Homemade Strawberry Shortcake is irresistible – a perfect blend of buttermilk biscuits, fresh and juicy strawberries, and lightly sweetened whipped cream! The biscuits are light, tender, and flaky, yet they are perfect for holding strawberries and cream.
The Strawberry Shortcake Recipe is simple, easy, and quickly yields a perfect summertime dessert. It is one of our go-to desserts when warm days start approaching!
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What is Shortcake?
Shortcake generally refers to a slightly sweet dessert with a scone-like texture. It is essentially a lightly sweetened biscuit served with cream and fruits. The word shortcake refers to an old English term meaning something crisp with the addition of shortening. However, we use butter for the recipe for a perfect shortcake texture.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Making the strawberry shortcake from scratch is easy, and you can prepare the biscuits in advance for this delicious dessert!
Not only is making biscuits easy, but making other components is also easy and quick. We need biscuits, strawberries, and whipped cream to assemble strawberry shortcakes.
Mixing the fresh strawberry slices with sugar makes the strawberry shortcake juicy, sweet, and flavorful. So, you need only two ingredients for the strawberry filling: strawberries and sugar.
The sugar helps strawberries release their juices, and the juices will seep down the biscuits and whipped cream, making the strawberry shortcake more delicious!
Also, making the whipped cream at home is simple and quick. You can whip up the light and fluffy whipped cream in less than five minutes.
Why You Will Love Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Shortcake is a perfect dessert for spring and summer.
- The buttermilk biscuits are tender, light, flaky, and perfectly sweetened.
- Strawberry juice seeps down the biscuits, making them extra delicious.
- This shortcake recipe is simple and easy to follow.
- You can make all the recipe components in advance and then assemble them right before serving.
Ingredients and Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Measuring the flour correctly is essential for the best results. I will highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: One tablespoon of baking powder is needed for the biscuits to have the right texture. I also added a small amount of baking soda. Do not interchange these leavening agents.
- Salt: Salt contrasts the dessert pleasantly and elevates other flavors.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the shortcakes and is also used to macerate the strawberries. I used powdered sugar to sweeten the whipped cream, but you can also use granulated sugar.
- Butter: For the recipe, use unsalted and cold butter. If you do not have butter in the freezer, I recommend cubing it and placing it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk provides a slight tang to the biscuits. You can use whole milk or half cream and half milk instead. You can also make a buttermilk substitute at home by mixing milk and vinegar (or lemon juice). For more details on making a buttermilk substitute at home, check out this post on Homemade Buttermilk Substitute.
- Fresh Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are the best for the shortcake. Mixing sugar with strawberries makes them flavorful, sweet, and juicy.
- Whipping Cream and Icing Sugar: Make the whipped cream using 35% or more fat cream. Icing sugar makes the cream sweet. Lightly sweetened whipped cream is essential for this delicious dessert. You can also use granulated sugar instead of icing sugar.
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
Making The Strawberry Mixture
- Add sliced strawberries and sugar to the bowl and mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate the strawberries until ready to use.
Making The Dough And Shaping The Biscuits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and combine them with flour with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean fingers until the pea-sized crumbs form.
- Pour in the buttermilk and fold everything with a spoon or spatula until the dough comes together.
- Do not overwork the dough.
- The dough will be shaggy and crumbly.
- Transfer it to a floured work surface and gently combine it with floured hands.
- Keep the extra flour nearby and use it to flour your hands whenever needed.
- Using a floured rolling pin or floured hands, flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Fold one side into the center, then the other side.
- Gently flatten into a 1-inch thick rectangle again.
- Repeat the folding again and flatten into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Repeat the folding one last time and flatten the dough into the final 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut the dough with a 2.5- or 3-inch circular biscuit cutter.
- Do not twist the cutter when pressing down into the dough.
- Collect the dough scraps, re-roll, flatten, and cut more circles until you use all the dough.
- You may have 8-10 biscuits.
- Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, keeping an even space between them.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Refrigerating Or Freezing The Biscuits
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- If you do not have space for the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer, place the biscuits on the smaller plate and let them chill.
- Then, transfer them onto the baking sheet before baking.
Baking The Biscuits
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake the biscuits for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for five minutes.
- Then, transfer onto a cooling rack and cool completely before assembling.
Making The Whipped Cream
- Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream, icing sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form.
