Strawberry shortcakes are a deceptively easy dessert to make, especially with how impressive they appear. This classic American dessert is made of sweetened biscuits (shortcakes) split in half and filled with fluffy whipped cream and sweet macerated strawberries. It is a wonderful marriage of decadent and refreshing, perfect for warmer months! I tested this recipe again, and updated the post with a few new tips to help you bake the best shortcakes. Give it a try this strawberry season to enjoy the abundance of fresh berries!
A reader, Sarah, says: “Love this recipe! I’ve made it multiple times. I’ve also made the biscuits, frozen them, and baked them from the freezer. Perfect for prepping for dinner parties or an unexpected treat for family. This is a go-to recipe for me. Absolutely LOVE it! Highly recommend.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love My Recipe
- What Is The Best Shortcake: Biscuits or Cake?
- Classic Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients & Substitutions
- Easy Ways To Upgrade Your Shortcakes
- Pro Tips For The Best Strawberry Shortcakes
- How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Serving and Assembly
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Dessert Recipes To Try
Why You’ll Love My Recipe
There are so many reasons to love my strawberry shortcake recipe!
- Tall, fluffy biscuits: My recipe was tested multiple times to produce biscuits that rise tall and are fluffy in the center. I share all the tips and tricks so your shortcakes turn out great every time, and not compact or dense.
- Easy to make: The biscuits have a quick bake time (about 15 minutes), and making the whipped cream and macerated strawberries is so simple and fast!
- Make-ahead options: The biscuits can be made in advance and frozen before or after baking. You can macerate the strawberries up to 24 hours ahead of time.
What Is The Best Shortcake: Biscuits or Cake?
The name strawberry shortcakes is a bit of a misnomer. Classic strawberry shortcake recipes are composed of biscuits, berries, and cream—not fluffy cake. There are versions of strawberry shortcake that use vanilla cake or angel food cake instead of biscuits, but I wanted my recipe to represent a classic shortcake. You’ll whip up a batch of quick and easy sweet biscuits, and fill them with soft whipped cream and juicy macerated strawberries.
If you’d like to try a cake-like version, give my strawberry shortcake cupcakes recipe a shot!
Classic Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make strawberry shortcake. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Macerated strawberries — to macerate strawberries, simply mix hulled and sliced strawberries with granulated sugar. The sugar sweetens the berries and also helps to draw out their juices for a syrupy fruit topping.
Leavening — a combination of baking powder and baking soda helps the biscuits rise for sky-high, fluffy shortcakes.
Unsalted butter and salt — cold butter is a must for this recipe! It produces the iconic flaky texture in biscuits (see the section just below for a detailed explanation of how this happens). Nine times out of ten, I will recommend using unsalted butter and adding salt separately, and this strawberry shortcake recipe is no exception! Adding your own salt means you have total control over how much salt goes into the biscuits. (Salted butter has a varying amount of salt among different brands.)
Buttermilk — the acid in buttermilk tenderizes the all-purpose flour in the biscuits. If you don’t have any on hand, make my easy homemade buttermilk. Combine 1 cup of whole milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir, set aside for 10 minutes, and voila! The buttermilk substitute is ready.
Egg — one large egg is whisked with the buttermilk to provide additional richness and tenderness to the shortcakes, making them slightly fluffier in the center than a classic biscuit as well. The texture of them is like a mix between my homemade biscuits and cream scones!
Whipped cream — it’s easy to make whipped cream from scratch with cold heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. You can use store-bought whipped cream if you want, but the dessert really tastes so much better with homemade whipped cream, and it takes less than 5 minutes to make!
Use Cold Butter For The Best Shortcakes
You need cold butter to make the biscuit dough. The butter melts and steams while the biscuits bake, which will make the dough puff up and produce perfectly flaky biscuits. If your kitchen is warm, cut the butter into cubes and freeze it for 10 minutes before working it into the flour so it is very cold when you start.
Easy Ways To Upgrade Your Shortcakes
While a classic strawberry shortcake is simply sublime as-is, there are some simple ways to make it even better! Here are some ideas:
- Flavor the biscuits. Add citrus zest (like lemon zest) or ground spices (like a few dashes of ground cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon) to the biscuit dough.
