Strawberry Shortcake - flaky biscuits, juicy strawberries, and clouds of whipped cream - easy summer desserts just don't get better than this!
I've tested this homemade strawberry shortcake over and over to give you a foolproof recipe that actually feels as easy as it should, so you can enjoy baking these gorgeous little delights of homemade goodness and get bakery-worthy results with confidence and ease.
Strawberry shortcake is meant to be simple, but so many recipes leave you guessing. This version takes the guesswork out of it with clear steps and expert tips to make buttery, flaky biscuits (none of that dry, crumbly stuff), juicy macerated strawberries, and pillowy whipped cream for a dessert that's as nostalgic as it is satisfying. It's reliable enough for beginners, and delicious enough for any summer gathering! I'm confident you'll want to come back to it year after year.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Traditional Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
- How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Serving Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
- Tips For Making This Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
- Troubleshooting
- Variations of Strawberry Shortcake
- How to Store Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
- FAQs about Strawberry Shortcake
- More Strawberry Recipes
- Recipe
Why You'll Love This Traditional Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
- Uses a folded-dough method for the flakiest homemade biscuits.
- Make-ahead elements so you can throw them together last minute.
- From-scratch ingredients for an authentic, homemade bake.
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
We'll be using a few simple ingredients for this recipe. It is super important that all the refrigerated ingredients are cold when you use them to make the perfect strawberry shortcake.
- Flour - Use all-purpose for tender biscuits with a solid structure.
- Sugar - Granulated white sugar works best for the biscuit dough, and for macerating the strawberries to release their tasty juices.
- Butter - The butter should be unsalted so that you can control the amount of salt in your biscuits, and most importantly, cold. This is what will give us those lovely flaky layers.
- Buttermilk - This will make the dough nice and tender, and give the flavor some depth with a slight tang.
- Strawberries - Use fresh strawberries here - I don't recommend using frozen strawberries. Look for ripe, juicy strawberries for the best flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or double cream - anything with at least 36% fat content.
See the recipe card for quantities and the full recipe.
How to Prepare Strawberries For Strawberry Shortcake
Preparing the strawberries is the easiest part of the recipe, but absolutely essential! By adding the sugar, it releases all the sweet juices from the strawberries, which will run into the biscuits, infusing them with strawberry flavor.
Macerate Strawberries
Wash and dry the strawberries, then hull and quarter them. Place the strawberries in a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the biscuits.
As they sit, the strawberries will soften and release their juices, creating a sweet strawberry syrup.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
This homemade biscuit recipe makes the perfect shortcake biscuits with a soft, buttery, flaky texture. There are a few tips and tricks to make sure you nail the technique, so follow the step-by-step instructions closely.
Dry Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips or a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) until it looks like dry crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter through it.
Gently flatten some of the butter between your fingers to create thin flakes throughout the flour mixture - this helps build those lovely layers in the biscuits.
Make Dough
Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, just until it starts to come together into a scraggly dough.
Turn it out onto a floured surface
(it will be quite a wet mixture), and use your hands to gently bring it together into one piece.
Laminate the Dough
To create flaky biscuit layers, gently flatten the dough, fold it in half, and press it down. Fold it in half the other way, and repeat this process three to four times.
Take care not to overwork the dough, as this can make the biscuits tough.
Cut Out Biscuits
Roll the biscuit dough out to about 1-inch thickness using either your hands or a rolling pin.
Once flat, use a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough. Press the cutter straight down into the dough and do not twist it - this will help the biscuits to rise straight up when baking.
Chill
Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C (180° fan-assisted).
Bake
Brush the top of the biscuits with egg wash, milk, or extra buttermilk, being careful not to get it on the sides.
Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are a gorgeous golden brown color. Bake time will vary, so keep an eye on them after the 15-minute mark. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Measuring Ingredients: I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups. It's very difficult to measure accurately with cups and this can mess up your bakes.
Serving Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is really easy to put together. I recommend assembling right before serving, but you can make all the elements ahead of time so they are ready to go.
Prepare Toppings
Once the biscuits have cooled, prep the toppings. To make the Chantilly cream, whip the cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until it reaches soft peaks.
You can adjust the sweetness of the cream according to taste by changing the amount of sugar. The key to beautifully soft, pillowy whipped cream is not to overwhip it.
