This recipe for Strawberry Shortcakes is a classic homemade sweet shortcake topped with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream.
A DELICIOUSLY SWEET CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES
Gosh, is there anything prettier than strawberry shortcakes? To me, it is the perfect spring and summer dessert when strawberries are fresh and in-season. It's a light dessert too. The perfect ending to any meal!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It is not because of their height which is what many folks think. It actually comes from an old English cooking term, "short." Short basically referred to any baked good that was made crispier because fat was added. In this case you get short cakes.
Very simple ingredients. Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract and some sort of fat like heavy cream or butter.
Biscuits are softer throughout whereas shortcakes have a slightly more crispier and crumbly texture. Shortcakes are also meant to be sweet whereas biscuits are more savory.
The shortcakes need to be stored separately in an airtight container from the whipped cream and strawberries or they will just get mushy. Also, fresh whipped cream has to be eaten the day it is made. Whipped cream doesn't stay very fluffy after the day it is made. Unlike Cool Whip (whipped topping) which is more stable). Shortcakes will stay fresh in a container for up to 5 days.
Yes! Of course the shortcakes have to be frozen individually. Wrap with plastic wrap and then put into a freezer safe tiptop bag. They will keep frozen for 3 months. Prepare strawberries and whipped cream when you are ready to serve the shortcakes.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- heavy cream
- strawberries
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add in the cream and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined.
Use a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup to portion out the dough and drop onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass or fingers to gently press the top of the dough down to make a round biscuit shape.
Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, prep the strawberries by slicing and adding them to a bowl with granulated sugar and vanilla and stir to combine.
To make the whipped cream: In a separate, large bowl, beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
When ready to consume, slice a shortcake in half and top with whipped cream and strawberries.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Southern Strawberry Shortcakes
Ingredients
For the shortcakes (biscuits):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 4½ teaspoons granulated sugar, for topping on biscuits
For the strawberries:
- 3 cups fresh strawberries (tops removed and sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For fresh whipped cream:
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the shortcakes (biscuits):
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add in the cream and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup to portion out the dough and drop onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Use the bottom of a glass or fingers to gently press the top of the dough down to make a round biscuit shape.
- Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
For the strawberries:
- Meanwhile, prep the strawberries by slicing and adding them to a bowl with granulated sugar and vanilla and stir to combine. Put into the refrigerator for a few hours until the strawberries produce juice.
For the homemade whipped cream:
- In a large bowl, beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form (this is easiest with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment).
To assemble:
- When ready to consume, slice a shortcake in half and top with whipped cream and strawberries.
Notes
- Shortcakes can be frozen.
- Cool Whip whipped topping can be used instead of fresh whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: March 2018
Updated and republished: June 2022
Josie
So easy and delicious, just what I was looking for.
Cathi
This is the best. Second time I made it with no changes . Will never use Bisquick again.
Deborah Anne
So good!!! By far the best shortcake recipe I’ve tried!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Awww wow - thank you so much for that Deborah Anne!
CHERYL AVELSGARD
This was wonderful! Had a good crumb without being dry. I did however, need to add more milk than called for to get a thick sticky dough. 1/2 cup would not even wet all the dry ingredients. I probably used at least 3/4 cup.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Cheryl! So happy to hear that! Yes, it's always hard with baked goods because I think we all can measure flour a bit differently so some pack the flour in, some just dip and swipe and it also depends on the flour brand. For example, White Lily is so soft and light that they suggest you add an additional tablespoon to each cup to account for differences. So, these types of recipes are definitely for a more experienced baker who knows how the dough should feel and look. 🙂
Jen
Wondering if it is ok to make the biscuits ahead of time or do they need to be warm?
Thanks!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Jen! Yes, you can certainly make it ahead of time. Just make sure you store them in an airtight container so they stay fresh. 🙂
Susan
1 stick of butter is 4 oz..... so do I use 1/2 stick or 1 stick?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
1 stick is 8 tbsp. So you’ll want to use 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) and is also measured as 1/4 cup.
Rose Johnson
I'm from CA and always preferred a biscuit and had the best recipe at one time but lost it. It has now been found, everything including the buttermilk and citrus; although I used orange zest in my dough and sweetened my berries with the juice. Also added walnuts or pecans to dough. Yum!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I hope this is close to the one you remember!!
LInda & John A Dioni
My Dad would always make sweet biscuits for Strawberry Shortcake and I never did get his recipe so this is something I will try as it appears to be much like his. Thank You
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I hope it tastes like you remember!
Marsha
GOR.GEOUS!!! We enjoy this kind of shortcake all summer long!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Are you headed to Florida this year Mrs. B? I bet they have some awesome strawberries right now!
Jodue
These are the kind my mom always made !!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Moms are always the best though! 🙂
Elaine
It must be a local custom as to what people serve as strawberry shortcake. I don't know of a soul here who uses a biscuit type for berries. Her it is a yellow 1 egg cake or over a pound cake and some use angel food. The real non-bakers buy those little sponge preformed into shells to hold the berries. To be very honest I don't see biscuits served often in any form much here other than biscuits and sausage gravy as a breakfast item. Not sure how that happened.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Elaine, where are you from?
Elaine
SE Ohio-please understand this is not a criticism----just an observation.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I didn't take it as a criticism at all. Just wondered what part of the United States you were from where you had never had it as a biscuit. 🙂
Renee
I am from the midwest and I always thought of the kind made with cake or angel food is "fake" strawberry shortcake, lol. I typically make my shortcake "biscuits" with the bisquick mix but they are sooo good! Elaine, you must try shortcake this way!
Jenny
Aren’t you a negative nelly?? I’m in California and I see shortcake served like this all the time. Sheesh...
Jenny
Brandie...I made this for the first time tonight. Such an easy recipe that produced flawless biscuits! Golden brown with a slight crunch because of the sugar on top, yet an incredibly moist crumb on the inside. Perfection!
Kenny
I'm in North Central Ohio and biscuit-style is the only acceptable shortcake for berries. The fluffy, yellow cakey sort of stuff is considered fake because it isn't a true short-dough.