The Recipe Critic

Strawberry Shortcake

June 12, 2019

strawberry shortcake recipe close up

Strawberry Shortcake is an easy to make, simple sweet biscuit base, sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries dessert! It’s the perfect summer dessert and great for making ahead to serve to guests on a whim.

If you love strawberry recipes as much as I do, you might also enjoy this Homemade Strawberry Cake, this Strawberry Cobbler or this Mouthwatering Strawberry Spinach Salad for a light and simple summer meal!

strawberry shortcake recipe

We are well into strawberry season now and this Strawberry Shortcake recipe needed to happen! Strawberry desserts are my favorite, especially with juicy local strawberries, and this simple dessert is a showstopper for sure.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is the quintessential summer dessert.

It’s amazing in the summer months when all we want to do is consume as many fresh berries as possible, but we don’t want to spend a lot of time making something over the top.

The sweet biscuits are easy to throw together, and you can even make them in advance and store them on the counter or in the freezer for a quick dessert down the road.

Add whatever fresh berries are looking awesome — strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries — and you have a simple but stunning summer dessert.

strawberry shortcake recipe close up

How to make Strawberry Shortcake:

  1. First the sweet biscuits: these come together much like regular biscuits, by combining the flour and dry ingredients and cutting in the butter while it’s cold. Then we stir in the remaining liquid, just so that it comes together. This is the best way to get flaky biscuits! I like to sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking (you could even add a touch of cinnamon if you like!) for an extra touch of sweetness,
  2. Bake the biscuits, or freeze. You can make your biscuits, flash freeze and place in a large ziploc freezer bag to bake later on, right from frozen! See additional tips on that below.
  3. Slice your strawberries and toss with sugar — this will help the berries to release some juices that will give you a sweet and juicy strawberry shortcake.
  4. Make your whipped cream — from scratch! You can obviously use whipped topping here in a pinch, but homemade is always going to be better. And since we’re making our shortcakes from scratch, I say we go all out with the real deal cream as well.
  5. Assemble just before eating. We don’t want our shortcakes to get soggy, so I recommend laying out all the components and allowing people to assemble their own. This way, they can choose if they want a little more fruit or a little more whipped cream.

strawberry shortcake overhead

Can Strawberry Shortcake be made in advance?

Yes! At least, components of it can.

  • Shortcakes or biscuits: you can bake and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, but they may become softer as they sit in an airtight container. You can also freeze before baking, and simple bake as directed right from frozen. Keep an eye on them and add 2-5 extra minutes of bake time if necessary, pulling them out when they are golden brown.
  • Strawberries: you can slice and sugar your strawberries and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  • Whipped cream: whipped cream is best made just before serving, as it can flatten and become watery if left too long. You can also stabilize your whipped cream with some unflavored gelatin to store it longer, or use whipped topping instead.

Looking for more strawberry dessert recipes?

You’ll love these!

Strawberry Shortcake

This Strawberry Shortcake is easy to make, with a simple sweet biscuit base, sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries! It's the perfect summer dessert and great for making ahead to serve to guests on a whim

Biscuits

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Strawberries

  • 1 lb strawberries diced
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Sweetened Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream (30-35%)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Biscuits

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  2. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until it is in pea-sized pieces.
  3. Lightly beat the egg and stir into the flour.
  4. Gradually add the buttermilk, adding just enough so that the dough comes together. For best results, cover and chill for 30 minutes before rolling.
  5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2″ thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 3/4 ” biscuit cutter (or whatever size you prefer).
  6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Place biscuits in the center of the baking sheet so that they are touching.
  8. Beat together the egg and water and brush over the tops of the biscuits. Sprinkle with sugar.
  9. Bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Strawberries

  1. Wash and chop strawberries. Add sugar and stir.
  2. Let sit for 20 minutes or more or until they become juicy.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

  1. In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
  2. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Adjust sweetness to taste.
  3. Serve split biscuits with strawberries and whipped cream as desired.

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

0 comments