This post may contain affiliate links.
Strawberry Shortcake tastes like summer on a plate, with buttery drop biscuits, juicy macerated berries, and clouds of fresh whipped cream. I made these *last weekend* when Maddie begged for something with strawberries, and they vanished before I could grab a second photo. If you love a fruit-forward treat, you will adore our strawberry angel food cake too.
These come together in one bowl with no mixer and no fuss, so a bakery-worthy dessert can be on the table fast.
Strawberry Shortcake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 1077kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, and bursting with fresh strawberries
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our no churn cookie dough ice cream
Quick Answer
Macerate sliced strawberries with sugar, then stir together a quick drop-biscuit dough of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Bake the biscuits until golden, whip fresh cream, then split the biscuits and layer them with the juicy berries and whipped cream. The whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes.
Jump to:
- Strawberry Shortcake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Strawberry Shortcake FAQs
- Other Recommended Summer Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Shortcake
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Macerating draws out the juice. Tossing the berries with sugar ahead of time pulls out their natural syrup, which soaks into the biscuits for flavor in every bite.
- Drop biscuits skip the rolling. There is no cutting or rolling, so the dough stays tender and you avoid tough, overworked shortcakes.
- Cream does double duty. Heavy cream in the dough adds richness and lift without needing cold butter cut in by hand.
- Soft peaks, then sweeten. Whipping to soft peaks before adding the sugar gives you a stable, billowy cream that holds its shape.
- It is a two-bowl recipe. Everything happens in just a couple of bowls, so cleanup is quick and the recipe stays beginner friendly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste like a farmers market in dessert form, sweet, buttery, and packed with real strawberries.
- The drop biscuits mean no rolling pin and no chilling, so you are eating in under an hour.
- They are easy to dress up for any occasion, the same way we do with our layered lemon blueberry trifle.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples turn into something special. Here is what makes this strawberry shortcake shine:
- Strawberries: Fresh, ripe berries are the star. Slice them and macerate with a little sugar to pull out that gorgeous syrup.
- Heavy cream: Does double duty here, adding richness to the biscuit dough and whipping up into a fluffy topping.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the tender drop biscuits. Spoon and level it so the dough does not turn out dense.
- Baking powder and baking soda: This combo gives the biscuits their lift and golden, craggy tops.
- Vanilla extract: A splash in both the dough and the whipped cream ties everything together, just like in our raspberry no bake cheesecake bites.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this strawberry shortcake your own:
- Swap the berries: Use raspberries, blueberries, or a mix for a triple-berry version.
- Add citrus: A little lemon or orange zest in the biscuit dough brightens everything up.
- Make it boozy: A splash of Grand Marnier in the macerated berries is lovely for the grown-ups.
- Change the topping: Swap the whipped cream for vanilla ice cream, or pile it on like our cherry cheesecake bars.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Toss the sliced strawberries with sugar in a bowl, cover, and chill for at least one hour so they release their sweet juices.
- Sift the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour in the heavy cream and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together with no dry spots.
- Drop two free-form biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip until medium peaks form.
- Split each biscuit, pile on the macerated strawberries and their juice, add whipped cream, and crown with the biscuit tops.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use cold cream straight from the fridge so the biscuits bake up tall and the topping whips fast.
- Do not overmix the dough, stir just until it comes together to keep the biscuits tender.
- Macerate ahead of time, even overnight, for the juiciest berries.
- Cool the biscuits completely before assembling so the whipped cream does not melt.
- Sweeten to taste, ripe summer berries may need less sugar than out-of-season ones.
- Make it a sundae bar with extra toppings, the way we serve our oatmeal cream pie ice cream bars.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Strawberry shortcake is best served the moment you assemble it, while the biscuits are still tender and the whipped cream is cold. Pile the berries high and drizzle every bit of that strawberry juice over the top.
It is the perfect ending to a summer cookout or Sunday dinner. Serve it alongside other crowd-pleasers like our lemon lime angel food cupcakes or a scoop of no churn cookie dough ice cream for a full dessert spread.
Hosting a bigger crowd? Round out the table with a simple cake topped with our chocolate cream cheese frosting, or a batch of maple bacon cookies for something unexpected. There is no wrong way to celebrate strawberry season.
Strawberry Shortcake FAQs
The best strawberry shortcake starts with macerated berries and tender drop biscuits. Toss your sliced strawberries with sugar and let them sit until syrupy, bake quick biscuits made with heavy cream, and top everything with freshly whipped cream right before serving.
You can prep the components ahead. Macerate the berries and bake the biscuits up to a day in advance, then store them separately. Whip the cream and assemble just before serving so the biscuits stay tender and the cream stays fluffy.
Tough biscuits usually mean the dough was overmixed. Stir just until no dry spots remain and the dough comes together. Handling it too much develops gluten and makes the biscuits dense instead of tender.
Fresh, ripe, in-season strawberries are best because they are naturally sweet and juicy. Look for berries that are bright red all the way through. If your berries are a little tart, just add a touch more sugar when you macerate them.
Store any assembled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day, though the biscuits will soften. For the best texture, keep the biscuits, berries, and whipped cream separate and assemble fresh.
Yes, the baked biscuits freeze well. Cool them completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly before assembling with fresh berries and cream.
Looking for more? Our strawberry angel food cake is the next fresh berry dessert to put on your list.
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Macerated Strawberries:
- 2 cups sliced strawberries stems removed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Shortbread Biscuits:
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the berries and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for one hour, up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees. Sift together one tablespoon of the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine.
- Add the cream and vanilla to the bowl, stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, with no dry spots.
- Freeform two drop biscuits out of the dough by dividing the dough in half on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle each biscuit with the remaining sugar.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Just before serving, make the whipped cream by placing the cream in a large bowl, using a hand mixer (or you can whip by hand with a whisk), mix on high until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the bowl, whip until medium peaks form.
- Cut the biscuits in half lengthwise. Fill with 1/4 of the strawberry mixture and whipped cream. Make sure to drizzle some of the strawberry juice on the biscuit. Place the biscuit tops on top, add on the remaining strawberries and whipped cream.
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- You can make this in advance, see my tips above.
- This can be serve warm or cold, that is a personal preference.
- Try topping with other fruit such as blueberries or even peaches.
- If you don’t want to use homemade whipped cream you can use store bought.
- The strawberries need to sit for at least an hour, do not skip this step.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
