Strawberry Shortcake

This strawberry shortcake classic dessert is a bright and refreshing treat reminiscent of summertime! When I can finally make this with fresh, field-picked strawberries, I know that summer has truly arrived! Layers of citrus-flavored shortcakes, fluffy homemade whipped cream, and sweetened strawberries make this easy dessert a staple of summer recipes!

Best Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

These super easy-to-make desserts are one of my summer favorites! I can't remember not having fresh strawberries to pile onto these wonderfully tasty shortcakes for the perfect summer treat!

I'm going to give away how old I am when I say that I actually was one of those kids that picked strawberries in the summer for money. Since there was always a certain amount of grazing that happened, you would think that I would have had enough of these luscious berries... but no, never!

Jump to:

• Best Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
• 🥘 Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
• 🍽️ Equipment Needed To Make Strawberry Shortcake
• 🔪 How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🥡 Storing
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🍓 More Strawberry Treats
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

If you love strawberry shortcakes, try my bite-sized version of Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Cups!

🥘 Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients

Fresh berries are best, but I'll make do with frozen and freeze-dried strawberries over the winter months. Even off-season strawberries are good.

Macerated Strawberries

• Strawberries - 3 cups of strawberries (fresh, sliced).
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
• Lemon - 1 large lemon (juice and zest, reserve the zest for the shortcake).

Shortcakes

• All-Purpose Flour - 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
• Baking Powder - 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder (or a baking powder substitute).
• Baking Soda - ½ teaspoon of baking soda (or a baking soda substitute).
• Sugar - 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt.
• Butter - ½ cup of unsalted butter, cold and cubed.
• Buttermilk - ½ cup of buttermilk (use additional buttermilk to reach sticky biscuit dough consistency, up to ¾ cup buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute).
• Coarse Sugar (optional) - 2 teaspoons of coarse sugar for topping the shortcakes.

Whipped Cream

• Heavy Whipping Cream - 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
• Confectioner's Sugar - ½ cup of confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar, or a powdered sugar substitute).
• Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or a vanilla extract substitute).

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🍽️ Equipment Needed To Make Strawberry Shortcake

Before we get to baking, you'll need to gather a few tools. In addition to all of the measuring utensils, you will need a baking sheet, parchment paper, a sharp knife, and a cutting board.

You will also need a couple of mixing bowls, a pastry cutter (or food processor), and a stand mixer or hand mixer for making the whipped cream.

🔪 How To Make Strawberry Shortcake

This is another one of my Granny Janny's recipes that I will forever treasure. Not only as a fond childhood memory but also, quite simply, the very best strawberry shortcake you could ever possibly make!

This recipe makes 6 homemade strawberry shortcakes for sharing!

1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 425ºF (218ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to get started.
2. Make macerated strawberries. Slice 3 cups of rinsed strawberries and place them into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of reserved lemon juice from the zested lemon.
3. Let sit. Set the bowl aside and allow the sliced strawberries to sit at room temperature while you make and bake the shortcakes.
4. Combine dry ingredients. In a small to medium bowl or the bowl of your food processor, combine the dry ingredients. Add 1 ½ cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and the reserved lemon zest. Stir to combine.
5. Cut in the butter. Then add ½ cup of cold, cubed butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your food processor until you have roughly pea-sized crumbles.
6. Add buttermilk. Stir in ½ cup of buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute), until you have a thick batter, but all of the flour has been incorporated. The batter will be lumpy.
7. Portion the dough. Next, drop the shortcake dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of spacing between the shortcakes, and divide the dough to make 6-8 shortcakes.
8. Top with sugar (optional). If desired, top the dough off with 2 teaspoons of sprinkled coarse sugar. If you don't have bakery-style coarse sugar, raw organic sugar, and cane sugar will work as well.

Bake, Assemble & Serve

1. Bake until golden. Bake the shortcakes at 425ºF (218ºC) for 15-18 minutes or until they are turning a lovely light golden brown color.
2. Cool. Remove from the oven and allow the shortcakes to cool to room temperature, so you don't end up with runny whipped cream.
3. Make whipped cream. Beat 1 cup of heavy cream on low setting until bubbles are formed. Increase speed to medium until soft peaks are formed. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and gradually add ½ cup of confectioners' sugar until it has all been incorporated into the cream. Continue on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed and your whipped cream holds its shape.
4. Slice and layer. Once cooled, slice the shortcakes in half and layer the whipped cream and sliced strawberries on the bottom half.
5. Assemble and serve. Place the top half of the shortcake on top, then add more whipped cream and a drizzle of the strawberry juices (optional). Or place a slice of fresh strawberry on top of the layered shortcake.

I love to serve these homemade strawberry shortcakes at summer gatherings with a pitcher of strawberry pineapple lemonade. You can also garnish them with a fresh mint leaf if desired. Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• If you are looking for an all-purpose flour substitute to make gluten-free shortcakes, I suggest looking up a recipe that uses your preferred type of flour for the best texture results.
• In a pinch, you can use frozen and thawed or freeze-dried strawberries. Nothing compares to fresh berries, though!
• On that same note, you can certainly use store-bought whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream is much more rich and decadent, but that's not to say there's anything wrong with using a can or tub of whipped topping.

🥡 Storing

To keep the shortcake from getting soggy and the strawberries fresh, it's best to assemble the shortcakes right before eating. I recommend storing the components separately.

The strawberries will last for 3 days or so in the fridge in an airtight container. Homemade whipped cream should also be kept in an airtight container in the fridge but will last for 5-7 days.

The shortcake biscuits can be placed in a Ziploc bag and kept at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can also wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 2 months.

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❓ Recipe FAQs

🍓 More Strawberry Treats

• Tanghulu Candy Coated Strawberries - These sweet and crunchy strawberry candies are hard to resist!
• Strawberry Lush - Layers of angel food cake with a sweet cream cheese filling, creamy whipped topping, and fresh strawberries!
• Strawberry Swirl Brownies - Super fudgy brownies with swirls of strawberry jam all throughout.
• Strawberry & Cream Scones - These delectable strawberry & cream scones with vanilla icing are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack!
• Apple Strawberry Crisp - Top your apple strawberry crisp with a scoop of ice cream, and you'll be in heaven!
• Tarte aux Fraises (French Strawberry Tart) - A tender shortcrust pastry loaded with fresh strawberries and rich crème pâtissière.

📖 Recipe Card