The short answer: This strawberry shortcake pairs tender, lightly sweet homemade biscuits with juicy sugared strawberries and fresh whipped cream. Toss sliced strawberries with sugar and let them make juice, bake cream biscuits at 425°F for about 15 minutes, then split the warm biscuits and pile on berries and softly whipped cream. Below you'll find exact amounts, step-by-step directions, make-ahead tips, swaps for store-bought cake, and how to turn it into a big shortcake cake for a crowd.
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Prep time: 20 minCook time: 16 minTotal time: 1 hr 16 minServings: 8 shortcakesTotal includes 40 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Strawberry shortcake is the dessert to make the first week local berries show up.
Strawberry shortcake ingredients
| Part | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Berries | Fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced | 2 pounds (about 6 cups) |
| Berries | Granulated sugar | ¼ cup |
| Berries | Lemon juice | 1 teaspoon |
| Shortcakes | All-purpose flour | 2 cups |
| Shortcakes | Sugar | 3 tablespoons, plus more for tops |
| Shortcakes | Baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Shortcakes | Salt | ½ teaspoon |
| Shortcakes | Cold unsalted butter, cubed | 6 tablespoons |
| Shortcakes | Cold heavy cream | ¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing |
| Cream | Cold heavy cream | 1½ cups |
| Cream | Powdered sugar | 3 tablespoons |
| Cream | Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
Makes 8 shortcakes.
How to make strawberry shortcake, step by step
- Macerate the berries. Rinse the strawberries under running water, hull and slice them, then toss with sugar and lemon juice. Mash about a quarter of them. Let them sit at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in the butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is the size of small peas.
- Add the cream. Stir in ¾ cup of cold cream with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- Shape the shortcakes. Pat the dough ¾ inch thick, fold it over twice, and cut 8 rounds with a 2½-inch cutter.
- Brush and sugar. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar for a crunchy crust.
- Bake. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until golden. Cool 10 minutes on a rack.
- Whip the cream. Beat cold cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
- Assemble. Split each shortcake, spoon berries and juice over the bottom, add cream, and replace the top.
The FDA's guide to serving produce safely recommends rinsing berries under running water right before you use them, without soap. And as tempting as the dough is, the FDA notes that raw flour isn't safe to eat until it's baked.
Strawberry shortcake swaps and variations
| Version | What to change | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk shortcakes | Use ¾ cup buttermilk and add ¼ tsp baking soda | Tangier, flakier biscuits |
| Pound cake shortcake | Toast pound cake slices in a dry skillet | Rich and quick |
| Angel food shortcake | Use store-bought angel food cake | Lighter dessert |
| Shortcake cake | Bake the dough in a 9-inch round, 20–25 minutes | One big cake to slice |
| Trifle | Layer cubed biscuits, berries and cream in a bowl | Feeds a crowd |
| Mixed berry | Add blueberries, raspberries and blackberries | Colorful and summery |
| Lighter cream | Fold Greek yogurt into the whipped cream | Tangy, less rich |
Tips for the best strawberry shortcake
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter and cream make tall, tender shortcakes.
- Don't overwork the dough. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together.
- Cut straight down. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and keeps biscuits from rising.
- Use ripe, red berries. Taste one; if they're tart, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.
- Assemble at the last minute. Biscuits get soggy if they sit with berries for long.
- Serve the shortcakes warm. Warm biscuits with cold cream is the classic contrast.
Make-ahead and storage
Bake the shortcakes up to a day ahead and keep them airtight, or freeze them for a month and reheat at 350°F for 8 minutes. Macerate the berries up to 4 hours ahead in the fridge, and whip the cream up to 2 hours ahead. Store leftovers separately for 1 to 2 days.
More desserts to try
Love fruit desserts? Bake our pumpkin bread recipe in the fall or banana bread any time. For holiday baking, see our Christmas desserts and Thanksgiving desserts.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make strawberry shortcake from scratch? To make strawberry shortcake from scratch, slice 2 pounds of strawberries, toss them with sugar and let them sit 30 minutes to make juice. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, cut in cold butter, stir in cream and bake round biscuits at 425°F for 15 minutes. Split the warm biscuits and fill them with berries and whipped cream.
What is the difference between shortcake and a biscuit? A shortcake is a slightly sweeter, richer biscuit. It uses the same method, cutting cold butter into flour and baking powder, but adds sugar and usually cream or an egg for a tender, cake-like crumb. Regular biscuits are savory and flakier. You can use plain buttermilk biscuits in a pinch and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Can I use store-bought shortcakes or pound cake? Yes, you can make strawberry shortcake with store-bought sponge shortcake cups, angel food cake or pound cake. They're softer and sweeter than homemade biscuits and soak up the berry juice quickly, so assemble just before serving. Toasting slices of pound cake in a dry skillet adds a buttery crust that holds up better.
How long should strawberries macerate for shortcake? Let sliced strawberries macerate with sugar for 30 minutes to 2 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. The sugar pulls juice out of the berries and makes a syrup that soaks into the shortcake. Mash about a quarter of the berries with a fork for extra juice, and stir before serving.
Can I make strawberry shortcake ahead of time? You can make each part of strawberry shortcake ahead, but assemble it right before serving. Bake the biscuits up to a day ahead and store them airtight, or freeze them for up to a month. Macerate the berries up to 4 hours ahead in the fridge, and whip the cream up to 2 hours ahead and keep it chilled.
Can I use frozen strawberries for strawberry shortcake? Frozen strawberries work for the sauce, but fresh berries give the best texture. Thaw frozen strawberries in the fridge, slice them, and toss them with less sugar because they release a lot of juice. Mix them with a few fresh berries if you can. Use the thawed juice in the topping so nothing goes to waste.
How do I keep whipped cream from deflating? Keep whipped cream stable by starting with very cold heavy cream and a chilled bowl, and whip only to medium-stiff peaks. Adding 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, which contains cornstarch, or 2 tablespoons of mascarpone or cream cheese helps it hold for several hours in the refrigerator without weeping.
Should I wash strawberries before slicing them? Yes, you should wash strawberries before slicing them: rinse them under cool running water just before you hull and slice them, then pat them dry. Don't soak them or wash them before storing, because extra moisture makes berries spoil faster. The FDA recommends rinsing produce under running water and skipping soap or produce washes.
How long does strawberry shortcake last? Assembled strawberry shortcake is best eaten within a few hours, because the biscuits soak up the juice and get soggy. Store leftover berries and whipped cream separately in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, and keep unfilled biscuits airtight at room temperature for a day. Refresh biscuits in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
Can I make strawberry shortcake as a cake or trifle? Yes, you can make strawberry shortcake as a cake or a trifle. For a strawberry shortcake cake, bake the dough as one round in a 9-inch pan for 20 to 25 minutes, split it and layer it with berries and cream. For a trifle, cube pound cake or biscuits and layer them in a glass bowl with berries and whipped cream. Both are easy ways to feed a crowd.