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This Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe is the perfect summer dessert! Forgot the spongey pre-packaged cakes and make these fluffy strawberry shortcake biscuits instead.

The entire recipe is made completely from scratch with sweet strawberries sandwiched by homemade biscuits and topped with homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry shortcakes on dessert plates, topped with sliced strawberries
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Why This Recipe Works

  • Soft and Fluffy Biscuits – A great strawberry shortcake always starts with the biscuit. These sweetened strawberry shortcake biscuits are so soft and slightly dense. They make the perfect base to soak up the strawberry syrup too.
  • Fresh Strawberries – Using fresh strawberries gives you the perfect sweet bite and the freshest flavor.
  • Homemade Whipped Cream – A plain whipped cream is great, but the flavor and texture of real, fresh whipped cream just can’t be beat.

Key Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled to make sure your measurements are accurate.
  • Granulated sugar – Since this is a dessert biscuit, a little sugar adds a hint of sweetness. You could also sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.
  • Baking powder – Necessary for your biscuits to rise nice and fluffy.
  • Cold Butter – For buttery, flaky biscuits, cold butter is a necessity. It will give you little pockets of buttery goodness throughout the biscuit.
  • Buttermilk – Works with the baking powder to create a tall, fluffy biscuit.
  • Heavy Cream – Brushing heavy cream on the tops of the biscuits make them shiny and helps brown the tops. Heavy cream is also the base of the homemade whipped cream.
  • Powdered sugar – For the whipped cream.
  • Real Vanilla Extract – Using real extract provides a sweet vanilla flavor for the filling.
  • Fresh Strawberries – plus granulated sugar to sweeten.
Assembling strawberry shortcakes

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Stack the sliced strawberries high and the homemade vanilla whipped cream even higher on these delicious, fluffy buttermilk biscuits!

  • Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  • Grate the cold or frozen butter into the flour mixture.
  • Add buttermilk and stir just until the flour is fully incorporated. Knead with your hands if it doesn’t come fully together right away.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press it out to 1-inch thick.
  • Use a biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits. Brush with heavy cream and bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes.
Strawberry Shortcake - biscuits layered with strawberries and whipped cream

Whipped Cream and Strawberries

For the strawberries, slice them and place in a bowl with some sugar. I usually do this before I bake the biscuits because they need to sit for about an hour. As they sit the berries will soften and release their juices, forming a sauce for your shortcake. The technical term is macerating strawberries.

Whipped cream from scratch is super easy to make and it’s so good. Simply beat heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together until thick. If you are pressed for time, you can use a can of whipped cream or scoop some whipped topping (Cool Whip).

How To Assemble and Serve

Cut the cooled biscuits in half and top with strawberries and whipped cream. You can use a piping bag for the whipped cream if you want to get a little fancy, or spoon it on.

Top with the top half of the biscuit. You can serve just like this, or for a prettier presentation add a small dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry on top.

FAQs

Can I make this recipe in advance?

The biscuits and the whipped cream can be made up to a day ahead of time. Store the biscuits in a resealable plastic bag or container at room temperature and keep the whipped cream refrigerated.

Can you prepare the macerated strawberries in advance?

I recommend no longer than an hour in advance, because as they sit the more juice they will release. You don’t want the berries to be too saucy.

Can you use frozen strawberries?

You can – but I highly recommend using fresh for the best taste and texture. Frozen strawberries need to be thawed and may or may not need additional sugar. Be sure to taste them first.

How do you store leftover biscuits?

Let them cool completely, then wrap tightly and place into a plastic freezer bag. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Can you freeze the biscuit dough?

YES! Cut the biscuits out, place them on a baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until they’re frozen and then pop them into a freezer bag until you’re ready to bake them. They may take a few minutes longer baking in the oven if they’re frozen.

Ingredients for strawberry shortcakes and two finished shortcakes ready to eat

Pro Tips

  1. Overworking the dough will make the biscuits tough. Knead them just until the flour is incorporated.
  2. Freeze the butter and grate it instead of using a pastry cutter to work big chunks into the flour.
  3. Wait to assemble these until just before serving.

More Strawberry Recipes

Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake

5
Strawberry Shortcake is the perfect summer dessert! Forgot the pre-packaged cakes and make these strawberry shortcake biscuits instead.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar to taste

Biscuits

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter frozen or very cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk cold
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons heavy cream

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Add sliced strawberries and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Stir to cover the strawberries with the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour until the juices are released.

Biscuits

  • Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Using a box grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients. You can also use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour until the butter has been into pea size crumbles.
  • Add the buttermilk and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Give it a knead a few times with your hands if it didn’t come together fully by stirring it.
  • Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Press the dough out until it’s about an inch thickness. I used my hands and pinched together any big cracks as I was pressing it out. You can also lightly flour the top of the dough and roll it out.
  • Using a biscuit cutter (mine was 3 ½ inches), cut out 6 biscuits with it. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Brush heavy cream on top of the biscuits.
  • Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. The edges should be golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Whipped Cream

  • In a large mixing bowl, add in the heavy cream. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until it thickens to a soft peak.
  • Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Add the whipped cream in a piping bag with a large straight tip or spoon onto the biscuits.

Assemble

  • Cut the cooled biscuits in half. Add strawberries and juice. Add a layer of whipped cream. Add the top half of the biscuit. Garnish with a small dollop of whipped cream on top and a strawberry.

Notes

  1. Too much butter or shortening will cause cracks in the tops of the biscuits.
  2. Overworking the dough will also cause cracks in the biscuits and one tough biscuit
  3. I prefer freezing the butter and grating it instead of using a pastry cutter to work it into the flour
  4. Brushing heavy cream on the tops of the biscuits make them shiny and helps brown the tops of biscuits up.

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 7gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 521mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 925IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 208mgIron: 2mg

Miranda

Hi! I'm Miranda and the dessert blogger behind the blog Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt! When I'm not slinging butter and eggs, I love to hang out with my son and hubby.

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