Strawberry Shortcake

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Classic strawberry shortcake is a fresh and fruity dessert recipe that everyone will love! It features real sliced strawberries piled onto tender biscuit-like mini cakes with a dollop of sweet, fluffy homemade whipped cream. Follow my step-by-step photos and instructions to make this easy, rich strawberry shortcake recipe as a delicious summery treat anytime of the year.

close up shot of strawberry shortcake with the cream and strawberry filling seen and topped with some and a large strawberry on top on a white plate

What is Strawberry Shortcake

The most common question asked about this Strawberry Shortcake recipe is what exactly is a shortcake? Simple! A shortcake is tender, slightly crumbly biscuit-like rustic cake.

It includes baking powder as a leavening agent so you get a flaky sponge with just the right consistency and biscuit/cake crossover density.

Shortcakes tend to be a bit on the drier side, which is perfect to enjoy with juicy strawberries and luscious whipped cream.

Speaking of, the strawberry filling is really the star here that you will love! It’s a simple blend of fresh strawberries macerated with sugar, no cooking necessary.

top shot of strawberry shortcakes topped with cream and strawberries each on two white plates with a brass spoon on each plate on white marble background
Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Strawberry Shortcake

Macerate Strawberries

1. The first step is to make the filling, as the strawberries will need to sit for a while together before being used. Slice or chop the strawberries – 350 to 400 grams.

Prep the strawberries before slicing. Soak them in water or in a bowl full of water to which some baking soda and vinegar has been added for 8 to 10 minutes.

This helps in getting rid of pesticide residues if any and destroys any harmful bacteria or microorganism spores on them.

Later rinse thoroughly in fresh water for a couple of times. Drain extra water and let the strawberries dry naturally or you can pat them dry.

chopped strawberries on a wooden chopping board

2. Add the chopped strawberries to a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons castor sugar.

TIP: Opt for raw sugar, white sugar, brown sugar or powdered sugar in place of castor sugar.

chopped strawberries topped with castor sugar in a steel mixing bowl

3. Mix very well so that the berries are coated in the sugar.

chopped strawberries mixed with sugar

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge. Let the strawberries macerate for 30 minutes while you make the shortcake.

Below you see the photo of strawberries with their juices in a sweet thin syrupy base.

strawberries macerated in sugar syrup

Make Shortcake Dough

5. Meanwhile, combine the dry shortcake ingredients in a large bowl.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
dry ingredients in a mixing bowl

6. Add ¼ cup castor sugar (40 grams) or you use confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar.

castor sugar added to dry ingredients

7. Mix thoroughly.

dry ingredients mixed evenly with a spoon for the shortcake

8. Now cut cold butter (50 grams) into cubes and add to the bowl. It is essential to use cold butter to create a perfectly flaky and tender strawberry shortcake biscuit.

butter cubes added to dry ingredients

9. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. If you do not have a pastry cutter, mix the cold butter into the flour with clean hands or use a stand mixer if you have one.

When mixing with fingers, if the butter melts, refrigerate this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes before moving on to the next step.

cutting butter in flour with a pastry cutter

10. You should wind up with pea sized clumps of butter and flour in a breadcrumb like textured mixture.

pea sized clumps of butter and flour in a breadcrumb like butter and flour mixture

11. Then add ½ cup whipping cream in two parts (while mixing), along with the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 

whipping cream and vanilla extract added

12. Gently mix.

whipping cream mixed with flour

13. Don’t actually knead the dough. You want the ingredients just combined to form a rough pastry dough. If too dry or firm you can add a splash more cream. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

shortcake dough formed and placed on a wooden board

Make the Biscuits

14. When the dough is ready to work with, flour a clean work surface and remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Sprinkle some flour on the dough.

Do remember to preheat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.

flour sprinkled on wooden board and chilled shortcake dough

15. Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle.

dough rolled into rough rectangle

16. Fold the dough over and lightly flour if needed.

dough folded on wooden board with some flour sprinkled on board and dough

17. Roll the dough out again in to a rough rectangle shape.

dough rolled into a rough rectangle

18. Sprinkle with flour as needed and fold again.

dough folded with a sprinkling of flour

19. Roll the dough again. The dough should be ½ to ¾ inch thick.

dough rolled into a rectangle

20. Repeat the same process one more time, and roll again into neat rectangle that’s about ½ to ¾ inch thick.

dough rolled finally into a neat rectangle

21. Then use a cookie cutter or a small steel bowl to make round circles in the dough. Press down firmly and try not to twist too much so that the biscuits rise properly. As you cut the shortcakes, gather the scrap dough and roll again to continue cutting cakes.

