Classic strawberry shortcake is a fresh and fruity dessert recipe that everyone will love! It features real sliced strawberries piled onto tender biscuit-like mini cakes with a dollop of sweet, fluffy homemade whipped cream. Follow my step-by-step photos and instructions to make this easy, rich strawberry shortcake recipe as a delicious summery treat anytime of the year.
Table of Contents
What is Strawberry Shortcake
The most common question asked about this Strawberry Shortcake recipe is what exactly is a shortcake? Simple! A shortcake is tender, slightly crumbly biscuit-like rustic cake.
It includes baking powder as a leavening agent so you get a flaky sponge with just the right consistency and biscuit/cake crossover density.
Shortcakes tend to be a bit on the drier side, which is perfect to enjoy with juicy strawberries and luscious whipped cream.
Speaking of, the strawberry filling is really the star here that you will love! It’s a simple blend of fresh strawberries macerated with sugar, no cooking necessary.
How to make Strawberry Shortcake
Macerate Strawberries
1. The first step is to make the filling, as the strawberries will need to sit for a while together before being used. Slice or chop the strawberries – 350 to 400 grams.
Prep the strawberries before slicing. Soak them in water or in a bowl full of water to which some baking soda and vinegar has been added for 8 to 10 minutes.
This helps in getting rid of pesticide residues if any and destroys any harmful bacteria or microorganism spores on them.
Later rinse thoroughly in fresh water for a couple of times. Drain extra water and let the strawberries dry naturally or you can pat them dry.
2. Add the chopped strawberries to a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons castor sugar.
TIP: Opt for raw sugar, white sugar, brown sugar or powdered sugar in place of castor sugar.
3. Mix very well so that the berries are coated in the sugar.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge. Let the strawberries macerate for 30 minutes while you make the shortcake.
Below you see the photo of strawberries with their juices in a sweet thin syrupy base.
Make Shortcake Dough
5. Meanwhile, combine the dry shortcake ingredients in a large bowl.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
6. Add ¼ cup castor sugar (40 grams) or you use confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar.
7. Mix thoroughly.
8. Now cut cold butter (50 grams) into cubes and add to the bowl. It is essential to use cold butter to create a perfectly flaky and tender strawberry shortcake biscuit.
9. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. If you do not have a pastry cutter, mix the cold butter into the flour with clean hands or use a stand mixer if you have one.
When mixing with fingers, if the butter melts, refrigerate this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes before moving on to the next step.
10. You should wind up with pea sized clumps of butter and flour in a breadcrumb like textured mixture.
11. Then add ½ cup whipping cream in two parts (while mixing), along with the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
12. Gently mix.
13. Don’t actually knead the dough. You want the ingredients just combined to form a rough pastry dough. If too dry or firm you can add a splash more cream. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Make the Biscuits
14. When the dough is ready to work with, flour a clean work surface and remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Sprinkle some flour on the dough.
Do remember to preheat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
15. Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle.
16. Fold the dough over and lightly flour if needed.
17. Roll the dough out again in to a rough rectangle shape.
18. Sprinkle with flour as needed and fold again.
19. Roll the dough again. The dough should be ½ to ¾ inch thick.
20. Repeat the same process one more time, and roll again into neat rectangle that’s about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
21. Then use a cookie cutter or a small steel bowl to make round circles in the dough. Press down firmly and try not to twist too much so that the biscuits rise properly. As you cut the shortcakes, gather the scrap dough and roll again to continue cutting cakes.
Alternatively, you can also simply cut the dough into 6 squares.
Bake Shortcake
22. Place the cut pieces of dough on a tray or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
23. After 10 minutes, remove from the fridge and lightly brush a bit of cream on top of each. Sprinkle with a bit more castor sugar, if you prefer.
24. Bake at 200 degrees celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
25. They should be golden, like in the photo below.
26. Transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let them cool. These shortcakes do taste nice as they are.
Whip the Cream
27. While the shortcakes cool, make the homemade whipped cream. In the bowl of a standing mixer add ½ cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons castor sugar.
28. Whip at high speed.
29. After a minute or two the whipped cream should become thick and start to form soft peaks. Set aside.
Make Strawberry Shortcake
30. Once the shortcakes are cool to the touch, you can pull them gently apart and you will easily get two halves or you can cut them in half width-wise.
31. Put the lower half on a plate. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream on it. Top with a generous serving of the macerated strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry juice.
32. Stack the second top half of the shortcake onto the strawberries, and layer with more whipped cream and strawberries.
33. Serve immediately. You can garnish with a whole strawberry or fresh mint leaves for extra flavor.
Helpful Tips
- Strawberries: Prefer to include sweet tasting strawberries. If the strawberries are a bit tart or sour, then add more sugar when macerating them. If fresh strawberries are not in season, make the recipe with frozen strawberries.
- Cream: Both whipping cream and heavy cream works well. You can choose to use light cream (low-fat cream) for a lighter version of this dessert.
- Sugar: In place of castor sugar, use raw sugar, white sugar or powdered sugar for macerating strawberries. For the shortcake dough, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar. For the cream topping, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best here. But if you plan to use salted butter, omit adding the pinch of salt to the shortcake dough.
