Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake is a sweet biscuit topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This is the perfect summer dessert!
Summertime and berries are in season! Strawberries are seriously the best in early summer. They are juicy and ripe with flavor—perfect for dessert! Strawberry shortcake is a summer classic and the perfect excuse to eat fresh strawberries. This dessert is easy to make too! I’ll show you how…
Strawberry shortcake consists of a sweet biscuit, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The biscuit is soft, sweet and buttery. Cut it in half to layer strawberries and whipped cream inside. The strawberries are best when tossed with sugar so the berry juices seep into the biscuit (just like my strawberry cobbler).
How to make sweet biscuits
Sweet biscuits are similar to my buttermilk biscuits, but the recipe includes an egg for structure (after all they are carrying layers of strawberries and cream!) I also prefer half and half in this recipe for a richer, dessert taste.
- Whisk together dry ingredients together—flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Cut cold butter pieces into dry ingredients. You can do this step with a pastry cutter or in the bowl of a food processor.
- Separately, whisk half and half and eggs together in a measuring cup. Pour over dry ingredients.
- Stir wet and dry ingredients together until dry clumps form. Transfer to a floured surface and knead a couple times until dough comes together. Press into a 9-inch by 5-inch rectangle. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut round biscuits. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush biscuits with 1 tablespoon half and half. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 F.
How to shape biscuits
Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter and dip it in flour first (this will prevent the biscuit dough from getting stuck on the cutter). Push the biscuit cutter straight down. Avoid twisting the biscuit cutter. Place biscuits close to each other on the pan (about 1 inch apart).
I own this round cookie/biscuit cutter set. It has a variety of sizes, one of which is perfect for biscuits!
How to make strawberries for shortcake
Strawberry shortcake requires a simple mixture of freshly cut strawberries and granulated sugar. Cut the strawberries into quarters and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the berries and give them a gentle stir until evenly coated. The sugar will release the strawberries’ juices, which will be soaked up by the biscuits. A good ratio is 1 tablespoon of sugar for every 2 cups of uncut strawberries.
How to make homemade whipped cream
Homemade whipped cream is simply heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract whipped together for 2 minutes. Make sure the heavy cream is cold! Start the whipping at a slow pace until bubbles form then slowly increase speed to medium-high. Whipped cream is done when stiffed peaks form (the cream doesn’t fall when the whisk is pulled up). See more tips for homemade whipped cream.
Strawberry shortcake assembly
This part is quick and easy! Anybody can do it to get their preferred ratio (I like a lot of whipped cream). You can start with warm shortcakes or let them cool completely. Cut them in half and on the bottom half layer strawberries and whipped cream. Place other half on top and layer again with whipped cream and strawberries. Serve right away!
More berry recipes
‘Tis the season for berry recipes! Here are a few of my favorites for summer. Strawberry rhubarb crisp is made with fresh strawberries and tart rhubarb for a flavorful dessert. Strawberry muffins have fresh chopped strawberries in the muffin batter and a sweet streusel on top. Triple berry pie calls for strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Triple berry layer cake has layers of vanilla cake blanketed by Swiss meringue frosting and a healthy helping of summer berries.
Strawberry shortcakes are a fan favorite when it comes to summer desserts. I highly recommend getting the freshest strawberries you can find (perfect excuse to go to the farmers market!)
If you make strawberry shortcake, be sure to tag @ifyougiveablondeakitchen on social media so I can see your summer dessert!
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 8 cups whole strawberries
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Shortcakes
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar,, separated
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- ½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (135 mL) half-and-half, (or whole milk), cold
- 1 large egg, cold
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240 mL) heavy cream,, cold
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberries
- Cut up strawberries into quarters (remove stems). Place in a large bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar over the berries. Gently toss them with a spoon until evenly coated. Let strawberries sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours to allow juices to release.
Sweet Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl (see notes for food processor instructions), whisk together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cold butter and use a pastry cutter to blend butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized butter pieces form. Work quickly so butter stays cold!
- In a measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup half-and-half and egg. Pour egg mixture over the flour mixture. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine ingredients. Mix until large clumps form.
- Transfer biscuit dough to a floured work surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together in a ball (this step is important, but work quickly so the dough stays cold). Use your hands to press dough into a rectangle 9-inches by 5-inches. Dust a 3-inch biscuit cutter with flour and cut 6 round biscuits out of the dough. Rework remaining scraps and cut 2 more biscuits. Place biscuits 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush biscuits with remaining tablespoon of half-and-half. Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake biscuits at 425° F for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow biscuits to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.
Homemade Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Turn mixer on low and mix for about 30 seconds until bubbles form. Slowly start turning the mixer up until it reaches medium-high. Beat until stiff peaks form and the whisk leaves a trail in the whipped cream, about 2 more minutes.
- Cut biscuits in half (it's okay if they are still slightly warm). Layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.
