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 you use regular milk?
Hey Jennifer, yes you sure can. It still works great!
Absolutely the best shortcake recipe of all time. I sent it to my family and in less than a month it’s been made at least a dozen times. We are making it again tonite after a day of strawberry picking!
Thanks so much
Bruce that is AMAZING. I’m so glad to hear that you like it. There are two classes of shortcakes out there: the cake version and the more biscuit version. I like the cake one for sure and it sounds like your family does as well. 🙂 This makes me so happy and I’m so glad that you all have a version you can enjoy for many years to come. Thank you for your kind comment! –Rachel
Thank you so much for this recipe, I work in a restaurant and these came out beautiful, wonderful recipe!!
Thank you Luis! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi can these be made ahead
Thanks Donna
Hey Donna, Yes the sure can. One day ahead is as far as I might go and I’d put them in something air tight overnight. Because they don’t have preservatives in them, they won’t stay fresh very long. If you find that they are a little too hard, just give them a few seconds in the microwave or a minute or two in the oven to warm back up. –Rachel
I made this a few minutes ago, and they are fantastic! Moist and spongy, with loads of taste.
I made them in the muffin tin. I cooked them for 14.5minutes. They fell out of the tins easily.
This is by far the tastiest shortcake I have ever had. This recipe is now my go-to.
I’m SO happy to hear that Sandra! Thank you for letting me know! I hope you enjoy them many times to come. –Rachel
This turned out really well even though I forgot to add the milk! I will most definitely use the recipe again.
Uh oh Jeanne! I’m glad it worked out anyway but next time, add the milk! 😉 –Rachel
I made this in a round cake pan and it turned out wonderful. This is the best recipe for shortcake that I have ever tried. The next time I will make the muffins. Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Diane! A round cake pan is a great idea–it works in just about any shape. And you are very welcome. Thank you for stopping by and letting me know it worked for you. 🙂 –Rachel
Thank you Rachel for your response. I went ahead and baked them in an eight x eight pan. Just a little piece stuck. I was afraid if I used the muffin pan they would stick. Any way they turned out delicious! I had to eat one right out of the oven. They are delicious ??
Well I’m glad you liked it no matter how you baked it. 🙂 I don’t have trouble with mine sticking in a muffin pan, but I do spray it pretty well before I put the batter in.
Was wondering … Could a person use flour that has the salt and baking soda already in it? I have a lot of that and was wondering if it would affect the flavor and/or consistency if I use that instead of all purpose flour?
Hey Lori, self rising flour should work here but you may not have the same ratio of baking powder and salt to flour in it that you do when you follow my version. My hunch is that it will work just fine–give it a try and let me know, okay? –Rachel
Hello Rachel!
I’m excited to run across this recipe. I’m always looking for the best. My question is if I choose to bake in muffin pans, how much batter should be put in each cupcake pan?
I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Thank you! Rhonda Parker
Hey Rhonda, I think 3/4 of the way full is a pretty safe estimate. They do rise, but not out and over the top too badly. They should bake in about 12-15 minutes so keep an eye on them. –Rachel