- Flour: I recommend to use unbleached flour or organic flour for the dough. Pastry flour also works well in the recipe.
- Baking time: Each oven works differently. Thus the baking time will vary. If your oven bakes too fast, then check your shortcakes after 10 minutes. The tops of the shortcake should have a beautiful golden sheen and color.
- Vegan options: Consider vegan butter or a neutral oil to add to the pastry dough. Make the cream filling with cashew cream or coconut cream.
FAQs
If you don’t feel like making the shortcake from scratch, then you can just get some ready sponge cake or pound cake from the store. Make the strawberry filling and whipped cream at home and add it to the sponge cake. You can either serve the cake as slices or use a cutter to cut out circles that resemble biscuits.
Yes, feel free to use Cool Whip or other readymade whipped creams to make this strawberry shortcake recipe.
I recommend that you keep the different components of this dish separate if you plan to enjoy later. Keep biscuits in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days or refrigerate them for about 8 to 10 days. The strawberry filling will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Homemade whipped cream tends to have the best consistency when made fresh.
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Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
For shortcake dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – 220 grams
- ¼ cup castor sugar – 40 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 50 grams Butter – unsalted
- ½ cup whipping cream chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For strawberry filling
- 350 to 400 grams strawberries
- 3 tablespoons castor sugar or sugar
For whipping cream
- ½ cup whipping cream – chilled
- 2 tablespoons castor sugar or confectioner's sugar or icing sugar
Instructions
Macerate Strawberries
- Slice or chop the strawberries and them to a bowl.
- Add castor sugar and mix very well so that the berries are coated in the sugar.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Let the strawberries macerate while you make the shortcake.
Make shortcake dough
- Meanwhile, combine and mix thoroughly all-purpose flour, castor sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you get pea sized clumps of butter and flour.
- Mix the cold butter into the flour with clean hands or use a stand mixer, if you do not have a pastry cutter.
- Mixing with fingers may melt the butter. So refrigerate this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes before moving on to the next step.
- Then add the whipping cream in two parts while mixing. Also add the vanilla extract.
- Gently mix and combine everything to form a pastry dough. Do not knead the dough.
- If too dry or firm you can add a splash more cream and mix again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover in a bowl and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Make shortcake
- Dust flour on a clean work surface and remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Sprinkle some flour on the dough as well.
- Do remember to preheat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle.
- Fold the dough over and lightly flour if needed.
- Roll the dough out again in to a rough rectangle shape.
- Sprinkle with flour as needed and fold again.
- Roll the dough again. The dough should be ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- Repeat the same process one more time, and roll again into neat rectangle that’s about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutter or a small steel bowl make round circles in the dough. Press down firmly and try not to twist too much so that the biscuits rise properly. As you cut the shortcakes, gather the scrap dough and roll again to continue cutting the shortcakes.
Bake shortcake
- Place the cut pieces of shortcake dough on a tray or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove from the fridge and lightly brush a bit of cream on top of each. Omit this step of brushing with cream if you prefer. Sprinkle with a bit more castor sugar, if you like.
- Bake at 200 degrees celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
- Transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let them cool.
Whip cream
- While the shortcakes cool, make the homemade whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer add ½ cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons castor sugar.
- Whip at high speed until you get soft peaks.
Make strawberry shortcake
- Once the shortcakes are cool to the touch, you can pull them gently apart and you will get two halves or you can cut them in half width-wise.
- Put the lower half on a plate. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream on it. Top with a generous serving of the macerated strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry juice.
- Stack the second top half of the shortcake onto the strawberries, and layer with some more whipped cream and strawberries.
- Serve immediately. You can garnish with a whole strawberries or fresh mint leaves for extra flavor.
Notes
- Strawberries: Use sweet tasting strawberries. If the strawberries are a bit tart, then add more sugar while macerating the strawberries. If strawberries are not in season, make the shortcake with frozen strawberries
- Cream: Both whipping cream and heavy cream can be included. You can also use light cream (low-fat cream) for a lighter version of this dessert.
- Sugar: For macerating strawberries, you can use raw sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar. For shortcakes, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar. For whipping cream, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is the best for this recipe. If you plan to make with salted butter, then omit adding pinch of salt to the shortcake pastry dough.
- Flour: Preferably use unbleached flour or organic flour. Pastry flour also works well.
- Baking time: Each oven works differently and so the baking time will vary. If your oven bakes too fast, check the shortcakes after 10 minutes of baking. The tops of the shortcake should have a beautiful golden sheen and color.
- Vegan options: Use vegan butter or a neutral oil to add to the pastry dough. Make the cream filling with cashew cream or coconut cream.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This strawberry shortcake recipe from the archives (January 2013) has been republished and updated on 5 March 2021 to a better, classic recipe with newer photos.
Thanks for recipe. If I need to make any new recipe so only I follow your recipe.
Most welcome Mausam and glad to read your comment. Thank you.
Thanks for this recipe! I tried it yesterday and had great success 🙂
thanks araignee.
Do you think that I could substitute canned coconut milk for the cream?
if using coconut milk, then keep the container or tin in the fridge for 7-8 hours. when you will open the chilled container, you will see the coconut cream floating on top. scoop up this cream and whip it. you cannot use coconut milk as you wont be able to whip it up due to its consistency.