- Flavor the fresh strawberries. Add a splash of a liqueur like Grand Marnier, Crème de Cassis, or Amaretto to the berries while they macerate. Or, squeeze a tablespoon of fresh lemon or orange juice into the berries with the sugar. These additions add a more complex fruit flavor to the berries.
- Swap the whipped cream for ice cream like strawberry ice cream, pistachio ice cream, or vanilla ice cream!
Pro Tips For The Best Strawberry Shortcakes
Mix the strawberries and sugar at the very beginning. This will give the sugar time to draw the liquid out of the berries, making them extra juicy and syrupy.
You can cut the butter into the dough using a food processor if desired. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Then add the cubed butter. Pulse 3 or 4 times just to break down the butter pieces. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and pulse a few more times just until the dough starts to get shaggy (it will still be crumbly). Turn it out on the counter and work it together into a single ball as directed in the recipe.
For taller shortcakes, bake them closer together on the baking sheet. Place the biscuits close to each other on the baking sheet, but not touching. Leaving about 1 inch between them is perfect. Doing so actually helps them rise taller during baking, versus if you spread them out farther apart.
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making homemade strawberry shortcake. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Make the macerated strawberries: Place the sliced strawberries in a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar on top. Mix, cover, and pop it in the refrigerator while you make the biscuits (or up to 24 hours).
2. Make the biscuits: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, then set aside. Whisk the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a large measuring cup and set aside. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or using a pastry cutter until the butter breaks down into smaller, approximately pea-sized pieces.
3. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix together with a fork or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface to prevent sticking. Work the dough just until it holds together, and pat it down to 1-inch thickness.
5. Use a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to cut out 8 shortcakes. You can reform the scraps to make more shortcakes if you would like.
6. Bake the biscuits: Place the biscuits, one inch apart, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar (if desired). Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
7. Make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, beat together the cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
8. Assemble the strawberry shortcakes: Split the shortcake biscuits in half. Dollop the bottom half of the biscuit with whipped cream and top with a pile of strawberries. Place the other biscuit half on top and add another dollop of whipped cream and more strawberries. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Pastry cutter (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Biscuit or cookie cutter
Ingredients
For the Macerated Strawberries:
- 1½ pounds strawberries hulled and sliced (675g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (67g)
For the Biscuits:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubed (226g)
- 1¼ cups cold buttermilk (300mL)
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cold heavy cream for brushing on top
For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream (480ml)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Macerated Strawberries:
- Place strawberries in a large bowl then sprinkle with sugar, mix, cover and refrigerate while you make the biscuits for up to 24 hours.
For the Biscuits:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla and set aside.
- Add the butter to the dry mixture then work it in with your hands or a pastry cutter until the butter is in small pieces, about the size of peas.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix using a fork or spatula until a shaggy dough starts to form.
- Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface. Gently work the dough just until it holds together into a single mass, then pat it down to 1-inch thickness. Use a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to cut out 8 shortcakes. (Press straight down with the cutter and don’t twist; twisting seals the edge and prevents the shortcake from rising well.) Reroll the scraps to cut more shortcakes, if needed.
- Place the biscuits on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with the cream and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and cool completely.
For the Whipped Cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
For the Assembly:
- To serve, split the biscuits in half. Dollop the bottom half with whipped cream and top with a pile of strawberries. Place the other biscuit half on top and finish with another dollop of whipped cream and more strawberries. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Biscuit cutter tip: Press straight down with the cutter and don’t twist. Twisting seals the edge and prevents the biscuits from rising well.
- To make a stabilized whipped cream, you can add 1 tablespoon of instant pudding mix when you start mixing! This is a great tip if you want to whip the cream a few hours in advance of serving it. The whipped cream will hold its fluffiness and won’t weep or soften in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Nutrition
Serving and Assembly
Make sure the biscuits have cooled completely before assembling your strawberry shortcakes. A warm biscuit will melt the delicate whipped cream.
