Strawberry Shortcake

Make this easy strawberry shortcake and impress your friends. Macerate fresh strawberries in sugar and spoon over tender biscuits, then top with whipped cream. It'll be your go-to strawberry shortcake recipe!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 13, 2023
Elise Bauer
Two Plates of Easy Strawberry Shortcake with a Fork Set on a Wooden Kitchen Block

Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

What better way to conjure up memories of the joys of youth than strawberry shortcake? Strawberry shortcake is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, a perfect finish to a family meal or for serving a large group of people, because it scales so easily.

2:15

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake

To make strawberry shortcake, all you have to do is toss sliced fresh strawberries in sugar, and let them set for a bit to macerate. The sugar will draw moisture out of the strawberries and dissolve to make a syrupy sauce. Serve the strawberries over white cake or biscuits, and top with whipped cream.

Cake or Biscuits?

Do you like your shortcake with cake or biscuits? I'm from the camp that insists that strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit, not a cake.

Growing up we always made the shortcake biscuits with Bisquick baking mix, but now I just make biscuits from scratch, it's easy!

The biscuit recipe I've included here is adapted from one I pulled from Fine Cooking magazine years ago. The original recipe used a cup and a half of cream in addition to one and a half sticks of butter, which I think is a little over the top. In this recipe, I'm using mostly milk with a little bit of cream (and the butter).

Two Plates of Easy Strawberry Shortcake with a Fork Next to a Bowl of Whipped Cream and a Board of Scones

Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

Biscuits with Butter, Milk, and Cream

The butter, milk, and cream combo produces a beautifully tender, flaky biscuit, perfect for serving with the strawberries.

One of the things I've learned over the years making strawberry shortcake is that you always want more. It's easy enough to macerate more berries, but once you run out of the biscuits? It's a mega bummer. So for this recipe we are making a batch of 9 biscuits. Good enough for 6 people, plus more for seconds!

My father wouldn't forgive me if I didn't include a link for making his favorite Bisquick biscuits, for those of you who prefer this classic. We also have gluten-free biscuits for those who don't want to give up strawberry shortcake just because they're avoiding gluten, and delicious dairy-free vegan drop biscuits made with coconut oil and almond milk.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake on a Plate with a Fork

Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

More Summer Berry Recipes!

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake in Advance

We recommend baking shortcake biscuits just before you serve them, but if you need to work ahead of time, try this:

  • Make the biscuits up to a day ahead. Cool, then store in an airtight container. Reheat the biscuits in the microwave, one at a time, for 5 to 10 seconds.
  • Wash and cut the strawberries up to a day ahead; refrigerate. About 20 minutes before serving, add the sugar and macerate the strawberries.
  • You can make the whipped cream up to an hour ahead of time. Refrigerate it in an airtight container until you're ready to serve.
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Strawberry Shortcake

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 6 to 9 servings

I updated the biscuit recipe to use less cream. If you liked the original, use 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream in place of the 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of cream.

Ingredients

For the strawberries

  • 3 pint baskets fresh strawberries (about 6 cups)

  • 1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar

For the biscuits

  • 3 1/4 cups (455g) all-purpose flour, divided

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 12 tablespoons (168g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

  • 1 cup (236ml) milk

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the whipped cream

  • 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream

  • 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

  • 2 drops vanilla extract

Method

  1. Prep the strawberries:

    Cut the stems away from the strawberries and discard. Cut the strawberries in half, and then in either quarters or thick slices.

  2. Macerate the strawberries in sugar:

    Put the cut strawberries into a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Start with 1/4 cup of sugar and then add up to another 1/4 cup depending on how sweet your strawberries are. Gently stir the strawberries until they are all coated with some sugar.

    Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, until the berries soften and begin to release their juices.

    Cut Strawberries Macerated with Sugar in a Bowlfor Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  3. Mash some of the strawberries:

    After 20 minutes or so, mash about a quarter of the berries in the bowl with a potato masher and stir to mix.

    You don't want to mash all the berries, just enough of them for their juices. Let sit while you bake the biscuits.

    mashing strawberries for shortcake recipe
    Elise Bauer
  4. Combine the dry ingredients for the biscuits:

    In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  5. Work in the butter:

    Cut the butter into the flour mixture, either using your fingers, a pastry cutter, a fork, or a food processor, until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas.

    Cold Butter Cubes in a Bowl with Flour and Next to the Bowl a Whisk for Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
    Butter Cut into Pea Sized Pieces and Mixed with Dry Ingredients for Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  6. Add the wet ingredients:

    Stir together the milk and cream, add the vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the milk mixture into it.

    Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until the mixture is just combined. It should look rather shaggy. If it is too wet to work with, sprinkle some of the remaining 1/4 cup of flour over it. Gently knead by hand a few times to form a loose ball of dough, adding more flour if needed. It should be slightly tacky but not wet.

    Dry Ingredients Pushed to the Perimeter of the Bowl to Create a Well. Wet Ingredients Poured into the Well.

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
    Strawberry Shortcake Biscuit Ingredients Mixed Together in a Bowl Using a Spoon to Form a Dough

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  7. Chill the dough:

    Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form it into an 8-inch square, about 3/4-inch to an inch thick. Place it on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

    Strawberry Shortcake Biscuit Dough Formed into a Square, Placed on a Parchment Paper Lined Baking Sheet, and Covered in Plastic Wrap

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  8. Bake the biscuits:

    Heat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the dough from refrigerator. Cut the dough into 9 even squares and space them about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet.

    Bake until the biscuits are medium golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

    Makes 9 biscuits.

    Chilled Biscuit Dough Cut into Size Biscuit Pieces on the Baking Sheet

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
    Baked Shortcake Biscuits on a parchment lined pan

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  9. Make the whipped cream:

    While the biscuits are baking, whip the cream using an electric mixer, adding a drop or two of vanilla and 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

    A Mixer Bowl Full of Newly Whipped Cream for Strawberry Shortcake

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
  10. Serve:

    Split the biscuits, if you like, and top with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream.

    Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!

    Two Plates of Easy Strawberry Shortcake with a Fork Next to a Bowl of Whipped Cream

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
529 Calories
27g Fat
66g Carbs
8g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 9
Amount per serving
Calories 529
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 34%
Saturated Fat 16g 82%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 445mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 68mg 341%
Calcium 217mg 17%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 302mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.