Easy Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
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This is a simple and delicious classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe. It’s buttery and flaky, perfect for Strawberry Shortcake, and it’s a go-to recipe you’ll make all season long!
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As soon as the strawberries ripen in the fields near my home, I’m baking these easy homemade strawberry shortcakes. It seems to herald the warm, long, fun summer days ahead.
As June turns toward July, I’m still making Strawberry Shortcake—and will until the last strawberries come off the vine. If you grow everbearing strawberries in your garden, that prolongs the pleasure.
As old as time, it seems, is this classic summer dessert. Ever so satisfying and ever so easy.
What I Love About This Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
These strawberry shortcakes are so easy, in fact, I don’t even roll and cut out the shortcake dough.
To make these shortcakes, drop spoon-filled mounds of dough onto a prepared baking sheet, similar to drop biscuits.
By skipping a couple of steps, I make them more often!
Sweetening the Strawberries
In this recipe, you’ll notice I don’t sweeten the berries. However, be sure to taste the berries if you suspect they are underripe or not sweet enough.
To make the berries sweeter, sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar on sliced strawberries and let them sit for 10 minutes. A little sugar goes a long way.
I rarely sweeten my strawberries because my mother never did. And… her mother didn’t either. I’m not sure about my great-grandmother.
Isn’t it crazy how we follow our mothers’ traditions, even when it’s as simple as sweetening or not sweetening Strawberry shortcakes?
In this case, the strawberries are sweet enough. And when you top these buttery tender shortcakes with freshly whipped, slightly sweetened cream… it’s all the decadence one needs.
Ingredients for a Strawberry Shortcake
Here is a quick list of the ingredients needed to make this simple recipe. The measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Baking Ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract
- Refrigerated: 1/2 cup of cold butter, heavy cream, and 1 egg
- Strawberries: 1 pint of strawberries
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
The complete instructions are in the recipe below, but this summarizes the steps needed to make the shortcakes.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Then, cut in the butter. You can do this with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or even your fingertips, which adds extra air to the flour.
- Then, whisk together the eggs, cream, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. You will want a dough that can be scooped, so adjust the flour and cream accordingly.
- Using a large spoon or scoop, drop shortcake dough onto the prepared baking sheet, at least one inch apart. Sprinkling with coarse sugar if desired and bake until firm to the touch and golden brown; 10 to 12 minutes.
Whipping Cream for Strawberry Shortcakes
To make whipped cream for your strawberry shortcake, you will need chilled heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
In a deep bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the chilled cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat the cream, as it can turn into butter if whipped for too long.
The freshly whipped cream adds a light and creamy texture to your strawberry shortcake, complementing the sweet strawberries and buttery shortcake perfectly.
More Summer Recipes to Enjoy
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Easy Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
For the shortcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick cold butter diced (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- sparkling sugar if desired
For the strawberries:
- 1- pint strawberries washed hulled and halved
For the whipped cream:
- 3/4 cup heavy cream well chilled
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and toss with flour. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Whisk together the egg, cream, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the egg mixture into the hole.
- With a spatula, mix the ingredients just until moistened. You want the dough to come together when squeezed. Add more cream slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Keep adding until the dough reaches a soft consistency. It should be soft enough to easily drop from a spoon or scoop.
- Using a large spoon or scoop, drop the shortcake dough onto the prepared baking sheet. A spoonful about 2-3 inches wide should yield about 8 – 10 shortcakes spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.
- Bake until the shortcakes are firm to the touch and golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- While the biscuits are cooling on a rack, whip the cream. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a deep, large bowl using an electric mixer. Beat at medium to high speed until soft peaks form, for about 2 minutes.
- Use a serrated knife to halve the warm shortcakes horizontally. Layer with a dollop of whipping cream topped with fresh strawberries. Cover with the top half of the biscuit, garnish with additional whipping cream, a spoon of strawberry sauce or strawberry jam, if desired, and a mint sprig.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
The family love this recipe!
are you supposed to use vanilla in the shortcake recipe or just whipped cream? its listed in short cake as well as whipped cream.. but in the instructions it does not mention it. thanks
Hi Kristie! I use it in both the short cake and in the cream. I’ll update the instructions. Thanks for that catch!
These shortcakes are superb!
Thanks, Carletta!!