Strawberry Shortcake

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Strawberry Shortcake is three simple things stacked together: a tender, lightly sweet biscuit, juicy sugared strawberries and a big spoonful of whipped cream.

The biscuits are made from flour, butter and milk and bake on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, so the berries are the only real splurge. Make it when strawberries are in season and on sale, and it’s a dessert that feels like an occasion without a long shopping list.

Every part can be made ahead and put together at the table. It’s the dessert on our Mother’s Day brunch menu, and it’s just as welcome after a summer cookout.

Ingredients and Swaps

• Strawberries: Ripe, red berries need only a little sugar. If yours are tart, add another tablespoon. Peaches, blueberries or mixed berries work the same way.
• Butter: Keep it cold. Cold butter is what makes the biscuits flaky.
• Milk: Whole milk or buttermilk. Cream makes an even richer biscuit.
• Heavy whipping cream: It needs to be cold to whip. In a hurry, a tub of whipped topping or a can of whipped cream will do.
• Shortcut: Split store-bought biscuits, pound cake or angel food cake in place of the homemade biscuits.

Tips for Tender Shortcakes

• Give the berries at least 30 minutes with the sugar. That’s what draws out the juice that soaks into the biscuit.
• Stop mixing the dough as soon as it holds together. Overworked dough bakes up tough.
• Press the cutter straight down without twisting so the biscuits rise evenly.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks. It should hold a shape but still look smooth.

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

Cost: Ingredients – $9.06 from Walmart, $8.42 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.05 to $1.13

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Strawberry Shortcake

Tender homemade biscuits split and filled with sugared strawberries and freshly whipped cream. A classic dessert made from simple ingredients.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Strawberries

• 2 pounds strawberries hulled and sliced
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon for the tops
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter cut into small cubes
• ¾ cup cold milk plus 1 tablespoon for brushing

Whipped Cream

• 1½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

 

1. Stir the strawberries with ¼ cup of sugar in a bowl. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until juicy.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ¼ cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Work in the cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces.
4. Pour in ¾ cup of milk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2½-inch cutter, pressing straight down. Gather the scraps, pat them out and cut again to make 8.
6. Place the biscuits on the pan. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until golden. Cool for 10 minutes.
7. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
8. Split the biscuits. Spoon strawberries and their juice over the bottoms, add whipped cream and set the tops on.

Notes

• No cutter? Pat the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 8 squares with a knife.
• Buttermilk can replace the milk for a little tang.
• Chill the bowl and beaters for 10 minutes and the cream will whip faster.

What to Serve With It

Shortcake finishes a brunch of Overnight French Toast Casserole and Mini Spinach Quiches nicely. In summer, bring it to a cookout with Fresh Strawberry Lemonade.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Bake the biscuits up to 1 day ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm them at 300°F for 5 minutes before serving.
• Slice and sugar the berries up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate.
• Whip the cream up to 4 hours ahead and keep it cold. Whisk it briefly if it loosens.
• Store the parts separately and assemble right before serving so the biscuits don’t get soggy. Baked biscuits freeze for up to 2 months.

Strawberry Shortcake Questions

Can I use frozen strawberries?

Yes. Thaw them, slice them if they’re whole and stir in the sugar. They’ll be softer and juicier than fresh, which works well here.

Can I make drop biscuits instead?

Yes. Add 2 more tablespoons of milk and drop the dough in 8 mounds on the pan. They bake in about the same time.

Biscuit or sponge cake?

Both are called strawberry shortcake. The biscuit version is the traditional one, and it holds up to the juicy berries better than cake.