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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Could I freeze leftover cakes? Thank you!
Hi Ruthie, yes you sure can! They should last in an air tight container in your freezer for about a month. –Rachel
Delicious! I made this as a small wedding cake for my daughter. I made three 6″ layers with strawberries and whipped cream.
That would be a perfect wedding cake. I’m so glad you liked it Serena. And congratulations to your daughter! –Rachel
This is the richest and easiest shortcake to make. I added some nutmeg to the flour mix and then sprinkle some sugar on top of the batter for a little crunch. Absolutely fantastic and am making again tonight.
That nutmeg would be a lovely addition to the batter Gretchen! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. –Rachel
I normally don’t leave reviews since I change most recipes (diabetic on deck) but I followed this recipe with the exception of using vanilla pudding instead of pure vanilla (I didn’t have any) and I have to say I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. It is definitely better than the store bought sponges they sell in a six pack. The end result was a soft round warm cake that wasn’t overly sweet and I was able to push the middle down with my thumb to make an indention for the berries like the grocery store sponges. I highly recommend this recipe if you want to make your own strawberry shortcakes. It is the best version and will be made again in my house. Thanks for the recipe.
Your review is very welcome here! Thank you for taking the time to write it and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. –Rachel
Do I have to use buttermilk?
Hey Jessica, nope you sure don’t. I like the tang of buttermilk so I use it a lot but certainly regular milk will work just fine. –Rachel
Delicious, crowd-pleasing strawberry shortcake recipe. I had three generations of compliments today at our Mother’s Day lunch. Btw, you had me at the intro to the recipe. I couldn’t agree more about the packaged sponge cakes, gag! These are a huge cut above. In fact, I’m picking at a leftover one right now while I write this. Make it! It’s yummy and super easy. I’ll make it again for sure, and shared the recipe w my mom. Thank you!
Oh you’re so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. –Rachel
I made these as mini bundt cakes and they turned out wonderfully. The next weekend, i thought I would try the cake version. I baked it to the letter and tested with a toothpick which came out clean. However, when it cooled it fell in the middle and didn’t seem done. What do you think went wrong?
Hey Roxanne, no doubt it just needed a bit longer in the oven. Even three or four minutes would have probably done it. I know I make it in an 8×8 really often with no problem but since oven temperatures vary so much, your larger size may have needed a little extra. I like to do the toothpick test, but then also press my hand on the center of the cake. It should be firm and not sink at all when you press it. Just try it again! 😉 –Rachel
I want to make this for company this weekend. The blog says to bake at 350 degrees but the YouTube video says to bake at 375 degrees. Which temperature is best? Thank you!
Scott, always go with what’s written in my recipe. For some reason when I start yacking on YouTube I say random things even though I have the recipe right there in front of me! Ack. 😉 –Rachel
Made these then saw the calories. 414 per cake? Then you add strawberries and sugar. Way too much. Sorry, but they were good.
Hey Sue, actually no there are not 414 per cake. The recipe has been on my site for several years and the computer that calculates the calories had calculated for 7 cakes and the recipe makes 10 (sometimes 11) so I re-ran the numbers and it came out to 248. Better, but certainly not low calorie. Around here though, we count chemicals, not calories and these are certainly a treat to be enjoyed every once in a while. –Rachel
This is the best shortcake we have ever eaten. It is even good just eating it by itself! Amazing! Keeping this recipe forever. Thank you for sharing.