Alternatively, you can also simply cut the dough into 6 squares.

dough cut in neat circles using a cookie cutter on a wooden board

Bake Shortcake

22. Place the cut pieces of dough on a tray or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

shortcake dough rounds placed on baking tray

23. After 10 minutes, remove from the fridge and lightly brush a bit of cream on top of each. Sprinkle with a bit more castor sugar, if you prefer.

shortcake pastry dough circle brushed with cream

24. Bake at 200 degrees celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

shortcakes on the tray in the oven

25. They should be golden, like in the photo below.

shortcakes baked golden for strawberry shortcake

26. Transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let them cool. These shortcakes do taste nice as they are.

baked shortcakes on wired tray

Whip the Cream

27. While the shortcakes cool, make the homemade whipped cream. In the bowl of a standing mixer add ½ cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons castor sugar.

cream and castor sugar in a stand mixer jar

28. Whip at high speed.

cream being whipped in stand mixer

29. After a minute or two the whipped cream should become thick and start to form soft peaks. Set aside.

whipped cream for strawberry shortcakes

Make Strawberry Shortcake

30. Once the shortcakes are cool to the touch, you can pull them gently apart and you will easily get two halves or you can cut them in half width-wise.

shortcakes halved on wooden board

31. Put the lower half on a plate. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream on it. Top with a generous serving of the macerated strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry juice.

shortcake halve topped with whipped cream and macerated strawberry stuffing and juices

32. Stack the second top half of the shortcake onto the strawberries, and layer with more whipped cream and strawberries.

strawberry shortcake assembled and the top halve topped with cream and some strawberries

33. Serve immediately. You can garnish with a whole strawberry or fresh mint leaves for extra flavor.

strawberry shortcake with the cream and strawberry filling seen and topped with some and a large strawberry on top on a white plate
Tips

Helpful Tips

  • Strawberries: Prefer to include sweet tasting strawberries. If the strawberries are a bit tart or sour, then add more sugar when macerating them. If fresh strawberries are not in season, make the recipe with frozen strawberries.
  • Cream: Both whipping cream and heavy cream works well. You can choose to use light cream (low-fat cream) for a lighter version of this dessert.
  • Sugar: In place of castor sugar, use raw sugar, white sugar or powdered sugar for macerating strawberries. For the shortcake dough, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar. For the cream topping, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is best here. But if you plan to use salted butter, omit adding the pinch of salt to the shortcake dough. 
  • Flour: I recommend to use unbleached flour or organic flour for the dough. Pastry flour also works well in the recipe.
  • Baking time: Each oven works differently. Thus the baking time will vary. If your oven bakes too fast, then check your shortcakes after 10 minutes. The tops of the shortcake should have a beautiful golden sheen and color.
  • Vegan options: Consider vegan butter or a neutral oil to add to the pastry dough. Make the cream filling with cashew cream or coconut cream.

FAQs

What can I use besides shortcakes for this recipe?

If you don’t feel like making the shortcake from scratch, then you can just get some ready sponge cake or pound cake from the store. Make the strawberry filling and whipped cream at home and add it to the sponge cake. You can either serve the cake as slices or use a cutter to cut out circles that resemble biscuits.

Can I use store bought whipped cream?

Yes, feel free to use Cool Whip or other readymade whipped creams to make this strawberry shortcake recipe.

How should I store leftovers?

I recommend that you keep the different components of this dish separate if you plan to enjoy later. Keep biscuits in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days or refrigerate them for about 8 to 10 days. The strawberry filling will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Homemade whipped cream tends to have the best consistency when made fresh.