Take the strawberry mixture out of the fridge.
Half the Biscuits
Slice the cooled biscuits in half using a serrated knife. Lay the bottom half of each individual shortcake on a serving plate.
Add Strawberries
Spoon a generous layer of macerated strawberries onto the bottom half of a biscuit, making sure to pour over the sweet, syrupy juices.
Add Cream
Dollop a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream on top of the strawberries, then gently place the top half of the biscuit on top.
Garnish
Finish off with an extra spoonful of whipped cream and the remaining strawberries on top, along with a drizzle of the strawberry juices. Serve immediately.
Tips For Making This Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
- Cold Butter - Keeping everything cold is the key to flaky shortcakes with a fluffy texture. The butter creates steam pockets when it hits the hot oven, but if it isn't cold enough, it may melt before it gets the chance to do so.
- Don't Overwork the Dough - The more you work the dough, the more gluten will develop, which will make your biscuits tough instead of tender. Make sure you only work it just until it comes together.
- Cutting Technique - When cutting out the biscuits, it's best to use a sharp cutter (preferably metal) and push straight down into the dough - don't twist it like you might for cookies. This helps create a clean edge that will rise higher in the oven.
- Pillowy Cream - For super soft cream with a silky texture, make sure you just whip the cream to soft peaks, or medium peaks at most. If you go to stiff peaks, it will be too firm and thick.
Troubleshooting
Here are some of the common mistakes I see people making with this recipe and how to avoid them:
- Dry Biscuits - Dry, tough biscuits are usually the result of overmixing or an incorrect flour-to-fat ratio. For best results, measure your flour using a kitchen scale and mix the dough only until it just comes together - no more. A light hand makes all the difference.
- Butter Leaking Out While Baking - If you notice melted butter pooling around your biscuits in the oven, the butter was likely too warm or the chunks were too large. Make sure the butter is cold when added, and aim for small, evenly distributed pieces so they melt at the right time during baking. The other option could be that the oven isn't hot enough and is causing the butter to melt before creating those lovely steam pockets.
- Biscuits Spread While Baking - Biscuits that spread instead of rising tall probably weren't chilled long enough before baking. To help them hold their shape, refrigerate the cut biscuits for a full 30 minutes before they go into the oven.
- Wonky Biscuits - Uneven or lopsided biscuits often come down to how they were cut. Press your cookie cutter straight down for a clean cut, without twisting, as this can seal the edges and prevent an even rise. It could also mean your oven is heating unevenly.
- Strawberries Are Bland - When strawberries are out of season, they may lack sweetness and depth. A splash of lemon juice or lemon zest can brighten them up, or stir in a spoonful of good strawberry jam to enhance the flavor.
- Lumpy Cream - If your whipped cream is lumpy or too thick, it was probably overwhipped. For a soft, cloud-like texture, stop whipping as soon as medium-soft peaks form. If you've gone too far, you can usually save it by adding in a bit more unwhipped cream and re-whipping it together gently.
Variations of Strawberry Shortcake
Classic Strawberry Shortcake is simple, but oh so effective. Nonetheless, I've thought of a few little tweaks and treats you can add to this recipe to make different versions of strawberry shortcake.
- Scones - Homemade scones are a great alternative base if you're more of a soft scone lover than a flaky biscuit lover! Or, if you've got a batch of scones that need sprucing up, the strawberry and cream filling are perfect.
- Strawberry Twist - Add a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to the strawberries as they macerate to enhance the strawberry flavor.
- Strawberry Glaze - Make your strawberry shortcake treats extra sticky and sweet with a succulent strawberry glaze to top them off. My Strawberry Custard Tarts use a tasty glaze that would pair nicely with these biscuits.
- Chocolate - If you're like me, you'll love any excuse to add chocolate to your desserts. Sprinkle some chocolate shavings over your strawberry shortcakes before serving for that little extra hint of decadence.
- Other Berries - Strawberries are wonderful this time of year, but feel free to experiment by adding a few other berries to this recipe as well - raspberries and blueberries are delicious with it!
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake - If you'd like to make a layer cake version of this dessert, you can replace the biscuits with my French Vanilla Cake or Genoise sponge cake recipes. Or even use my Vanilla Cupcakes for strawberry shortcake cupcakes.
