Strawberry Shortcake

5 from 1 vote

A moist & fluffy shortcake served with sliced macerated strawberries & whipped cream, this Strawberry Shortcake recipe is an easy classic dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, British, Summer

Keyword Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings shortcakes

Calories 608kcal

Author Chrissie

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Shortcakes

3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon zest only
3/4 cup half and half cream plus a few extra tablespoons for brushing on the shortcakes before baking
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter cold from the fridge

For the Strawberries

4 cups fresh strawberries sliced
4 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Shortcakes

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet or two (depending on how large your baking sheets are) by lining them with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Mix well with a fork or a whisk.
In a liquid measuring cup, measure the cream and add the egg and vanilla. Whisk together using a fork and set aside.
The next few steps should be done quickly, as you're working with cold butter and you want the butter to be as cold as possible when it hits the heat of the oven. This will result in a soft and flaky shortcake.
Cut up your butter, right from the fridge, into little pieces and dump it into the flour mixture. Using your hands (wash them well first and remove any rings), pick up handfuls of the butter and flour mixture, rubbing the pieces of butter and the flour between the heels of your hands to create "sheets" of butter. You should act quickly here and not allow the pieces of butter to sit in your hands for any length of time as the heat from your hands will cause it to soften. The goal is to create paper-thin pieces of butter, small and large throughout the mixture. Once there are no thick chunks of butter remaining, only thin sheets, remove your hands from the mixture. Hands equal heat, so handle the mixture as little as possible.
Pour in the wet ingredients and mix roughly with a fork. Do not over mix or the result will be heavy and dense.
Once the wet ingredients have been incorporated but there are still several streaks of flour, turn the dough out onto a clean and floured counter surface. Press the dough down into the counter and then fold one half over the other half like you are folding a piece of paper. Press down again and make another fold. Repeat this 2 or 3 more times, gathering any outlying dough bits and flour into your folds. Don't knead the dough like you would if you were making bread and don't stir or mix the dough like you would if you were making muffins. Shortcakes are technically a pastry, so the goal is flaky layers that are created by the thin sheets of butter and all the folding.
Once your dough is formed after folding several times, shape it into a rectangle about 1 3/4 to 2 inches thick (approximately). Again, be careful not to handle the dough too much, so a few little cracks here and there are fine.
Cut out circles of dough using a biscuit cutter or a sharp-edged rim of a glass or jar. Arrange the circles of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with a little bit of half and half cream.
You'll need to re-shape the leftover dough to form another rectangle – do this carefully and gently, without adding much extra flour if possible. The less you handle the dough, the more tender and flaky the shortcakes will be. Cut out the remainder of the shortcakes until you have 8 in total.
Bake for about 18-22 minutes just until barely golden brown and the surface of the shortcakes lose their shine. Let them cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Strawberries and Cream

While the shortcakes are baking, add the sliced strawberries to a bowl and stir them together with the sugar. This will cause the strawberries to release moisture and create a sweet sauce.
Whip the cream in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer and a mixing bowl. Add the sugar slowly when the cream begins to foam. Whip until the cream forms stiff peaks.

To Serve

Once the shortcakes are baked and cooled, slice them in half and place a large dollop of cream between the layers, along with a spoonful of the strawberries and sauce.
Add the top of the shortcake on top and add another dollop of cream and more strawberries.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Make-Ahead Instructions

To make this recipe ahead of time, simply bake the shortcakes and store them in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve. We recommend serving them within 24 hours of baking for best results.

Storage Instructions

Store the shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezer Instructions

Freeze the shortcakes in an airtight container for several months. Defrost at room temperature.

Nutrition