and reading all about how to make the best homemade Strawberry Shortcake.

I just know you are going to love it! If you havenโ€™t already, be sure to pin it for later!

close up pin image of strawberry shortcake recipe with white text that reads strawberry shortcake!

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Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.

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