My favorite way to celebrate strawberry season is with this homemade strawberry shortcake! My easy recipe has sweetened biscuits topped with juicy strawberries and freshly whipped cream. It’s the perfect spring and summer dessert!
I can’t think of a better way to use fresh, ripe strawberries than strawberry shortcake! This classic dessert recipe is surprisingly simple to make and so much better than the sum of its parts. Each irresistible bite combines syrupy-sweet strawberries, soft, flaky biscuits and fluffy whipped cream. What could be better?
I love making this strawberry shortcake recipe for dessert when we entertain in the summer. I can prep each of the components ahead of time and then let our guests assemble their shortcakes the way they like them. It’s fun and, of course, so delicious! For more fresh berry dessert recipes, try my Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and Blueberry Cobbler.
Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this strawberry shortcake recipe. Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Strawberries & Sugar: I try to make this recipe with the best ripe organic strawberries I can find. We combine the strawberries with a few tablespoons of granulated sugar and then let them rest, to bring out the juices and sweetness. This is called macerating the berries and makes the strawberries extra sweet and syrupy. I’ve also made this recipe with a combination of blueberries and strawberries for a patriotic dessert on the 4th of July.
- Homemade Biscuits: For the biscuits you’ll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, heavy cream, whole milk and vanilla extract. This recipe uses 5 teaspoons of baking powder, and yes, you really do need this much! It’s what makes the biscuits rise to become tall and flaky. The heavy cream makes the biscuits extra rich and tender. I use 1/4 cup of sugar to make them slightly sweet.
- Whipped Cream: You just can’t beat soft, pillowy fresh whipped cream when you’re making strawberry shortcake! To make it, you’ll beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form, then mix in powdered sugar and vanilla for sweetness and flavor.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
I always start by slicing the strawberries and tossing them with the sugar. We want the berries to have time to release their juices and create that delicious sweet syrup that will seep into the biscuits when you serve the shortcake.
Prep the strawberries. Slice the berries and place them in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and stir gently to combine. You can use more or less sugar depending on your tastes and how sweet your strawberries are. Place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
Make the biscuits. I use the same two tricks that I use in my Biscuit Recipe to ensure that these biscuits turn out extra flaky and tender:
- Freeze the butter (you want to keep it as cold as possible), then shred it using a box grater. This evenly distributes the cold butter pieces throughout the dough, which creates little pockets of steam to help the biscuits rise.
- Fold and pat out the dough 3-4 times before cutting out the biscuits. This creates tall biscuits with lots of flaky layers! Be sure to press the biscuit cutter straight down into the dough, without twisting (which could seal off the edges and prevent rising). If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass can be used instead, or you can just use a knife to cut square biscuits.
Before baking, I brush the tops of the biscuits with a little heavy cream and sprinkle them with coarse sugar. This makes them beautifully golden and adds a lovely sweet crunch.
Make the whipped cream. Be careful to not whip the cream too much at the end, because it can go from perfectly fluffy to too stiff quickly. When the whipped cream is almost done, you’ll add a little bit of powdered sugar and vanilla to sweeten it.
Assemble the strawberry shortcakes. Do this right before serving. Slice the biscuits in half and layer biscuit, strawberries, whipped cream, biscuit, then more strawberries and cream. Or put them together however you like, there’s no wrong way here!
Make Ahead Tips
Strawberry shortcake is the perfect make ahead dessert! You can prepare the three components ahead of time. Wait to assemble the shortcakes right before serving.
- You can prep the strawberries up to 8 hours ahead of time. Refrigerate them until you are ready to serve the shortcakes.
- You can make the whipped cream up to 24 hours ahead. Store it in your refrigerator.
- The biscuits are best the day they are made, but can be made one day ahead. The edges will soften a bit if you make them the day before. Store biscuits at room temperature.
More Spring and Summer Dessert Recipes
I just love fresh fruit desserts in the spring and summertime! Try one of these favorites next:
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
For the Strawberries
- 7 cups fresh sliced strawberries, (2 pounds strawberries)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Biscuits
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, frozen for 30 minutes
- ¾ cup cold heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing tops of biscuits
- ¾ cup cold whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar, (coarse sugar), optional
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Macerate the Strawberries
- Combine the sliced strawberries and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a bowl. Stir gently.
- Set the strawberries aside for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator) to allow the berries to release their juices. Stir occasionally.
Make the Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Use a box grater to grate the cold butter after it has been in the freezer for 30 minutes. Add the grated butter to the bowl with the flour mixture and mix in gently with a fork.
- Combine the 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup whole milk, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients and use a fork to mix gently until the dough starts to come together. Try not to over-work the dough. It may be sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Press the dough into a rectangle that is about 3/4-inch thick, adding a little flour on top of the dough if it's too sticky. Fold the dough in half and then press it into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this 2-3 more times.
- When you have pressed the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle for the last time, you are ready to cut out your biscuits. Press a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or upside down glass) straight down into the dough without twisting. Cut out as many biscuits as you can and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. It is ok if the biscuits are close together.
- Reshape the dough scraps to cut out more biscuits.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little bit of heavy cream. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden on top.
Make the Whipped Cream
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the 1 cup heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until it is has medium-soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine.
To Serve the Strawberry Shortcake
- To serve, slice the biscuits in half. Layer the biscuits with the strawberries and some of their juices and the whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can combine the strawberries and sugar up to 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate them until you are ready to serve the shortcakes.
- You can make the whipped cream up to 24 hours ahead and store it in your refrigerator.
- The biscuits are best the day they are made, but can be made one day ahead. The edges will soften a bit if you make them the day before. Store biscuits at room temperature.
I originally shared this recipe in May 2011. Post updated June 2019 and March 2025 with new photos and more helpful tips.
These shortcakes are delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
KR
These look so pretty. I love making shortcakes. They are so quick and easy 😀
Thanks, Cindy! These are quick, easy, and topped with delicious fresh berries – perfect for summertime!
Gorgeous pictures, Kristine! I’ve never made my own shortcakes before, but your recipes sounds delicious! I love that the ingredients are on the lighter side, too…perfect for the summer!
You really should try these shortcakes! They are so easy to make, and they make a perfect dessert on a summer night when you want to enjoy some fresh berries!
These shortcakes look so light and delicious, and your photos are so bright and cheery. I need to whip up some of these shortcakes soon!
Thank you, Marcie!
I always love recipes that are easy to make and only require a few ingredients. That’s why I love your shortcake. Looks so delicious
Yes, these are pretty simple. Thanks, Olivia!
I love having go-to recipes! This one looks great!
And lighter, too!
Thanks, Mir!
Looks amazing .. I have never made shortcakes before and this shortcake recipe is so simple and made with few ingredients.. Love it.. can’t wait to give it a try…
You’ve got to try making shortcakes! They are so easy and delicious!
Kristine, I have never made shortbread from scratch but this recipe was so easy and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I haven’t found a recipe of yours that I don’t like yet. Delish!!!!!
Your comment made me smile! I’m glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Hi Kristine
Strawberry shortcake recipe sound delicious. Have you tried lighten up the shortcake recipe, it has a lot of heavy cream in it, plus the whipped cream topping? Any suggestions?