Assembling The Strawberry Shortcake
- Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream.
- Serve immediately.
Make-Ahead Directions
Each component of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time.
Biscuits: Make biscuits three days in advance. Cover them tightly and store them at room temperature.
Strawberries: Prepare the strawberry mixture by mixing the sliced strawberries and sugar 1 day in advance. Cover the strawberries tightly and refrigerate for a day.
Whipped Cream: You can also prepare the whipped cream in advance. Cover it tightly and refrigerate for a day.
Helpful Tips For Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Measuring: It is essential to measure the ingredients correctly. For the best results, use the kitchen scale if you have one.
Butter: It should be cold for the best flaky biscuits. So we need frozen butter. I have cut the butter into small cubes, but instead, you can grate the cold butter for easy mixing.
Buttermilk: Use cold buttermilk. You can also substitute whole milk or a combination of milk and cream for buttermilk. But, if you want to use buttermilk and do not have a store-bought one, make a homemade buttermilk substitute. For this, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk, stir well, and let it stand for five minutes. Make sure to use cold milk to make a buttermilk substitute.
Dough: Do not overmix the dough. Once you pour buttermilk into the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.
Chilling: While we process the dough and shape the biscuits, the dough comes to room temperature. It may result in the biscuits spreading too much while baking. So, I highly recommend refrigerating the dough circles to be cold before baking for at least 30 minutes. If you do not have enough time, freeze them for 15 minutes. If you do not have enough space for the baking sheet in your fridge or freezer, place the biscuits on a smaller plate and transfer them to a baking tray before baking.
More Strawberry Recipes
Recipe Card
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Strawberry Mixture
- 4 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
For The Biscuits
- 2½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 140g unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk
For The Topping (Optional)
- 2 tablespoon cream or buttermilk
- Coarse sugar to sprinkle
For The Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240ml) whipping cream
- ¼ cup (35g) icing sugar (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Making The Strawberry Mixture
- Add sliced strawberries and sugar to the bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate the strawberries until ready to use.
Making The Dough And Shaping The Biscuits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and combine them with flour with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean fingers until the pea-sized crumbs form.
- Pour in the buttermilk and fold everything with a spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
- The dough will be shaggy and crumbly. Transfer it to a floured work surface and gently combine it with floured hands.
- Keep the extra flour nearby and use it to flour your hands whenever needed. Using a floured rolling pin or floured hands, flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Fold one side into the center, then the other side. Gently flatten into a 1-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again and flatten into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Repeat the folding one last time and flatten the dough into the final 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut the dough with a 2.5- or 3-inch circular biscuit cutter. Do not twist the cutter when pressing down into the dough. Collect the dough scraps, re-roll, flatten, and cut more circles until you use all the dough. You may have 8-10 biscuits.
- Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, keeping an even space between them. Brush the tops with heavy cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Refrigerating or Freezing The Dough Circles
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- If you do not have space for the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer, place the biscuits on the smaller plate and let them chill.
- Then, transfer them onto the baking sheet before baking.
Baking The Biscuits
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake the biscuits for 18-24 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for five minutes. Then, transfer onto a cooling rack and cool completely before assembling.
Making The Whipped Cream
- Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream, icing sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form.
Assembling The Strawberry Shortcake
- Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Measuring: It is essential to measure the ingredients correctly. For the best results, use the kitchen scale if you have one.
- Butter: It should be cold for the best flaky biscuits. So we need frozen butter. I have cut the butter into small cubes, but instead, you can grate the cold butter for easy mixing.
- Buttermilk: Use cold buttermilk. You can also substitute whole milk or a combination of milk and cream for buttermilk. But, if you want to use buttermilk and do not have a store-bought one, make a homemade buttermilk substitute. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk, stir well, and let it stand for five minutes. Make sure to use cold milk to make a buttermilk substitute.
- Dough: Do not overmix the dough. Once you pour buttermilk into the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.
- Chilling: While we process the dough and shape the biscuits, the dough comes to room temperature. It may result in the biscuits spreading too much while baking. So, I highly recommend refrigerating the dough circles to be cold before baking for at least 30 minutes. If you do not have enough time, freeze them for 15 minutes. If you do not have enough space for the baking sheet in your fridge or freezer, place the biscuits on a smaller plate and transfer them to a baking tray before baking.
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