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Crisp-topped, tender-crumb biscuits cradle sweet macerated strawberries and clouds of lightly sweetened cream. This from scratch version takes about 30 minutes of active work and beats any store-bought sponge cake hands-down.
Ingredient List (6 generous shortcakes)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | ||
| Fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced | 1 ½ lb (about 4 cups) | |
| Granulated sugar | ¼ cup | |
| Lemon juice | 1 Tbsp | |
| Sweet Biscuits | ||
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups (260 g) | |
| Granulated sugar | 3 Tbsp | |
| Baking powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Fine salt | ½ tsp | |
| Cold unsalted butter, cubed | 6 Tbsp (85 g) | |
| Heavy cream, cold | ¾ cup (180 ml) | |
| Egg | 1 (for wash) | |
| Coarse sugar | 1 Tbsp (optional crunch) | |
| Whipped Cream | ||
| Heavy cream, cold | 1 cup (240 ml) | |
| Powdered sugar | 2 Tbsp | |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp |
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Macerate the berries (≥30 min)
- Combine sliced strawberries, ¼ cup sugar, and lemon juice.
- Toss, cover, and let stand at room temp; juices will pool into a rosy syrup.
- Heat oven to 425 °F / 220 °C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Make biscuit dough
- Whisk flour, 3 Tbsp sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter with pastry cutter or fingertips until pea-size crumbs form.
- Pour in ¾ cup cold cream; stir just until clumps moisten. Dough will be shaggy.
- Shape & bake
- Tip dough onto lightly floured counter; pat to 1 inch thickness.
- Cut 6 rounds with 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter. (Gather scraps once if needed.)
- Place on sheet; brush tops with beaten egg, sprinkle coarse sugar.
- Bake 12–14 min until golden and tall. Cool on rack.
- Whip the cream
- Beat 1 cup cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks (loose loft for spoonable swirls).
- Assemble
- Split biscuits horizontally with serrated knife.
- Spoon syrupy berries over bottoms, add big dollop whipped cream, cap with biscuit tops.
- Finish with a final spoon of berries or dust of powdered sugar.
Tips & Variations
| Category | Tip |
|---|---|
| Ultra-flaky biscuits | Freeze the cubed butter 10 min before cutting in. |
| Make-ahead | Bake biscuits up to 24 h early; warm 5 min at 350 °F before serving. |
| Flavor twists | Fold ½ tsp lemon zest or 1 tsp finely chopped basil into berries for brightness. |
| Dairy-free | Swap coconut cream (chilled) for whipped topping and use plant cream in dough; butter → chilled coconut oil. |
| Berry mix-up | Substitute half the strawberries with raspberries or blueberries for a red white blue plate. |
Storage
- Biscuits: airtight at room temp 2 days or freeze 1 month.
- Macerated berries & whipped cream: refrigerate; best within 24 h. Keep components separate until serving for crisp tops.
Nutrition Snapshot (one assembled shortcake)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~430 | 6 g | 52 g | 23 g | 3 g |
Sweet, buttery, and bursting with fresh summer fruit dessert perfection any time of year.
