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This easy strawberry shortcake recipe features layers of flaky biscuits, sweet strawberries, and whipped cream. It’s perfect for summer and made to share!
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This strawberry shortcake recipe is as sweet and delicious to taste as it is adorable to look at. No matter what you’re serving up for dinner this summer, this is the perfect dessert to go with it. With flaky, sweet biscuit layers, tart, juicy strawberries, and a fluffy layer of whipped cream, this simple dessert is sure to satisfy!
This easy dessert comes together in just a few steps, is great for making ahead of time, and can be easily shared with a crowd. Just layer everything together for a light and refreshing dessert that isn’t too heavy and will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Ingredients in Strawberry Shortcake
The ingredients for the recipe are simple and straight-forward:
- Shortcake – In this recipe, we use a sweet biscuit for the cake layer. As a short cut, you can use a store-bought sponge cake, pound cake, or an angel food cake loaf. Simply slice the cake or loaf into slices and use one slice for the top, and one for the bottom.
- Strawberries – Strawberries are the star of the show! When strawberries are in season and at their sweetest, you may want to skip the sugar. If not, a little sugar is added to sweeten them up just a bit.
- Whipped Cream – Even though store-bought whipped cream (whether in a tub or can) is easily available, we highly recommend real, homemade whipped cream. It takes a little longer, but the results are worth it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the Biscuits
Sift – Sift together all of the dry ingredients and then add your cold butter. And make sure that the butter is cold. I like to grate the butter into the mix because it is easier to combine. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, mix until crumbly.
Knead – Next, add the heavy cream. Using your hands, mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about a minute. Roll the dough out until it is about ½ inch thick and then cut into biscuits. I usually just use the mouth of a glass.
Bake – Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet with parchment paper and cook for 20-30 minutes at 375. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown.
2. Prepare the Strawberries
While the biscuits are baking, slice your strawberries. Take about ¼ of the strawberries and mash them up to release the juices. Add the mashed strawberries back in with the sliced strawberries. Sprinkle sugar over the top, stir, and let rest until ready to serve.
3. Whip up the Cream
The last thing to do before assembling is to make your whipped cream. Add heavy cream to a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, and use the whisk attachment on an electric mixer whisk until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined.
4. Assemble and Enjoy
Finally, when all the elements are ready, assemble your shortcakes. Cut a biscuit in half and spoon strawberries over the bottom half – make sure you spoon some of the juices over the biscuit as well. Then, add whipped cream and place the top half on top. Top with more whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Fruits – Although strawberry shortcake is famous for its use of strawberries, put your own spin on the dessert and use raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or your favorite berries.
- Fresh – When choosing and finding ingredients, make sure they are fresh for the best tasting results.
- Strawberries – Swap out fresh strawberries for strawberry jam, strawberry syrup, or strawberry slices in a gelatin.
- Dough – Don’t overmix the dough when making the biscuits, or they will come out with a tougher texture.
- Buttermilk – You can substitute the cream in the biscuits for buttermilk for an equally delicious result.
- Chill – Try refrigerating the dough before rolling it out. This helps firm up the dough and makes for a more flakey biscuit.
- Baking – Make sure to watch the baking times. Not all ovens are the same. You don’t want to overcook the biscuits. Once they are golden brown take them out to finish baking.
- Wire rack – Place baked biscuits on wire racks for cooling.
“Really enjoyed this delicious treat! Nothing better than strawberries and whipped cream plus the flaky layers of the biscuits were perfect!”
-Brandy
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Sifter
- Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 4 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cups butter chilled
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream
For the Strawberry Filling
- 2 pounds strawberries rinsed
- ½ cup sugar
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 pint whipping cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Grate or slice butter and add to the dry mixture. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, combine the dry ingredients and the butter until the mixture is crumbly and all of the butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller. Add whipping cream and use your hands to form the mixture into a soft dough.
- Once the dough forms, knead for 1-2 minutes. Roll out onto a floured surface until the dough is about ½ inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or the mouth of a glass, cut into biscuits. Place biscuits onto a greased baking sheet and brush the tops with a little bit of melted butter.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
For the Strawberry Filling
- Hull and slice strawberries. Mash up about ¼ of your strawberries to release the juices. Add the mashed strawberries back to the sliced strawberries. Sprinkle sugar over the top and let rest until ready to assemble the shortcakes.
For the Whipped Cream
- Mix whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined.
To Assemble the Strawberry Shortcakes
- Cut a biscuit in half and spoon strawberries over the bottom half – make sure you spoon some of the juices over the biscuit as well. Then, add whipped cream and place the top half on top. Top with more whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, we used granulated sugar. You can also use honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or coconut sugar as a substitution.
Cake batter is a little more dense and crumbly, whereas shortcakes are thicker and made with ingredients similar to biscuit dough.
Make Ahead of Time
Strawberry shortcakes are perfect for preparing ahead of time. The biscuits are good for two to three days, and the strawberries are great for 24 hours. The prepared whipped cream can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. As needed, you can assemble this dessert in no time for your next party or gathering!
More Strawberry Favorites
The strawberry season is coming and we have lots of delicious strawberry recipes to share with you! Fresh strawberries are what summer is all about! Try some of these delicious strawberry recipes and take advantage of these plump summer berries!
More Fruity Summer Desserts
Be the star of your next summer potluck, barbecue, or get-together, with these delicious summer dessert favorites:
Easy Fruit Pizza
Blackberry Pie
Fruit Trifle
Raspberry Peach Cobbler
Key Lime Pie
Triple Berry Cheesecake Bites
Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
Really enjoyed this delicious treat! Nothing better than strawberries and whipped cream plus the flaky layers of the biscuits were perfect!
This is the best dessert. Simple to make and so amazing! It is requested often in my home!
oh my those look heavenly. If you could just push a couple this way!
These look like cute little delicious dessert options. Strawberry is my favorite seasonal fruit and I just love the way you have presented these shortcakes with the yummy creamy topping.
Strawberry shortcake really is such a quintessential summer dessert! I’ve actually never made my own biscuits for it, though – a crime, I know! Thanks for the great walk-through of exactly how to get this right, every time!
Wow this whole recipe is just WOW!!!! And these photos!!!! I could just reach out for these shortcakes from my computer screen!!!!!! Just making me drool left, right and center!