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strawberry shortcake with the cream and strawberry filling seen and topped with some and a large strawberry on top on a white plate

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Classic strawberry shortcake is a fresh and fruity dessert recipe that everyone will love! It features real sliced strawberries piled onto tender biscuit-like mini cakes with a dollop of sweet, fluffy homemade whipped cream.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Cuisine American, World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 6
Units

Ingredients

For shortcake dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour – 220 grams
  • ¼ cup castor sugar – 40 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 50 grams Butter – unsalted
  • ½ cup whipping cream chilled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For strawberry filling

  • 350 to 400 grams strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons castor sugar or sugar

For whipping cream

  • ½ cup whipping cream – chilled
  • 2 tablespoons castor sugar or confectioner's sugar or icing sugar

Instructions
 

Macerate Strawberries

  • Slice or chop the strawberries and them to a bowl.
  • Add castor sugar and mix very well so that the berries are coated in the sugar.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Let the strawberries macerate while you make the shortcake.

Make shortcake dough

  • Meanwhile, combine and mix thoroughly all-purpose flour, castor sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  • Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl.
  • Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you get pea sized clumps of butter and flour.
  • Mix the cold butter into the flour with clean hands or use a stand mixer, if you do not have a pastry cutter.
  • Mixing with fingers may melt the butter. So refrigerate this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes before moving on to the next step.
  • Then add the whipping cream in two parts while mixing. Also add the vanilla extract.
  • Gently mix and combine everything to form a pastry dough. Do not knead the dough.
  • If too dry or firm you can add a splash more cream and mix again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover in a bowl and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Make shortcake

  • Dust flour on a clean work surface and remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Sprinkle some flour on the dough as well.
  • Do remember to preheat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
  • Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle.
  • Fold the dough over and lightly flour if needed.
  • Roll the dough out again in to a rough rectangle shape.
  • Sprinkle with flour as needed and fold again.
  • Roll the dough again. The dough should be ½ to ¾ inch thick.
  • Repeat the same process one more time, and roll again into neat rectangle that’s about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
  • Using a cookie cutter or a small steel bowl make round circles in the dough. Press down firmly and try not to twist too much so that the biscuits rise properly. As you cut the shortcakes, gather the scrap dough and roll again to continue cutting the shortcakes.

Bake shortcake

  • Place the cut pieces of shortcake dough on a tray or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, remove from the fridge and lightly brush a bit of cream on top of each. Omit this step of brushing with cream if you prefer. Sprinkle with a bit more castor sugar, if you like.
  • Bake at 200 degrees celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
  • Transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let them cool.

Whip cream

  • While the shortcakes cool, make the homemade whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer add ½ cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons castor sugar.
  • Whip at high speed until you get soft peaks.

Make strawberry shortcake

  • Once the shortcakes are cool to the touch, you can pull them gently apart and you will get two halves or you can cut them in half width-wise.
  • Put the lower half on a plate. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream on it. Top with a generous serving of the macerated strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry juice.
  • Stack the second top half of the shortcake onto the strawberries, and layer with some more whipped cream and strawberries.
  • Serve immediately. You can garnish with a whole strawberries or fresh mint leaves for extra flavor.

Notes

  • Strawberries: Use sweet tasting strawberries. If the strawberries are a bit tart, then add more sugar while macerating the strawberries. If strawberries are not in season, make the shortcake with frozen strawberries
  • Cream: Both whipping cream and heavy cream can be included. You can also use light cream (low-fat cream) for a lighter version of this dessert.
  • Sugar: For macerating strawberries, you can use raw sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar. For shortcakes, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar. For whipping cream, use confectioner’s sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is the best for this recipe. If you plan to make with salted butter, then omit adding pinch of salt to the shortcake pastry dough. 
  • Flour: Preferably use unbleached flour or organic flour. Pastry flour also works well. 
  • Baking time: Each oven works differently and so the baking time will vary. If your oven bakes too fast, check the shortcakes after 10 minutes of baking. The tops of the shortcake should have a beautiful golden sheen and color.
  • Vegan options: Use vegan butter or a neutral oil to add to the pastry dough. Make the cream filling with cashew cream or coconut cream.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 416 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 25mg1%
Potassium 301mg9%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 798IU16%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3mg15%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 35mg42%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 3µg3%
Calcium 101mg10%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 92µg23%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 20mg5%
Phosphorus 177mg18%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This strawberry shortcake recipe from the archives (January 2013) has been republished and updated on 5 March 2021 to a better, classic recipe with newer photos.

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12 Comments

    1. if using coconut milk, then keep the container or tin in the fridge for 7-8 hours. when you will open the chilled container, you will see the coconut cream floating on top. scoop up this cream and whip it. you cannot use coconut milk as you wont be able to whip it up due to its consistency.