Classic Strawberry Shortcake

A classic biscuit-style strawberry shortcakes is one of the best desserts you can possibly make any time, but it’s the perfect dessert in summer. This version has lightly sweet, soft, crisp-on-top biscuits filled with juicy sliced strawberries and fluffy whipped cream. It’s satisfying and really easy to make!

Cake-style strawberry shortcake is another beautiful option, but I’ve always thought that the classic biscuit version felt a bit more special. Let me show you how to make it!

How to Make Classic Strawberry Shortcake

To make these shortcakes, we’re using simply pantry ingredients for the sweet biscuits, fresh strawberries and lemon juice, and lots of heavy cream and cream cheese for a pillowy, stable whipped cream.

I like to start off by making the strawberry mixture because it benefits from sitting in the fridge for a while. All you need is some sliced strawberries, a little sugar, and some fresh lemon juice. Stir everything together so the strawberries are well coated, and then cover and let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

For the shortcakes, this is a pretty classic biscuit method starting off by cutting chunks of butter into the dry ingredients. I like to use a pastry cutter for this but if you don’t have one you can absolutely just use clean hands to work the butter into the flour mixture until you have small chunks running throughout.

Add in the buttermilk and vanilla extract and use a fork to start working the buttermilk through the dry mixture. You should end up with a shaggy looking mixture. Turn this out onto a clean surface and gently but quickly knead it together and give the dough a couple of folds to ensure it’s completely come together before rolling it out to about an inch thick and cutting your shortcakes.

You want to pop those into the freezer before brushing each one down with more buttermilk and giving them all a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar. Then it’s off to the oven until golden brown!

The whipped cream mixture includes some cream cheese which helps create a more substantial, stable whipped cream and it tastes SO good.

To assemble these shortcakes, I like to split the biscuits in half and then layer in the strawberries and cream in the middle and on top of the biscuit layers. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Strawberry Shortcake

Here are my tips to help along the way!

• Do I have to use lemon juice? I highly recommend it here- you can definitely skip it though. I think it makes the strawberries just taste brighter and more strongly of strawberry.
• Can I swap in another fruit? Yes, you can use any fruit you like or combination of fruit- I love cherries or a mix of different berries here!
• Do I have to freeze the shortcakes before baking? Yes, do not skip this step. When you’re working the dough together and kneading it, the butter warms up quickly. You want to give it at least 15 minutes in the freezer to firm back up so it keeps everything flakey while baking.
• Do I have to use buttermilk? I would not substitute the buttermilk in this recipe- it contributes a lot to the final texture of the biscuits so it’s important here!
• How do I know when the shortcakes are finished baking? The shortcakes should be deeply golden brown all over and they should have puffed up in the oven.
• Do I have to use cream cheese in the whipped cream? That is optional, but again I highly recommend it. It tastes amazing here and helps keep the cream more stable.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that my recipes work well for people between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level without any adjustments.

Enjoy!

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Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For the fruit filling:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbs. lemon juice

For the shortcakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter cut into small chunks
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbs. cold buttermilk separated
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbs. coarse sugar

For the cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

For the fruit filling:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until combined and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the shortcakes:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut in the butter until the mixture has small, pea-sized chunks of shortening throughout.
3. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla until the dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead together gently until the dough comes together completely, being careful not to over-work it.
4. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 7-8 inches long and 4 or so inches wide- it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be around an inch thick. Cut the dough into 6 even shortcakes, and place on your lined baking sheet. Put the whole thing into the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is preheated, pull the shortcakes out of the freezer. Brush the tops with remaining 2 tbs. buttermilk and sprinkle generously with the coarse sugar. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the shortcakes have puffed.

For the cream:

1. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Beat the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until well combined.
2. To serve- slice a warm shortcake in half and spoon on some of the strawberry mixture, including some of the juices. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream, and top with the top of the shortcake. Add more fruit and whipped cream on top if you like! Enjoy!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!