Southern Strawberry Shortcakes (+Video)
This recipe for Strawberry Shortcakes is a classic homemade sweet shortcake topped with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream. Turns out perfect every time!
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! This recipe is fool proof and the biscuits are not heavy but a lightly sweet accompaniment to the sweetened strawberries and homemade whipped cream!
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.
Of course not! It’s your dessert so you do what you want! You can certainly just use a dollop of Cool Whip or buy a can of whipped cream and just squirt that on there too.
No. However, I do recommend it. Covering strawberries in sugar and letting them produce juices is called “maceration.” This gives time for the sugar to be incorporated with the strawberries and juices and makes for a delicious filling. However, if you are in a hurry you can skip that step of maceration (but try not to!)
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: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- heavy cream
- strawberries
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE:
Preheat the oven to 450F degrees 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. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours so they’ll soften and produce some juices.
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?
Originally published: March 2018
Updated and republished: June 2022
Southern Strawberry Shortcakes (+Video)
Ingredients
For the shortcakes (biscuits):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 4½ teaspoons granulated sugar (for topping the 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 450F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add in 1½ cups heavy cream and stir 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 very gently press the top of the dough down to make a round biscuit shape.
- Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with about ½ teaspoon of the 4½ teaspoons granulated sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
For the strawberries:
- Meanwhile, add 3 cups fresh strawberries, tops removed and sliced to a bowl with 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 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 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 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. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yes, that oven temperature is correct.
- You do not have to let the strawberries macerate for a few hours but I think it does help to break down the sugar a bit and helps the strawberries release some juice and softens them which I think makes for a better tasting filling.
- 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.
So easy and delicious, just what I was looking for.
This is the best. Second time I made it with no changes . Will never use Bisquick again.
So good!!! By far the best shortcake recipe I’ve tried!
Awww wow – thank you so much for that Deborah Anne!
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.
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. 🙂
Wondering if it is ok to make the biscuits ahead of time or do they need to be warm?
Thanks!
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. 🙂
1 stick of butter is 4 oz….. so do I use 1/2 stick or 1 stick?
1 stick is 8 tbsp. So you’ll want to use 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) and is also measured as 1/4 cup.
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!
I hope this is close to the one you remember!!
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
I hope it tastes like you remember!
GOR.GEOUS!!! We enjoy this kind of shortcake all summer long!!
Are you headed to Florida this year Mrs. B? I bet they have some awesome strawberries right now!
These are the kind my mom always made !!!
Moms are always the best though! 🙂
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.
Elaine, where are you from?
SE Ohio-please understand this is not a criticism—-just an observation.
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. 🙂
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!
Aren’t you a negative nelly?? I’m in California and I see shortcake served like this all the time. Sheesh…
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!
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.