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!
Jump to Recipe
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
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.


I made a test batch today in the muffin tins but will need to make a larger quantity for a party.
1. Can you cream the butter with a mixer rather than spoon?
2. Though I oiled the pans, many were stuck. Would muffin liners be suitable?
I want some expert advice before trying the larger quantity.
Thank you!
1) Yes you can
2) Yes that’s fine
Enjoy!
This was perfect as written.
I halved the recipe and cooked in a ceramic baker approx. half the size of a 8×8. The middle was soft and the edges were slightly caramelized so they had that perfect combination of slight crunch with chewiness. The soft center absorbed the juices from my macerated strawberries, for that perfect short cake experience. Best of all… super easy to make.
I prefer this to the bisquit style shirt cake.
This will be my go-to short cake recipe!
This was so good. Not to sweet for mine & my hubs likes. I’m saving the recipe for when I have guests over! I used ramekins and had to bake for the same time specified but I’m sure that has to do with my elevation being 2500’ Thanks for sharing!
If I bake them in ramekins like the photo how long should they bake? And at what temperature?
Same temp, and you’ll just have to watch them…maybe 15 minutes? Just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.