Strawberry Shortcake
Homemade strawberry shortcake is a light and sweet dessert idea perfect for ending a comforting meal. This classic recipe pairs buttery biscuits with juicy strawberries and a soft, naturally sweetened whipped cream. Plus, I’m sharing a secret trick to ensure those tall, super flaky biscuits!
Table of Contents
- An easy homemade strawberry shortcake recipe
- What elements make up a strawberry shortcake?
- Main ingredients in homemade strawberry shortcake
- The secret to tall, flaky biscuits
- How to make strawberry shortcake from scratch
- How to store strawberry shortcake
- Strawberry Shortcake FAQ
- Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- More refined sugar free desserts for spring
An easy homemade strawberry shortcake recipe
Is there anything that screams warm weather more than strawberry shortcake? Or just strawberries and cream for that matter.
This is one of those simple, classic desserts that I think gets completely forgotten, but is so fresh and light that it deserves its time in the spotlight when berries come into season.
I love serving these after a back garden BBQ. The flaky biscuits, fresh strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream pair so wonderfully with the outdoors and charred meat and veg! They’re the perfect way to end a summer meal.
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What elements make up a strawberry shortcake?
There are three main components to this strawberry shortcake recipe:
- Buttery biscuits: The ideal vessel for a pile of juicy strawberries and tons of lush whipped cream. Check out the tutorial below on how to get those tall, flaky layers!
- Fresh strawberries: Sweet and slightly tangy, fresh strawberries are the best pairing for our buttery biscuits and fluffy cream.
- Whipped cream: Probably the best part of a strawberry shortcake, amiright? For this recipe we’re using my naturally sweetened whipped cream. Pile it high!
Main ingredients in homemade strawberry shortcake
- Fresh strawberries: Fresh fruit is preferred for this recipe. Because there are only three key elements, we want to make sure we’re using the best ingredients possible.
- Cream: Only double cream will do for this recipe! It’s the perfect consistency for whipping into medium peaks.
- Unsalted Butter: Cold butter is the key to flaky layers and incredible flavour in our biscuits, so make sure you use the good stuff.
- Honey: We’re using honey to sweeten the biscuits slightly, since this is a dessert recipe. Unfortunately, this cannot be substituted for anything else as the acidity of the honey reacts with the baking soda to give more lift to the biscuits.
Other Ingredients
Those are the heavy hitters in our strawberry shortcakes, but here’s what else you’ll need. It’s a pretty minimal list:
- Plain flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Cold milk
- Raw cane sugar (this is optional)
The secret to tall, flaky biscuits
One of my favourite elements of this strawberry shortcake recipe is the flaky, buttery biscuits. But how do we achieve those incredible layers? The secret is the Stacking Method.
Similar to how you would make croissants (but way less effort), stacking the biscuit dough creates multiple flaky layers. The cold butter sandwiched in the layers will expand in the oven and give the biscuits their rise. It’s kind of like magic!
How it works:
- Roll the dough out into a 1.5 cm (1 inch) thick rectangle.
- Then cut the dough into 3 equal strips.
- Stack those strips one on top of the other, then lightly press and roll the dough out again.
- Repeat once more.
After that we simply cut them out, chill, and bake up the fluffiest, flakiest golden biscuits for our shortcakes.
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How to make strawberry shortcake from scratch
While you may have to set a bit of time aside to make them, these homemade strawberry shortcakes are actually very easy to bake. The most laborious part is making the biscuits, and those can be done up to two days in advance of serving. Here’s how to make them:
- Tip the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together.
- Add the grated cold butter and cut it into the dry ingredients.
- Pour in the wet ingredients and mix everything together to form a shaggy dough. Tip it out onto the counter and knead it lightly into a ball.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle and slice it into three pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other and then roll that out into a rectangle again. Cut and stack once more. Roll it out again.
- Chomp out your biscuits using a cutter and then place them side by side on a baking tray. Chill the biscuits for 20 minutes.
- Lightly brush the top of the biscuits with milk and then bake the biscuits until risen and golden. Allow to cool before making the strawberry shortcakes.
