Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Homemade strawberry shortcake is a far cry from those round flavorless discs you buy at the grocery store. Discover how to make your own homemade strawberry shortcake in a few simple steps. Just add whipped cream and dig in!
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Strawberry shortcake tips
- For the pictures you see here, bake round cakes in small ramekins. You can use a muffin tin if you would like, but the original recipe calls for an 8×8 pan and serves about 6 people–it’s just as easy to do it that way and cut squares.
- If you would like, you can toss the berries in a bit of honey or sugar and let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. This process is called macerating and will end you with slightly softened, sweetened berries.
- Shortcake is best when eaten the day the cakes are made. Don’t assemble until ready to serve.
- Whip up your own homemade whipped cream by beating together 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar or honey. Beat until stiff peaks form.
To make in advance:
- Cakes. Prepare the cakes up to 2 days ahead of time. Allow them to cool before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Whipped cream. The whipped cream can be made up to 4 hours in advance. Note that it will start to fall the longer it sits.
- Berries. If you are using fresh berries, go ahead and slice them up to 5 hours in advance. If you are making macerated berries (which I highly recommend), it is best not to slice them more than 30 minutes ahead of time.
To freeze: Allow the cakes to cool completely before sealing them in an airtight container and storing them in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy, allow the cakes to thaw at room temperature before making the whipped cream, macerating the berries, and assembling the dessert.
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake is a distant winner over the pre-made round yellow cakes you find in the grocery bakery. Making this cake will change your whole perspective on this spring treat!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar see Note 1 for reducing the sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten free flour works
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease an 8×8 pan or 10 spaces on a muffin tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar with a spoon, beating well until the mixture is light and slightly fluffy. About 40 strokes around the bowl or so.
- Add the buttermilk,eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Using a sifter sitting over the bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the sifter and tap the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
- Mix with a spoon until no dry clumps of flour remain.
- Bake 25-30 minutes for the 8×8 pan or 15-20 minutes for the muffin tin until the cake springs back and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve slightly warm with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
Notes
Note 1: Some readers tend to feel that this recipe is too sweet. If you’d like to reduce the sugar, take it down to half or even 3/4 cup if you’d like to. Any less than that will alter the cake’s structure.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 223mgPotassium: 129mgSugar: 20gVitamin A: 350IUCalcium: 59mgIron: 1.1mg
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Can I use regular milk?
Yes you can Jocelyn.
This is such a good recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Have you tried using cake flour with this for a more cake like taste?
Well Erica, it’s a cake as is and not a biscuit style shortcake. How or what are you hoping to change about it to make it more cake like? Cake flour is just all purpose and cornstarch. For every one cup of flour, you take out 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch instead. I don’t expect that will make any difference in the texture. Let me know what you’re thinking and I’ll see if I can help further.
–Rachel
Excellent, easy, doubled the recipe and made two 8” round cakes, piled on some fresh organic whipped cream and lots of strawberries, made everyone happy! 2 changes: added orange zest in batter and macerated berries in a bit of Grand Marnier. Yum Yum!
Cake is in the oven and just wondering the quantity of strawberries for an 8 x 8
Ronnie you measure strawberries with your heart, man. LOL. A solid 3 or 4 cups of sliced berries if you’re me. –Rachel
If I make the mini cakes in a muffin tin, can they be frozen?
I think so. I haven’t tried it but it should work fine. –Rachel
This was easy and delicious. Baked in a round pan and it came out light, fluffy, and exactly what we wanted for our strawberry shortcake. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow these are addictive! I copied another commenter and added a wee drop of almond extract along with the vanilla and a bit of orange zest and couldn’t stop licking the bowl. It didn’t need perking, it’s delicious as is, but what a fantastic recipe to play with! They really are a faint reminder of the grocery store cups but a Million times better and how we always Want them to taste! The little additions matched my Cointreau spiked strawberries perfectly, already thinking of future tweaks with lemon or lime. Thanks for posting, I’ll make these a ton!
Wonderful Abby!
I see the butter should be softened – does the buttermilk need to be at room temp? Sorry, that might be a given.. Thanks for your help!
I never do Rachel 😉
Moist and delicious . Easy to follow recipe. Doesn’t disappoint!!