When it comes to desserts there are usually only two categories I'm interested in: chocolate and dark chocolate — but then there's strawberry shortcake which sneaks into my repertoire every summer and I'm so glad it does! Strawberry shortcake delights us all with its bejeweled, sparkly appearance on the picnic table. Here's the classiest recipe I know for real, honest-to-goodness shortcake, which is just essential to making this dessert properly. Read on for step-by-step photos and the recipe.
Growing up I went to many summer parties with store-bought pound cake, strawberries and Cool Whip piled high to form this so-called "strawberry shortcake." I was turned off for years by the idea of this grocery-store style dessert. I came around to embrace the real thing — fresh cream, juicy real berries, tender, sugar-encrusted sweet biscuits; now this was an idea I could get behind!
The extravagant layers beg to be devoured and are a great party dessert, you can lay out all the ingredients and people can assemble to their heart's content. You've been warned — this dessert is delicious and addictive!
I'm a fiend for biscuits so it's no surprise I adore this treat, in its most old-fashioned iteration. You're not dealing with many items here, so ingredients have to be of the freshest and highest quality. The cream scone/biscuit base makes the perfect basket for just-macerated sun-ripened strawberries and softly whipped cream.
It's a rather triumphant dessert that everyone will coo at. The shortcake also makes a superb accompaniment to morning coffee, the tender butter cakes soaking up the sharp bitter coffee nicely.

serves 10
Strawberry Filling
4 cups strawberries, roughly chopped
sugar to taste
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
Cream Biscuits (Shortcake)
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus extra for glazing
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 425°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor (or just a regular bowl) pulse (or stir) the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to combine. Add the butter cubes to processor and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour, until whole pieces of butter the size of large kidney beans remain (the butter should seem a little bit big to be left like that, but don't worry, you'll process more later).
Add the cream and vanilla and pulse again until a shaggy, sandy dough is formed. Turn dough onto a dry, clean work surface and gather all the bits into a ball, handling it as little as possible. You want the dough to be barely holding together. The dough will be sticky.
Roll the dough ball to about an inch thick and cut with old jar, glass, biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. Place on lined baking sheet, brush lightly with cream (adds a nice brown to finished dough) and sprinkle the turbinado sugar onto each of the creamed, uncooked biscuits.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until just golden brown. Allow to cool on wire rack.
To assemble:
First bake the sweet biscuits. While the biscuits are in the oven, chop the strawberries and season with a little sugar, to taste. The sugar helps the fruit become juicy. You want the juice. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to fully develop flavor and juices.
Whip the whipping cream in a stand mixer and add sugar and vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form.
To serve, slice a cooled shortcake in half, pile high with berries and a dollop of whipped cream. I like it best served at room temperature, but cold or biscuits hot from oven are both fine.

Related: Recipe: DIY Strawberry Shortcake
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)




















Kart Serving Tray b...

Comments (17)
Even better if the biscuits are a tad warm and you lightly butter the bottom layer before adding the strawberries. Just a few more calories...yummy! When I was a child, way back in the 50s, my grandmother would make one large shortcake in a 9" cakepan, carefully split it, butter it and make a cake sized shortcake to be cut like a pie...so good :)
When I was growing up my mom was an amazing cook, but there were a few things my dad made or contributed to. My mom baked two 9" cakes, then my dad carefully split them, whipped fresh cream and layered it with farm fresh strawberries. YUM!!!
We've been using that yummy yogurt cake you posted about awhile back for strawberry shortcake this year. Not saying it's better than biscuits for shortcake, but it makes a very nice dessert too.
My mom makes a Bisquick shortcake sprinkled with sugar, which is tasty, but I'm sure far less decadent than this one. We'll have to try this next time!
Mimi2856, my mom is southern and swears by her bisquick! so funny!
When I was in my teens my folks moved to a different house that had a huge strawberry patch out back. Mom would make biscuits with bisquick and we would have strawberry shortcake for breakfast and sometimes even for lunch and dinner. But mostly breakfast. A great way to start the day and I still make it for breakfast.
I make it every year for my dad's birthday. He remembers having it as a kid because of his July birthday. I make the Ina Garten biscuits that are actually for chicken and biscuits, my husband uses his ISI whipped cream maker with good vanilla, yum!!!
I'm so with you on this shortcake ideal. Recently I had some very respectable strawberry trifle (made with sweet sponge cake and vanilla pudding swirled in with the cream) and it was wrong, all wrong. Can't wait to try yours.
I've been making my shortcake with Meyer lemon zest in the dough.
Hi! I love strawberry shortcake and miss eating it from when I lived in the States many years ago. Interested to try the recipe so could someone tell me what 1 and a half sticks of butter is equivalent to in weight measurements? Most countries don't sell butter in sticks! Thanks.
A stick of butter is equal to a quarter of a pound.
Thank you Ladyblades!
Hi there,I enjoy reading through your article post, I wanted to write a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. All the best for all your blogging efforts!
Deviled eggs with bacon recipe
Nothing wrong with old fashion food. Love it!
Escondido, I love the idea of Meyer lemon zest. I put mint onto some of our whipped cream a few weeks ago and some of the oils must have seeped in. It was spectacular.
Growing up we always had angel food cake with "strawberry shortcake". Biscuits are much easier to make though, and this recipe sounds great! Can't wait for the first fresh strawberries of the year!
I grew up eating shortcake with biscuits except no whipped cream--we just poured half and half over the top. My grandfather was born in Denmark and the stories I hear all had to do with pouring cream or half and half over something, so maybe it came from him. That's still how I serve shortcake to my family. I was worried the first time my mom made it for my husband, but his comment was, well--we can have it like this every time! And we do.