How to Store Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
Assemble your strawberry shortcakes right before serving to keep them nice and fresh, but the elements can be made in advance.
The biscuits can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To bring the texture back to life a little before serving, toast them slightly before assembling.
The strawberry filling can be made a day in advance. Store in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap.
Cream is best whipped fresh, but you can stabilise it with a little powdered sugar if you need to make it a few hours in advance.
FAQs about Strawberry Shortcake
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, feel free to write it in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
The filling in Strawberry Shortcake consists of juicy, ripe strawberries that have been macerated with sugar. By steeping them in sugar, it draws out the sweet juices from the strawberries, creating a delicious syrup that soaks into the shortcake, giving the entire dessert a fresh strawberry flavor.
The strawberries, strawberry syrup and a homemade sweetened whipped cream form the fillings for strawberry shortcake.
Strawberry shortcake is traditionally made with homemade biscuits. There are versions of it that use sponge cake as a base for a lighter, sweeter dessert, but using flaky biscuits is the classic way to serve this treat.
As the strawberries produce lots of tasty juices, there is a risk of your shortcakes going soggy. To avoid this, assemble your shortcakes right before serving to keep them as fresh as possible. Store the different components separately until you are ready to eat them.
More Strawberry Recipes
Sucker for strawberry desserts? Check these out:
Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
Ingredients
- 312 g (2 ½ cups) All-purpose Flour 312g
- 66 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar 66g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 140 g (1 ¼ sticks ) Unsalted Butter 140g (cold)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) Buttermilk 180ml (cold)
- 800 g (1 ¾ pounds) Strawberries 800g
- 360 ml (1 ½ cups) Heavy Whipping Cream 360ml (cold)
- 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar 100g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- Round Cutter 2 ½ - 3 inches wide. Preferably metal.
Instructions
- Wash and dry the strawberries, then hull them and slice them into quarters.800 g (1 ¾ pounds) Strawberries, 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar
- Reserve two tablespoons of the sugar to add to the cream later, then sprinkle the remaining sugar over the strawberries and mix it in to coat the strawberries.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge while you make the biscuits. The sugar will make the strawberries release their juices, making a sweet strawberry syrup.
- Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.312 g (2 ½ cups) All-purpose Flour, 66 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips or a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) until it looks like dry crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter through it.140 g (1 ¼ sticks ) Unsalted Butter
- Gently flatten some of the butter between your fingers to create thin flakes throughout the mixture - this helps build those lovely layers in the biscuits.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, just until it starts to come together into a scraggly dough.180 ml (¾ cup) Buttermilk
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; it will be quite a wet mixture, but use your hands to gently bring it together into one piece.
- To laminate the dough and create flaky layers, gently flatten it into a rectangle shape, fold it in half, and press it down. Fold it in half the other way, and repeat this process three to four times. Take care not to overwork the dough, as this can make the biscuits tough.
- Roll the biscuit dough out to about 1-inch thickness using either your hands or a rolling pin. Once flat, use a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough. Press the cutter straight down into the dough and do not twist it - this will help the biscuits to rise straight up when baking.
- Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C (180° fan-assisted).
- Brush the top of the biscuits with egg wash, milk, or extra buttermilk, being careful not to get it on the sides. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are a gorgeous golden brown color. Bake time will vary so keep an eye on them after the 15-minute mark. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and the reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar from earlier to a bowl and whip until it reaches soft peaks - don't overwhip it or it will be too thick and firm. You can adjust the sweetness of the cream according to taste by changing the amount of sugar.360 ml (1 ½ cups) Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Take the macerated strawberries out of the fridge and give them a stir.
- Slice each of the cooled biscuits in half and place the bottom halves onto serving plates.
- Spoon a generous helping of strawberries onto each biscuit base, letting some of the sweet juices drizzle onto the biscuit with them.
- Dollop some whipped cream on top of the strawberries and then place the top half of the biscuits on top.
- Top with another spoonful of whipped cream and the remaining strawberries. Serve immediately.
Chris Radwanski
I love your step by step photos, and all your tips, it really makes this seem so much easier. The splash of lemon juice for out of season strawberries really helps bring out their flavor. A prefect taste of summer!