To assemble, I like to split the biscuit and fill it with macerated strawberries and cream, place the other half on top, and add more berries and cream. This yields a truly loaded strawberry shortcake.
If you plan on serving these to a crowd or for a more casual gathering, set up a dessert bar and let everyone assemble their own. You can add other toppings like toasted coconut, sliced almonds, chopped pistachios, shaved chocolate, or other fruits. This is a good idea because strawberry shortcakes are best served immediately, rather than assembling them in advance, to prevent the biscuits from becoming soggy.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Storing leftovers: Once assembled, strawberry shortcake should be enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, store the components separately. The strawberries and whipped cream must be refrigerated. The macerated berries will keep for about 24 hours. And while whipped cream will keep for 2 days, it will deflate and begin to yellow in that time. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Make and freeze unbaked biscuits: Once the biscuits are cut out, place them on a lined baking sheet and freeze until they are solid, about 2 hours. Either tightly wrap the tray in several layers of plastic wrap or place the biscuits in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the biscuits from frozen as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the overall baking time.
Freeze baked biscuits: Once the biscuits have cooled completely, wrap each one in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Macerate the strawberries in advance: You can mix the sugar and strawberries up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator. I recommend adding a little squeeze of lemon juice to the strawberries to help keep them fresh for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you can use whole milk instead of buttermilk to make the biscuits, buttermilk makes the biscuits extra tender and flavorful because of the lactic acid it contains. This acid raises the pH of the dough so that the biscuits turn golden on the outside, and it helps cut down on gluten formation, so they stay tender and fluffy inside. If you use whole milk, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice into it first to make it more acidic.
Strawberry shortcake is best with fresh strawberries, but you can use frozen strawberries in a pinch. The berries will be quite soft once thawed and much juicier. I recommend thawing them first, draining off about half of the liquid, then adding the sugar.
The key is to only assemble the shortcakes when you’re ready to serve them. Assembling them in advance will cause the juice from the strawberries to soak into the biscuits, turning them soggy instead of fluffy and flaky.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more delicious, decadent dessert recipes, try one of these recipes next!
My strawberry tart features a buttery crust, lemon cream cheese mousse, and lots of fresh strawberries. It’s perfect to make during strawberry season!
Cream puffs are a classic French dessert that are surprisingly easy to make from scratch! They’re perfect for a special dinner party or afternoon tea.
My beautiful pink strawberry cake is so moist and tender! It’s packed with strawberry flavor from fresh strawberries in the cake itself and in the decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Try my easy mini cheesecakes if you’re looking for a foolproof dessert everyone will love! Just top a crisp crust with a creamy filling and bake. I love adding fresh berries to the tops when I serve them.
Strawberry rhubarb pie tastes like summer! The balance of sweet and tart flavors is perfect, and the buttery crust is irresistible.
If you’ve tried this strawberry shortcake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Autumn says
Tender, fluffy, buttery, vanilla-y, lightly sweet shortcakes. So easy & lovely that no one in my house will even wait for me to make strawberries & cream!
Jessyca says
I’d not made biscuits prior to this recipe and I must say the video was so comforting to follow. John is an amazing teacher and his energy reminds me to be patient with myself. Anyway, this like all of his recipes is an absolute 10! I made this for two people and even using 1 cup of heavy cream yielded a ton of whipped cream, just something to keep in mind if you’re looking to make a small batch. I also added lemon juice to my strawberries for a touch of tart flavor and vanilla bean extract in the whipped cream for a fun aesthetic.
Patricia says
I tried this recipe and they turned out so delicious! I forgot to brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar, despite this, they still were gorgeous and yummy!
Sarah Swank says
Love this recipe! I’ve made it multiple times. I’ve also made the biscuits, frozen them, and baked them from the freezer. Perfect for prepping for dinner parties or an unexpected treat for family. This is a go to recipe for me. Absolutely LOVE it! Highly recommend.
Jana says
I do not like strawberries, but I love this dessert! I made it as a last-day-of-school treat for my 6-year-old, and he inhaled it. My husband loved the biscuits! Absolutely delicious!
Spencer J Beck says
I made this short cake for my parents anniversary and they loved them.