Classic Strawberry Shortcake

June 08, 2020

Here’s how to make the best strawberry shortcake: the classic way! Tender, biscuit-like shortcakes meet sweet berries and fluffy homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry shortcake marks the start of summer around here. And why make it with store-bought mix if it’s 100% more delicious homemade? Here’s our classic strawberry shortcake recipe. It’s got tender, biscuit-like shortcakes, juicy sweet berries, and fluffy, homemade whipped cream. It’s so ridiculously good, it’s perfect for special occasions of all kinds: cookouts, patio parties, birthdays, and anytime you come across a load of ripe, beautiful berries. Here’s how to make it!

How to make strawberry shortcake: 3 steps!

There are three main skills you’ll learn in making strawberry shortcake, which we’ll cover below:

Macerating the strawberries. Macerate means to let them sit with sugar so they break down.
Making the shortcakes. You’ll make lemon-scented, biscuit-like cakes (not spongy or fluffy).
Making homemade whipped cream. A basic skill for any home cook to master!

Baking the shortcakes: some tips

The type of shortcake in strawberry shortcake varies based on the recipe. Some you’ll find are more spongy, some light and airy. This version is flaky and biscuity: it’s a sweet version of our Homemade Biscuits. But instead of rolling and folding them several times to create layers, we’ve simplified the process. These are like a combination of a layered biscuit and a drop biscuit. Here are a few tips for making these shortcakes:

Use buttermilk. Buttermilk brings the right tangy flavor and fluffy texture. It’s worth springing for the real stuff.
Don’t overmix. Be careful not to overmix the batter. If it’s too dry, you can add a little more buttermilk: but not too much!
Use a biscuit cutter. A 3-inch biscuit cutter gets just the right shape.
Place the biscuits directly next to each other. Placing them next to each other on the baking sheet helps them rise in the oven.
Sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle the top with sugar to get a crunchy texture!

Can you make strawberry shortcakes in advance? These are best the day of, so they have a crispy on the outside and tender on the inside texture.

What if you don’t have a biscuit cutter?

If you don’t have a biscuit cutter for the strawberry shortcakes, here are a few ideas on how to cut the biscuits:

Find a circular cookie cutter that’s approximately 3 inches wide.
Use a knife to draw a circle 3 inches wide. (You could even cut out a 3-inch wide circle to trace as a guide.)

How to macerate strawberries

What does macerate mean? To macerate is to soften food by sitting in a liquid. With fruit and berries, you can simply mix them with sugar and let them sit. As they sit, the sugar extracts the juices from the berries, making a natural sauce with the sugar. I remember my mother doing this in the summer when I was growing up.

All you have to do is slice the berries and mix them with sugar: you don’t even have to measure quantities (or use the quantities in the recipe below). Here are a few notes about macerating the strawberries for strawberry shortcake:

You can use sugar or maple syrup. We’ve used sugar here, but if you prefer naturally sweet sugars with the berries maple syrup works too.
Adding acid makes them pop! Lemon juice makes the flavor even brighter: it’s almost like adding a pinch of salt. You can also use balsamic vinegar (strawberries and balsamic are a natural pair).
Make them as you bake the cakes, or 24 hours in advance. You can let the berries sit at room temperature while you bake the cakes. Or macerate them in advance in the refrigerator. Just make sure to bring them to room temp before serving.

Homemade whipped cream: it’s a must!

You could use store-bought whipped cream for strawberry shortcake…but if you’ve come this far, why not make homemade? Homemade whipped cream is fluffier, richer and creamier than anything you can get at the store. The recipe we’ve been making for years is this Homemade Whipped Cream. Go to that post for all our tips and tricks, but here are a fe w notes:

Do it with a whisk or a stand mixer. You can use a simple whisk and a bowl: get your muscles ready! It’s fun to watch cream thicken and become fluffy with just a whisk. If you have a stand mixer, you can use that for less of a workout!
Infuse it for a twist. Try Infused Alcoholic Whipped Cream to infuse your cream with bourbon or rum.
Can you make homemade whipped cream in advance? Yes. While it’s best right when it’s made, you can also make it a few hours in advance and refrigerate.

Ripe berries are a must for strawberry shortcake!

As always, the quality of the ingredients is key. For a summer symphony like strawberry shortcake, you absolutely must have the ripest berries you can find. Grab local strawberries if you can: their flavor is sweet and pure summer. The first time I had a bite of a local strawberry, my mind was blown. The nuance of the flavor is simply magical.

This strawberry shortcake recipe is…

Vegetarian.