Strawberry Shortcake

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You don’t need to be a pastry chef to master homemade Strawberry Shortcake. With some fresh berries, a little biscuit recipe know-how, and this foolproof shortcake recipe to guide you along, you’re all set to stun with this classic dessert recipe.

Strawberry shortcakes on a gray serving platter.


 

Come peak berry season, little feels more “right” than capping off a meal with classic Strawberry Shortcake. Buttery biscuits sandwich bright, sweet-tart berries and cloud-like whipped cream for a summer dessert recipe that feels light yet satisfying all at once.

I totally understand if you normally only order this out at restaurants or enjoy it at grandma’s table; it can feel a bit intimidating to tackle homemade biscuits and whipped cream (not to mention the berries as well) all for one dessert. But I promise that you can do this!

My foolproof Strawberry Shortcake recipe is here to guide you through each simple step. And I promise that the sweet taste of victory when your first fork hits your taste buds will be worth every minute of effort.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Sugar: After repeated trials, I’ve landed on 2 teaspoons of sweetener as the sweet spot for the homemade biscuits for this shortcake recipe. You’ll also want to have about ¼ handy to macerate the strawberries; start with 2 tablespoons tossed with the berries and salt, then add more to taste.
  • Heavy cream: You’ll need 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons for the biscuit dough, plus 1 cup very cold cream to whip for the topping.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a medium bowl (at least 2 cups), combine strawberries, sugar, and salt and stir well. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the biscuits (this is a great time to put your metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer to chill for the whipped cream).
Strawberries in a clear bowl.
  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in cream until combined, about 30 seconds.
Biscuit dough in a clear bowl.
  1. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter, gather into ball, and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.  If dough is too crumbly, add an additional teaspoon of heavy cream to get smooth dough (I added 1 extra teaspoon of cream).
Someone kneading biscuit dough.
  1. Shape dough into 3/4-inch-thick round. Dip a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter in flour and cut out biscuits, recombining scraps as needed to yield 6 biscuits. Place rounds on prepared baking sheet.
Biscuits being cut out of dough and placed onto a baking sheet.
  1. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. 
Biscuits after being baked on a baking sheet.
  1. In chilled mixing bowl, combine cream, sugar, and vanilla (if using) and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes (depending on your preference).
A metal mixing bowl filled with whipped cream.
  1. Split each biscuit in half and place bottom half on a plate. Top with ¼ cup strawberries and a heaping ¼ cup whipped cream each.
Someone spooning strawberries on a biscuit for strawberry shortcake.
  1. Top with remaining biscuit halves.
Strawberry shortcakes on a gray serving platter.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: My classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe makes 6 whipped cream-and-berry-stuffed biscuits.
  • Storage: Store leftover biscuits at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store leftover berries and whipped cream separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: Get a head start on the strawberry mixture by stirring it together up to 24 hours and refrigerating until assembly time. Feel free to mix and cut the biscuits, transfer to a sheet pan, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for up to 2 hours before baking. The whipped cream can be whipped and stored in the refrigerator up to 10 hours in advance.
Strawberry shortcakes on a white plates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other baked goods could I try for the “cake” portion for variations on Strawberry Shortcake?

lices of Angel Food Cake, Easy Pound Cake, or Hot Milk Cake can certainly act as the base for the same toppings. Or split store-bought or homemade vanilla or Strawberry Cupcakes in half and stuff them just like the biscuits. If you happen to have leftover store-bought biscuits or extra of my 3-Ingredient Homemade Biscuits or Buttermilk Biscuits, those are dreamy here, too.

Could I try this same shortcake concept with other types of fruit?

Could I try this same shortcake concept with other types of fruit?
I love the way you think! Biscuits and whipped cream also taste incredible alongside peaches, nectarines, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries. Or try a mix of diced pineapple and maraschino cherries for a playful nod to pineapple upside-down cake!

Can I make whipped cream without a mixer?

You sure can. To make whipped cream by hand, chill a large bowl, whisk, and cream well before mixing (30 minutes in the refrigerator or 15 minutes in the freezer). Add the cream to the bowl, and use a whisk to beat the cream back and forth until soft peaks form. Once you have soft peaks, add the sugar and continue whipping until medium peaks form. If you whip the cream too much, fold in a little liquid cream (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach your desired consistency.

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A platter of strawberry shortcakes.

Strawberry Shortcake

You don’t need to be a pastry chef to master homemade Strawberry Shortcake. With some fresh berries, a little biscuit recipe know-how, and this foolproof shortcake recipe to guide you along, you're all set to stun with this classic dessert recipe.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 shortcakes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 632
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients 

For the strawberries:

For the biscuits:

For the whipped cream:

Instructions 

To make the strawberries:

  • In a medium bowl (at least 2 cups), combine strawberries, sugar, and salt and stir well. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the biscuits (may be done up to 24 hours in advance).
  • (This is a great time to put your metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer to chill for the whipped cream).

To make the biscuits:

  • Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in cream until combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter, gather into ball, and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.  If dough is too crumbly, add an additional teaspoon of heavy cream to get smooth dough (I added 1 extra teaspoon of cream).
  • Shape dough into 3/4-inch-thick round. Dip a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter in flour and cut out biscuits, recombining scraps as needed to yield 6 biscuits. Place rounds on prepared baking sheet. (Baking sheet with biscuits can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
  • Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. 

To make the whipped cream:

  • For best results, chill metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes if you haven't already done so.
  • In chilled mixing bowl, combine cream, sugar, and vanilla (if using) and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes (depending on your preference).
  • Whipped cream can be stored covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 10 hours.

To assemble the shortcakes:

  • Split each biscuit in half and place bottom half on a plate. Top with ¼ cup strawberries and a heaping ¼ cup whipped cream each. Top with remaining biscuit halves.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Sugar: After repeated trials, I’ve landed on 2 teaspoons of sweetener as the sweet spot for the homemade biscuits for this shortcake recipe. You’ll also want to have about ¼ handy to macerate the strawberries; start with 2 tablespoons tossed with the berries and salt, then add more to taste.
  2. Heavy cream: You’ll need 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons for the biscuit dough, plus 1 cup very cold cream to whip for the topping.
  3. Yield: My classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe makes 6 whipped cream-and-berry-stuffed biscuits.
  4. Storage: Store leftover biscuits at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store leftover berries and whipped cream separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  5. Make ahead: Get a head start on the strawberry mixture by stirring it together up to 24 hours and refrigerating until assembly time. Feel free to mix and cut the biscuits, transfer to a sheet pan, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for up to 2 hours before baking. The whipped cream can be whipped and stored in the refrigerator up to 10 hours in advance.

Nutrition

Serving: 1shortcakeCalories: 632kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 247mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1904IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Measurement for cream in the biscuits is incorrect. It should be 1 1/8 cups. Otherwise the recipe great!

    1. Hi Seth, thank you for pointing that out I am fixing it now! Sorry about that! -Meggan