This Strawberry Shortcake is one that will make memories. A buttery sweet biscuit (scone) topped with sweet juicy strawberries and a homemade sweet cream! What could be better?
*Originally published April 2014. Photos, text, and recipe updated.*
When it comes to strawberry shortcake some prefer a cake base and some prefer a biscuit or scone. Honestly, I can eat it anyway but I do love a good biscuit! When I think of strawberry shortcake I picture this very recipe.
Don’t be intimidated by this recipe because of the homemade biscuits. It tastes so much better than any store bought version, I PROMISE!
Also, I strongly recommend taking the 10 extra seconds to make freshly whipped cream instead of buying it from the store. It’s so much better and not full of who knows what.
Homemade Sweet Biscuits:
Again don’t let this intimidate you! They are 1000% worth the extra effort. You will only need a few basic ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest (adds a nice touch), butter, egg, cream, and vanilla. Here are the steps to make the biscuits:
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Cut in the cold butter until you have coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the egg, cream, and vanilla.
- Place dough on a work surface and knead a few times to finish combining the dry with the wet.
- Shape, cut, and bake!
Fresh Strawberries Make the Best Topping!
Try to find the ripest strawberries for strawberry shortcake. It will taste so much better and you don’t need as much sugar to macerate them either. I like to add a little lemon juice to my strawberries to help brighten their flavor but this is optional.
Here are a few tips to find ripe strawberries: Look for bright red strawberries with no green or white shoulders. They should be firm to the touch not mushy and the leaves should not be brown or wilted. Look at the bottom of the container to make sure there are no signs of mold or squished berries.
Homemade Whipped Cream
It doesn’t get easier than homemade whipped cream and there are only 3 ingredients needed!! Heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Tips to make the best homemade whipped cream: Use heavy whipping cream. So this means it needs to have 36-40% butterfat. This will make sure it doubles in size and holds its shape when whipped. Also, cold cream whips up faster and taller.
How To Assemble Strawberry Shortcake:
I like my biscuit warm but it is also good cold. Start by slicing the biscuit in half. Add a generous serving of the freshly whipped cream and top with the macerated strawberries. Place the other half of the biscuit on top and serve immediately. It’s up to you if you would like more whipped cream and strawberries on top!
More Summer Dessert Recipes:
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff
- Easy Fruit Pizza
- Easy Berry Cheesecake Cups
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Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
STRAWBERRIES:
- 2 pounds (908g) strawberries, sliced
- 2 tablespoons sugar (this may very depending on the sweetness of your berries)
- juice from ½ a lemon, optional
BISCUITS:
- 2¼ cups (300g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup (113g) butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
WHIPPED CREAM:
- 1½ cups (355ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
STRAWBERRIES:
- Place sliced strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Add lemon juice if desired. Toss to coat; set aside.
BISCUITS:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. This can be done with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers. Add the cream, egg, and vanilla and mix just until it starts to come together.
WHIPPED CREAM:
SERVING:
- Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Notes
- MAKE AHEAD: The biscuits can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored at room temperature. The strawberries and whipped cream can be made no more than 1 day in advance. However I prefer to make the strawberries the day of.
- FREEZER FRIENDLY: Cool the biscuits completely and store in a freezer safe container or bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight.
- BISCUIT TIPS: For taller biscuits place them side by side (touching each other) on the baking sheet. This will help them hold their shape and rise taller. To make the biscuits extra special brush the tops with a little extra cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.
- I think this is best served with a warm biscuit but cold biscuits are good too. You can also briefly heat a biscuit in the microwave to warm it.
This is a new favorite at my house! LOVED IT!
Thank you!
Delicious homemade flavor! Loved the sweet biscuits in this recipe.
Thank you very much! It’s a family favorite!
I made this over the weekend and my husband and kids LOVED this dessert so much! I’ll be making it again this weekend for company. The biscuits and whipped cream were so delicious!
Thank you very much! So glad you liked it!
This dessert looks amazing! I can’t wait for fresh berries to give it a try this summer!
Thanks!