This strawberry shortcake recipe is a classic, delicious summer dessert! Tender biscuits are filled with juicy strawberries and airy whipped cream.
This strawberry shortcake recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer strawberries. Tender biscuits surround the sweet, juicy berries and billowy whipped cream. The combination is rustic, simple, and only lightly sweet, putting the berries front and center. I’d rank it up there as one of my favorite summer desserts…if not favorite desserts, period.
When I was growing up, my family made strawberry shortcake every summer, using store-bought cake. It wasn’t until years later that I realized classic shortcake biscuits are easy to make from scratch—there’s no need to get store-bought! Seriously, you can make these biscuits with 6 basic ingredients in about 30 minutes.
If you’re not already on team homemade strawberry shortcake, I hope you’ll try this easy recipe this summer. I recently updated it to have flakier biscuits, simplified instructions, and a streamlined ingredient list. If you ask me, it’s classic strawberry shortcake perfection!
Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
I adapted these shortcakes from my homemade biscuits. They call for the same ingredients, but in slightly different ratios to make these shortcakes sweeter. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Baking powder – It helps the biscuits rise.
- Cane sugar – I use a few tablespoons to make the shortcakes lightly sweet.
- Unsalted butter – For buttery flavor and flaky texture. Use it cold from the fridge.
- Whole milk – It makes the biscuits moist and tender.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
You’ll also need these ingredients to make the homemade whipped cream:
- Heavy cream – Aka heavy whipping cream. Don’t substitute light cream or half-and-half here. Heavy cream’s high fat content is necessary to get the whipped cream light and airy.
- Powdered sugar – For sweetness. Regular granulated sugar works too.
- And vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
One last thing—you’ll need fresh strawberries for the filling, of course!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to make this strawberry shortcake recipe:
Step 1: Prepare the Fresh Strawberries
I do this step first because I like to macerate the fresh strawberries with a little sugar. The sugar draws out the strawberry juices, making them soft and juicy without any cooking.
Simply hull and chop the strawberries, toss them with the sugar, and set them aside while you work on the other components.
Step 2: Make the Biscuits
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure your butter is cold from the fridge, then cut it into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Work it into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Another option: Use frozen grated butter. I use this technique in my biscuit and scone recipes. I absolutely love it because I think it’s easier to work with the smaller pieces of butter. Plus, it’s easier to handle the frozen butter without it melting. That said, I find that some readers prefer the classic cubed butter approach, so I decided to call for it here.
Both options work, so feel free to use your favorite!
Pour the milk into the flour mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead with your hands to incorporate any remaining dry flour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds and pat or roll again until 1/2 inch thick. Rotate a quarter turn and fold into thirds again.
Why the folding step? It creates layers in the dough, making the biscuits nice and flaky.
Form the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle again, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 6 square biscuits.
Place on a baking sheet, brush with milk, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400°F until golden brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream
Plan ahead here. Before you start making the biscuits, pop the bowl of your stand mixer or another mixing bowl in the fridge to chill. A cold bowl will help your cream whip up beautifully!
Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Mix with a stand mixer or hand mixer on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 4 to 8 minutes, until the cream has medium peaks.
Step 4: Assemble the Strawberry Shortcakes
Slice the biscuits in half crosswise and fill with the macerated strawberries and cream.
I like to add the strawberries first so that their juices soak into the bottom of the biscuit. So delicious!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Only assemble strawberry shortcakes you plan to eat right away. Leftover biscuits keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and freeze well for up to 3 months. Store leftover strawberries and whipped cream for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Want to get ahead? Here are a few ways to do it:
- Biscuits: Make them 1 day ahead and store at room temp, or make them well in advance and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can even freeze unbaked biscuits. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer to an airtight container. When ready to serve, bake them straight from frozen. Just add a few extra minutes to the bake time if needed.
- Strawberries: Slice and macerate them up to a few hours ahead. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Whipped cream: Make up to 1 day ahead. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. If it deflates at all, use a whisk to whip it up again by hand before serving.
More Favorite Summer Desserts
If you love this strawberry shortcake recipe, try one of these delicious summer desserts next:
Strawberry Shortcake
Serves 6
This easy strawberry shortcake recipe is a delicious summer dessert! Tender, flaky biscuits surround layers of fresh strawberries and cream. Find make-ahead instructions in the blog post above.
For the Strawberries
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
- ¼ cup cane sugar
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Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chill a medium bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, in the refrigerator.
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Prepare the strawberries: In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the biscuits and whipped cream.
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Make the biscuits: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and toss to coat. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the milk and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with your hands to incorporate any remaining dry flour.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. The dough might be slightly sticky—that’s ok. If it’s too sticky to handle, knead in a little more flour. Pat or roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds and pat or roll again until ½-inch thick. Rotate a quarter turn and fold into thirds again.
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Pat or roll into a ½-inch-thick rectangle, then use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 6 square biscuits. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Make the whipped cream: Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk on low to incorporate the powdered sugar into the cream. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 4 to 8 minutes, or until medium peaks form.
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To serve, slice the biscuits in half crosswise and fill with some of the macerated strawberries and whipped cream. Top with more whipped cream and/or strawberries, as desired.