Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

A strawberry shortcake on a plate with colorful butterflies.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

My classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe will become a dessert staple during strawberry season! They only take about an hour to make from start to finish.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 789kcal

Author John Kanell

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.

Video

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