Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake is a wonderful way to use strawberries when they are in season. These strawberry shortcakes are made completely from scratch and each tender sweet cream biscuit is filled with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

I couldn’t resist the strawberries at the market last week. They were so big, juicy and sweet looking, so I indulged and bought a four-pound box. I wanted to make strawberry shortcakes with them but I almost ate them all just plain – I love strawberries when they’re in season.

But I managed to restrain myself and made strawberry shortcake from scratch. I’d been eyeing a recipe from the blog What’s Cookin’ Chicago which included homemade sweet-cream biscuits which I’ve been wanting to try.

If you’ve been looking for ways to put all of those fresh strawberries you’re seeing at the store to use, you should definitely try these strawberry shortcakes. The combination of strawberries, whipped cream and tender biscuits is so good. It’s one of my favorite summer desserts.

Tips for Making Strawberry Shortcake

Making strawberry shortcake is mostly about making homemade biscuits, which aren’t complicated but require a few steps including mixing the dough and cutting it into rounds to create the biscuits.

• For these sweet cream biscuits, the most important thing is to not overwork the dough. Once you’ve combined the ingredients and turn the dough onto your work surface you want to work it as little as possible. This will ensure your biscuits have a very tender crumb.
• To cut out the biscuits, I just used a glass so each biscuit is the same size. Don’t worry too much if your biscuits aren’t completely even – it’s better to use a light touch so you don’t overwork them. Plus, if they are a little uneven that’s okay because they’ll look rustic which is great for strawberry shortcake.
• Once you’ve made the biscuits the rest is a breeze. For the strawberries, toss them in some sugar and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes. This will cause them to break down and release some of their juices before you pile them on the biscuits.
• For the whipped cream, just whip heavy cream and sugar together until medium-soft peaks form.
• To serve, I like to slice each biscuit in half, pile the whipped cream and strawberries on one half and top it off with the other half of the biscuit. You can also top it with more strawberries and whipped cream, but I liked how mine looked like little sandwiches and they were easier to eat.

Make-Ahead Tips

What I love about strawberry shortcake is that you can make and cut out the biscuits ahead of time and freeze them. Then, when you want to make strawberry shortcake, all you have to do is bake the biscuits, make your whipped cream (which only takes a few minutes) and assemble the dessert.

• Once you cut out your biscuits, place them on the baking sheet but instead of baking them, pop the sheet in the freezer. Once the raw biscuits are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to two months.
• You don’t have to thaw the biscuits before baking them. Just place them in the preheated oven and add a few minutes of bake time. Once they are puffed up and golden brown they are done.

More Strawberry Dessert Ideas

• If you love Nutella you might like to try my Strawberry Nutella Shortcakes, too!
• Or, for a twist, you might like my Strawberry Donuts which are like shortcakes but without the whipped cream and biscuits.
• One of my favorite ways to use up a big box of strawberries is to make Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups. They are so easy and much better than store-bought.
• Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes are easy to make and filled with strawberry flavor.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

This is the dessert to make when strawberries are in season! Strawberries and whipped cream sandwiched between flaky sweet cream biscuits is a wonderful summer dessert.

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Ingredients

For the Sweet Cream Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For the Short Cakes

• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Instructions

How to Make the Biscuits

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Get out a sharp 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter (I used the top of a glass), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
• Whisk the flour(s), baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Pour about 1 cup of the cream over the dry ingredients, grab a fork and start tossing the ingredients together. If necessary, add more cream, a spoonful at a time, until you’ve got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick, gentle kneading – 3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hands or roll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t completely even – a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.
• Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of this first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2-inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting – just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)
• Bake the biscuits for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are tall, puffed and golden brown.

How to make the Short Cakes

• Rinse the strawberries and pat dry. Hull and slice the strawberries then place in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare the fresh whipped cream by placing the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl with the vanilla and confectioner's sugar. Using an electric hand mixer or your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the mixture until medium soft peaks form.
• To serve, plate the bottom half of one biscuit. Top with a tablespoon of macerated strawberries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Place the other half of the biscuit on top and add more strawberries and another dollop of fresh whipped cream. (I skipped this last part so that these would be easier to eat).

Notes

• Recipe adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago
• Sweet Cream Biscuits recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours, page 23

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!