- Slice the cooled biscuits in half, fill with sliced fruit and whipped cream, and serve immediately.
Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to store strawberry shortcake
Ideally, you want to store all of the shortcake elements separately, otherwise they’ll get soggy. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
See here for instructions and tips on how to store homemade whipped cream.
Strawberry Shortcake FAQ
Have a question about baking strawberry shortcake? Let’s get you some answers! If your question isn’t answered here, feel free to leave a comment below.
Can strawberry shortcake be frozen?
The biscuits can easily be frozen. Simply let them cool completely, wrap each one tightly in a layer of foil and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They should keep for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
See here for instructions and tips on how to freeze homemade whipped cream.
Can I make strawberry shortcake in advance?
You can make the biscuits up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Make the whipped cream and strawberry components on the day you wish to serve the strawberry shortcakes.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Don’t overwork the dough. Knead the dough minimally and lightly until it forms a ball, otherwise you may end up with tough biscuits.
- Grate your butter. Grating will help keep the butter cold and produce flakier layers since you aren’t heating it up with your hands.
- Don’t twist the cutter. When cutting out your biscuits, don’t twist the cutter to remove it. Simply press straight down into the dough and then lift it straight up. This will help retain the texture needed for the biscuits to rise.
- Try other fruit! You can easily adapt this strawberry shortcake recipe by swapping out the strawberries for your favourite berry or stone fruit.
More refined sugar free desserts for spring
Matcha Chia Pudding
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Chocolate Strawberry Galette
Blueberry Scones with Cardamom Glaze
Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble
Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Cups
Rhubarb and Custard Protein Balls
Chocolate Mousse
Refined Sugar Free Carrot Cake
Mini Lemon Lavender Cakes
Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes
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If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this homemade Strawberry Shortcake recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Homemade strawberry shortcakes are a light and sweet dessert idea perfect for ending a comforting meal. This classic recipe pairs buttery biscuits with juicy strawberries and a soft, naturally sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 100 g cold unsalted butter
- 8 tbsp cold milk, divided
- 2 tbsp unpasteurised honey
- 2 tsp raw cane sugar (optional)
- 300 g fresh strawberries
- 1 batch Refined Sugar Free Whipped Cream (see notes for link)
Method
- To make the biscuits, tip the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together well with a fork to combine.
- Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture using a box grater and cut it into the flour using the fork until it’s mostly broken up. A few larger pieces kicking about is okay.
- Whisk together 6 tablespoons of the milk and the honey in a separate cup and then pour it into the mixture. Bring the mixture together with the fork until it resembles a shaggy dough. It should be quite crumbly, so be sure not to overmix it at this point.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and then bring the dough together into a rough ball. Don’t work the dough too much, just enough so that it forms a ball. Roll the ball out into a rectangle 1.5 cm (0.5 inch) thick – it doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Cut the dough into 3 pieces and then stack them on top of each other. Gently press down and roll the dough out again into a rectangle and cut and repeat the stacking.
- Roll the dough out once more into a 1.5 cm (0.5 inch) thick rectangle. Using a 7.5 cm (3 inch) round cutter, chomp out 6 biscuits. You may have to reroll the dough a couple times to get 6. DO NOT TWIST the cutter when cutting out the biscuits or they will not rise. Simply cut down and then straight back up to retain the layers.
- Place the biscuits side by side (3×2) on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper. They should be touching. Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (400°F). Once the biscuits are chilled, lightly brush the tops with the leftover milk and sprinkle over the optional cane sugar. Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes or until risen and golden on top. Let them cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
While the biscuits cool, slice the strawberries and prepare the whipped cream to medium peaks according to the recipe directions (see notes).
- To assemble the shortcakes, horizontally slice a cooled biscuit in half. Top the bottom half with slices of fresh strawberries and a hefty dollop of whipped cream. Place the top half of the biscuit on top of the cream and finish with another spoonful of whipped cream and extra strawberries. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Get the recipe for Refined Sugar Free Whipped Cream here.
- The biscuits will keep separately, sealed in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
