Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
This old-fashioned strawberry shortcake is made with tender, buttery buttermilk biscuits, juicy strawberries and plenty of freshly whipped cream. Everything is made from scratch, but each part is easy to prepare—and you can make the biscuits and strawberry filling ahead of time.
My secret is spooning some of the juicy strawberry filling right onto the bottom biscuit before adding the berries and whipped cream. That way, every layer is soft, sweet and full of strawberry flavour.
🎥Watch me make Strawberry Shortcake!
Strawberry Shortcake at a Glance
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: About 15 minutes
Serves: 8 to 12
Best for: Summer gatherings, BBQs and family desserts
Make ahead: Prepare the biscuits and strawberries one day ahead
What makes it special: Homemade buttermilk biscuits layered with juicy strawberry filling and fresh whipped cream
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake
Made completely from scratch: No Bisquick, cake mix or store-bought shortcakes. Tender buttermilk biscuits: Cold butter and buttermilk create a soft, flaky shortcake. Plenty of strawberry flavour: The strawberries sit with sugar until they release their sweet juices. Easy to prepare ahead: Bake the biscuits and prepare the strawberries before your gathering. Perfect for summer: A lovely dessert for BBQs, picnics and strawberry season.
What is Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake?
Traditional strawberry shortcake is made by layering slightly sweet biscuit-style shortcakes with juicy strawberries and whipped cream. Unlike versions made with sponge cake or pound cake, the homemade biscuits are sturdy enough to soak up the strawberry juices without falling apart.
Ingredients you will need:
For the strawberries:
- 1.5 quarts of fresh strawberries, that have been washed, hulled and sliced;
- Granulated sugar – sugar draws the juice out of the berries and this process is called macerated.
- 2 cups of homemade strawberry pie filling
For the Buttermilk Shortcake Biscuits:
I use all purpose flour and spoon it into , sugar, buttermilk, baking powder, butter, and raw sugar.
1. Mix dry ingredients 
2. Add in unsalted butter 
3. Use pastry blender to mix 
Pour in sour milk/buttermilk 
5. Cut out the shortcake biscuits 
6. Brush the biscuits with cream 
7. Bake until golden 
8. Macerate the strawberries 
9. Start with a layer of pie filling 
10. Add a layer of whipped cream 
11. Ready to eat!
Check out my YouTube Video! 🎥
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, they’ll be that much sweeter for it.
- Make sure you don’t overwork the shortcake dough, or you’ll end up with very tough cakes and we don’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!
Helpful Information for Strawberry Shortcake
Can Strawberry Shortcake be made in advance?
Absolutely! That’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.
Why is it called shortcake?
The term shortcake is similar to shortbread – The word ‘short’ 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 ALSO LIKE….
And more summer desserts like:
- Key Lime Pie
- Ice Cream Pie
- Butter Tarts
- Slow-Cooker Blueberry Cheesecake
- Date Squares
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
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 you’ll be sure to be asked to bring it again and again…
Oh and be sure to have the recipe handy on your smartphone, coz you know they will ask you for it!
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 6 cups sliced strawberries - 1.5 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
Shortcake 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 425°F (218°C). 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 combined– 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 didn’t re-roll my scraps– that’s why you only see 9!)
- Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or close together on a lined baking sheet. (Make sure they’re touching– 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
Notes
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.
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 haven’t already, be sure to pin it for later!
Judy Kahansky
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, enjoy the simple life, and are travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Ruby.
