North American

Serving

North American Kid-friendly Quick & easy

Strawberry Shortcake

Name: Strawberry Shortcake
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 1 lb fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced); 3 tbsp granulated sugar (for berries). Shortcakes: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 cup cold butter (cubed); 2/3 cup heavy cream. Topping: 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 2 tbsp powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla

A sweet cake or biscuit topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

30 minutes

Serves 8

Dessert

14 min prep

23 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
In a bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with 3 tbsp of granulated sugar. Let them sit (macerate) at room temperature for 30 minutes until they release their natural, syrupy juices.
2
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3
Stir in the heavy cream just until the dough comes together. Drop 6 large spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4
Bake the shortcakes for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool slightly on a wire rack.
5
While the shortcakes bake, whip the 1 cup of heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft, billowy peaks form.
6
To assemble, slice the warm shortcakes in half horizontally. Spoon a generous amount of the syrupy strawberries over the bottom half, add a large dollop of whipped cream, and cap with the top half of the shortcake. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Shortcake — plated and served — Serving moment. How Strawberry Shortcake looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

78/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

235

Calories

1 g

Protein

17 g

Carbs

19 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Strawberry shortcake has appeared in American cookbooks since at least the 1840s, with the biscuit-style shortcake being the original and most regionally authentic form. The term shortcake refers to a dough made short with fat, meaning tender and crumbly from butter rather than risen and airy. The version made with sponge cake became commercially dominant in the 20th century, but the drop-biscuit method, quickly mixed and baked hot, is what most scratch bakers return to for the contrast of buttery crumble against sweet macerated berries.

Listahan note

This version treats the macerating step as the most important one in the recipe, since sugar-pulled strawberry syrup is what makes the finished dessert feel cohesive rather than like separate components piled together. The shortcakes are drop biscuits mixed only until just combined.

Technique cues

Maceration is not just sugaring the berries; the minimum 30 minutes of resting time allows osmosis to draw out the juice, creating a natural syrup that soaks into the shortcake base from below and ties the components together.
Cold butter cut into the flour creates the layered, flaky texture that distinguishes a shortcake from a scone; warm butter produces a cookie-like crumb that is denser and less tender.
Do not overwork the shortcake dough; stirring until just combined, with a few streaks of flour still visible, prevents gluten development and keeps the baked result tender rather than tough.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start macerating the strawberries first thing; they need at least 30 minutes and can sit up to 2 hours while you make and bake the shortcakes.
Make-ahead: Bake the shortcakes up to 4 hours ahead and keep at room temperature; macerate the berries up to 2 hours ahead. Whip cream just before assembling.
Leftover move: Crumble leftover shortcake into a glass, layer with remaining berries and cream for a quick trifle-style dessert the next day.
Cleanup rhythm: One mixing bowl for the shortcake dough, one for the cream, one for the berries; the bowl for maceration doubles as the serving bowl.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

fresh strawberries

Main fruit component

Purpose: Fresh ripe strawberries at peak season have enough natural acidity and sweetness to create a syrup with sugar alone; out-of-season berries will be pale and flat-flavored.

Handling: Hull and slice to a roughly uniform quarter-inch thickness so they macerate evenly and lie flat on the shortcake.

Adaptation: Peaches or mixed summer berries work well with the same macerating method; frozen strawberries should be thawed and will release more liquid, so reduce the sugar slightly.

cold butter

Fat for shortcake structure

Purpose: Cold butter cut into the flour creates steam pockets as it bakes, producing the flaky, layered interior that defines a proper shortcake.

Handling: Cut into small cubes and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes before using if the kitchen is warm; work quickly so the butter does not melt from hand heat.

Adaptation: Refined coconut oil, chilled solid, can replace butter in the shortcake for a dairy-free version; the flavor will be slightly different but the texture holds.

heavy cream

Liquid for dough and whipped topping

Purpose: Used in both the shortcake dough and the whipped topping, it provides the fat content needed for a rich biscuit and a stable whipped cream that does not weep quickly.

Handling: Keep the cream cold for whipping; cold cream whips faster and holds peaks more firmly than cream at room temperature.

Adaptation: Cold coconut cream (from a chilled can, solid only) can replace dairy cream in both applications for a dairy-free version.

all-purpose flour

Structure

Purpose: Provides the framework for the shortcake and, when not over-developed, gives a tender crumb that falls apart beautifully when split.

Handling: Whisk with baking powder and sugar before cutting in the butter so the leavening and fat are evenly distributed.

Adaptation: Cake flour produces an even more tender result; a 1:1 gluten-free blend works with a slight texture difference.

baking powder

Leavener

Purpose: Single-acting leavening in the dough produces the rise that lifts the shortcake to its characteristic height and open crumb.

Handling: Make sure the baking powder is fresh; test by dropping a teaspoon into hot water and checking that it bubbles vigorously.

Adaptation: No direct substitute; cream of tartar plus baking soda can be used in a pinch at a ratio of 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar to 0.5 teaspoons baking soda per tablespoon of baking powder.

Technique notes

Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour, stopping when the largest pieces are roughly the size of a pea; visible butter pieces are what create flakiness.
Brush the shortcakes with a little cream and a pinch of sugar before baking to get a golden, slightly sweet exterior that contrasts with the soft interior.
Assemble the shortcakes immediately before serving rather than in advance; a built shortcake left for 20 minutes will soften the biscuit into a mushy layer.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Use chilled solid coconut cream in both the dough and the whipped topping; chill the can overnight and scoop only the solid white cream for whipping.
Gluten-free direction: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend; the shortcake will be slightly more crumbly but still flavorful.

Serve alongside

Vanilla ice cream alongside the whipped cream for a richer assembly
Lemon curd stirred into the whipped cream for brightness
Simple mixed berry salad with mint
Prosecco or sparkling rose
Iced hibiscus tea
Lemonade with fresh mint

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store baked shortcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days; macerated berries refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Whipped cream should be stored separately and re-whipped briefly before serving if it has deflated.
Do not assemble and store; the components keep better separate and the shortcake becomes soggy once filled.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl and pastry cutter for the shortcake dough
Parchment-lined baking sheet
Stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment for the cream
Wide shallow bowl for macerating the strawberries

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