The ultimate Strawberry Shortcake has sweet, tender biscuits, juicy strawberries, and fresh whipped cream—and it’s so easy to make from scratch!
The Best Strawberry Shortcake
If I’m left to pick out a dessert, I’ll always go for chocolate (namely Chocolate Cheesecake), but after being married for 8 years to a fruity-dessert-obsessed husband (this apple pie is his favorite), I’ve slowly become converted to fruit-filled desserts. Strawberry Shortcake is one of those desserts.
With homemade biscuits (don’t worry, they’re easy!), fresh and plump strawberries, and perfectly soft and sweet whipped cream — I may just pick these over chocolate any day.
Ingredients
- Flour: Measured by spooning and leveling, not scooping.
- Cornstarch: This makes the shortcakes soft and fluffy.
- Lemon or orange zest (Optional): Adds a fresh citrus flavor.
- Sugar: For sweetness to your strawberry shortcake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Check expiration date to ensure freshness.
- Heavy cream and buttermilk: Use them straight from the fridge.
- Strawberries: Slice the berries thin and stir well so they get juicy fast.
- Butter: Freeze it first and mix it in fast to keep everything cold.
- Whipped Cream: Use a cold bowl and beaters for the fluffiest whipped cream.
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Macerate strawberries. Toss sliced strawberries with sugar and set aside. This allows them to soften, become sweeter and form a syrup.
- Prep biscuits: While these biscuits aren’t overly complicated to make, check out the tips below, pay close attention to the instructions, and you’ll be successful!
- Whip the cream. Once the biscuits are mostly cooled, start the whipped cream. If you haven’t ever made whipped cream from scratch, it’s so easy.
Tips For Success
- Keep Everything Cold: Chill flour, freeze cut butter, and use cold wet ingredients. Cold dough equals better biscuits.
- Cut Biscuits Correctly: Press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting for proper rise and firm edges.
- Minimal Kneading: Stop kneading as soon as the dough comes together.
- Monitor Baking Time: Watch biscuits in the oven to avoid overbaking.
- Rest Baked Biscuits: Let them stand on the sheet pan for 5 minutes after baking for complete cooking inside.
- Fold Dough for Layers: Fold dough 4-6 times for flaky layers, but don’t confuse this with kneading.
- Shape Dough by Hand: Avoid a rolling pin; hand-shape the dough into a rectangle.
Strawberry Shortcake Variations
- Fold some lemon curd into the whipped cream for lemony shortcakes.
- For a large strawberry shortcake recipe, simply double everything (makes 12).
- For strawberry shortcake made with Bisquick®, follow the recipe below for whipped cream and strawberries and the Bisquick recipe for biscuits.
- Try a different berry! Replace the strawberries with another berry you love such as raspberries or blackberries.
- Love balsamic vinegar? Try adding a touch to the macerated strawberries for a sweet-savory touch.
Storage
- Leftovers: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight bag in the fridge. Keep strawberries and whipped cream in separate airtight containers. Best if eaten within a day.
- Freezing Biscuits: Wrap cooled biscuits individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add your strawberry shortcakes toppings.
More Dessert Recipes
- Oatmeal Cookies (or Caramel Oatmeal Cookies)
- Carrot Cake
- Vanilla Cheesecake Bars
- Fruit Tart
- Lemon Pie
Strawberry Shortcake
The best Strawberry Shortcake: fluffy homemade biscuits topped with fresh whipped cream and juicy strawberries. So simple and delicious, you won’t believe it’s made from scratch!
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″)
- Pastry cutter or two butter knives
- 2-inch biscuit cutter 2 and 3/4-inch
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 1 pound fresh strawberries washed, tops removed and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Shortcakes
- 1 lemon or orange, optional, for zest
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream cold, divided
- 1/3 cup buttermilk cold
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar optional
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Measure flour and place it in the fridge. Cut butter into small cubes and place in freezer. It’s very important that the ingredients are as cold as possible.
- Thinly slice (cleaned, completely dried, and stems removed) strawberries. Place in a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir and set aside. Stir occasionally as you prepare the rest of this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange zest and sugar (skip this step if not adding zest). Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers until the zest is broken down, fragrant, and ingredients are well integrated.
- Combine (cold from the fridge) flour, cornstarch, sugar with zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Remove the frozen, cubed butter from the freezer and put on top of the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter (or 2 butter knives), cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of this bowl.
- Pour buttermilk and 1/2 cup heavy cream (straight from the fridge) into the well of dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir until combined. Do not overmix or overwork this dough.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently work the dough together. (If it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour; avoid adding too much flour, as you’ll get dense biscuits)
- Once ingredients have formed a ball, fold dough in half. Gently flatten dough to a wide rectangle (see picture). Flatten using hands, never a rolling pin. Rotate dough 90° and fold in half again. Flatten with your hands again. Fold in half, flatten, rotate the dough. Repeat this process for a total of 4–6 times, being careful to not overwork the dough or make it too warm. It should always remain as cold as possible.
- Flatten dough to 1-inch thick and lightly dust a 2 and 3/4-inch round biscuit cutter with flour. Making close cuts, press the biscuit cutter straight down into the dough (don’t twist or swivel it), then place the cut out biscuits less than 1/2-inch apart on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat, then rework the dough to 1-inch thickness to get another biscuit or 2 until you have 6 biscuits.
- Brush with additional 2 tablespoons heavy cream and sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar (or granulated sugar). Place the pan with the biscuits in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Bake in preheated oven at 425°F for 15–20 minutes or until tops and bottoms of shortcakes are a light golden brown and shortcakes are cooked through. Remove from oven and let stand (without breaking them apart) for 5–10 minutes.
- Combine 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients on low speed until combined. Gradually increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Watch carefully to avoid overbeating, which will cause the cream to break.
- Slice the cooled shortcakes in half (fine if they are still warm, just not hot) and place the bottom half (cut side up) on a plate. Top with a generous spoonful of whipped cream, strawberries, and the other half of the biscuit. Spoon a little bit of whipped cream on top of the top biscuit. Serve as soon as assembled.
Video
Recipe Notes
Storage: Store leftover cooled biscuits in an airtight bag in the fridge with strawberries and whipped cream in separate airtight containers. Best if eaten within a day.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1001IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was raised using the packaged shortcake. When I married, my mother-in-law showed me their secret recipe which uses a giant homemade biscuit sliced and covered with butter, then a layer of sliced strawberries covered in sugar. Place the top piece of biscuit on and repeat butter, strawberries, sugar then top it off by pouring a can of evaporated milk over entire dish. It is amazing
I am excited to try this recipe on my family
I am soo excited for you to try this!! 🙂
I’ve never had strawberry shortcake with biscuits. We always used pound cake but now I really want to try it!
I hope you love it Jenna! 🙂
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Strawberry Shortcake! I can’t wait to try the shortcake recipe! Homemade is BEST! Thank you!
I can’t wait for you to try it! Thanks so much!!
Strawberry shortcake has always been my favorite! This is DELICIOUS!
These are what my summer dreams are made of! I can’t wait to try these.
This strawberry shortcake is amazing!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
So much yumminess! This is a favorite summer dessert!