Breakfast
Shortcakes Recipe – for Strawberry Shortcake
Enjoy traditional strawberry shortcake made from scratch using this straightforward shortcakes recipe. With just few simple ingredients, you can make this classic old-fashioned dessert.
At a glance
What stands out: Biscuit-style shortcakes are straightforward to mix and taste so good. You can top them with sliced peaches or crushed raspberries, too!
How long it takes: 28 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, baking pan, oven, measuring cups
Servings: 6
Our mom used to “force” our sister and us to pick strawberries with her every June. We complained plenty especially if it was hot (and it usually was!) but we didn’t complain when suppertime rolled around. Our reward for picking strawberries was from-scratch strawberry shortcake for dinner. And we mean “for dinner.” That’s all we had. As much as we could eat. And we were totally happy with that.
From-scratch strawberry shortcakes
A standby summer dessert! Warm buttery shortcakes, crisp on the outside and tender inside, topped with lustrous juicy red strawberries and a cloud of lightly sweetened whipped cream — this is the stuff dreams are made of. Nothing says summer quite like strawberry shortcake. (A close runner-up is a from-scratch strawberry milkshake!)
Classic recipe. This “from scratch” shortcake recipe is similar to the shortcakes our mom made. With lots of from-scratch whipped cream and as many evenly ripe strawberries as you like, this strawberry shortcake recipe is what shortcakes are supposed to be. If the only “shortcake” you’ve ever eaten is angel food cake or those packaged sponge cakes, you’re in for a real treat!
Shortcakes vs. biscuits. Not too sweet, rich with butter, these shortcakes are similar to biscuits or even scones. The texture is similar, crumbly and soft on the inside but with a lightly crunchy outside. However, shortcakes are a bit sweeter than biscuits. In addition, shortcakes aren’t rolled out like biscuits usually are so they are easier to make.
How To Prep Strawberries
While this recipe is for shortcakes, you’ll need to know how to prepare the strawberries, too.
Lightly rinse a quart of strawberries, hull (remove the leaves), and slice or lightly crush the strawberries with just a little sugar, a couple of tablespoons. Do this an hour or so ahead of time so the berries have time to macerate. The juices will be released and the berries will absorb some of the sugar.
Haley Said:
“This is our favorite shortcake we have ever made! So rich and incredibly speedy to make!”
What goes in
- Flour – Use all purpose white flour for a traditional shortcake, or use white whole wheat flour for a more hearty shortcake. We haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free replacement flour should work as well.
- Sugar -These cakes are lightly sweetened so they don’t overpower the sweetness of the strawberries.
- Baking Powder – Baking powder provides the leavening. Shortcakes are a type of speedy bread.
- Salt – Just a bit of salt helps to balance the flavors.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, softened. If you’d like to use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt slightly.
- Buttermilk – You could use regular milk but buttermilk adds lots of buttery flavor and it helps make the shortcakes light textured (like buttermilk biscuits or buttermilk pancakes).
How do you make shortcake biscuits from scratch?
It couldn’t be easier. Simply mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like fine crumbs and holds together when you press it between your fingers.
Pour in the milk and stir it in, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter/dough will be sticky. If it seems too dry or stiff, add a bit more milk.
Scoop out big spoonfuls, making mounds on a baking pan. It’s not fancy at all, just plop it on there. Your shortcakes are ready to bake!
Hopefully you have your berries all ready. While the shortcakes bake, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks, and find some pretty dishes.
To Assemble Strawberry Shortcakes
Take the shortcakes out of the oven and slice them horizontally, arranging each half in a shallow dish or plate. If you’d rather make layers like the photos, that’s fine, too.
Spoon plenty of berries over the halves.
- Top with a big dollop of whipped cream.
- Serve right away. This is a dessert that you have to eat as soon as the berries hit the shortcakes.
Ways to change it
- Flavor enhancements: Add a teaspoon of vanilla or a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest to the shortcakes.
- Add texture. Sprinkle the tops of the shortcakes before baking with coarse sugar, such as sanding sugar or turbinado sugar for a nice crunchy texture.
- Use a different kind of milk. Replace the buttermilk with regular milk or nondairy milk. We tested this recipe using different types of milk and found that the shortcakes weren’t quite as light but still rich.
- Try different fresh fruit. Fresh strawberries aren’t the only fruit that tastes great on shortcakes. Try sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, lightly crushed raspberries, blueberries or a combination of berries. If you like things on the sweeter side, try topping the shortcakes with from-scratch peach sauce or blueberry sauce.
- Hot fudge sundae shortcakes: Instead of whipped cream, layer from-scratch (no churn) vanilla ice cream in the shortcakes. Top with a generous drizzle of hot fudge sauce.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Get a head start. Measure out the dry ingredients in a large bowl and cut in the cold butter. Cover, and store mixture in refrigerator for up to three days. When ready to bake, simply pour in the buttermilk and make shortcakes.
Keeping leftovers
Shortcakes are best eaten immediately but if you have any left over, store completely cooled shortcakes in a zip top bag or container. There’s no need to refrigerate them. They’ll keep two to three days. Shortcakes can be frozen for up to three months.
To reheat, preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350°F. Place the shortcakes on a baking pan and reheat for five to seven minutes. Frozen shortcakes will take a bit longer.
Fruit Desserts
- Yield: 6 shortcakes
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 18 minutes
- Total: 28 minutes
Ingredients
Shortcakes
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup buttermilk, more if needed
For Strawberry Shortcake
- 1 quart strawberries, rinsed and hulled
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Whipped cream
Method
- Prepare strawberries. Slice or mash slightly and mix with 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare mid-sized baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or greasing lightly.
- In medium bowl, mix flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in butter with a fork or fingers, until mixture resembles fine crumbs and holds together when lightly pressed.
- Add buttermilk, stirring lightly until all ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix. If mixture seems too dry, add more buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time. Drop by ⅓ cupfuls on baking sheet, making six shortcakes.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown on bottom and slightly browned on top. Remove shortcakes from baking sheet and cool slightly on wire rack.
- Split each shortcake in half crosswise with a serrated knife and serve immediately, topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition information is for shortcakes only.
Extra flavor: Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest to the shortcake batter.
Add a crunchy top: Sprinkle the tops of the shortcakes before baking with coarse sugar, such as sanding sugar or turbinado sugar for a nice crunchy texture.
Milk alternatives: Replace the buttermilk with a different type of milk, such as whole or lowfat milk, or nondairy milk. The shortcakes won’t be quite as light but are still rich.
Try other fruits: Strawberries aren’t the only fruit that tastes great on shortcakes. Try sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, lightly crushed raspberries, or a combination of berries.
