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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So happy I couldn’t find the flavorless disks because of this quarantine. I had to make my own! Never going back! Best shortcake recipe. Must try!! You can just eat the cake by itself.
So I decided to make these little treats for myself for a late night snack…..????uh lets just say the only piece I had was the piece from when it was done. Turned my back and my kids (14&10) ate the whole thing and insisted that I make another batch for dinner tomorrow????over all the piece I had was good just wish I would’ve had two instead of the one!!!!! Thanks for this amazing recipe post more so I can indulge and satisfy my sweet tooth!!!
Hahaha! That’s awesome Janierah! Just make them again! –Rachel
Your recipe says 1/2 cup of butter. Is that regular or unsalted butter?
Either one Courtney.
This is so yummy. Made it for my husband’s birthday as it was just the two of us, and we have been munching on it ever since. Next time I will make it in the muffin tins. All of mine are in bad shape now that our kids have left the nest!
A good muffin tin makes a huge difference Beth! I’m glad you enjoyed these. –Rachel
Ok, so my husband LOVED this. However, I had the hardest time getting them out of the muffin tin in one piece. I did lightly spray it with cooking spray, but only 2 didn’t shred. Any ideas?
I mentioned that I might just use an 8×8 pan next time, but my husband said he likes the way it comes out in the muffin tin. Said it was like cornbread but better.
When this happens Sabrina usually I have to ask about your tin itself. Is it old? Black? Cheap nonstick? Any of those things seem to stick like crazy even when sprayed. If you can’t get your hands on a better tin (USA Pans make the only ones I use these days) then grease and flour each tin OR use cupcake liners to keep them from clinging. I use an 8×8 very often…tell your husband he can just crumble his up next time. 😉 –Rachel
HI! I usually dont post but this recipe was just so darn good! It reminds me so much of the little shortcakes my mom used to buy, not being a baker, and we loved those things LOL, except this is soooooooo much better and the recipe is a keeper for sure!
I baked it in an 8×8 dish first to try it out for my husband and I but next time I am going to do individual ones and bake them in ramekins. Also I would mention that it keeps very well too! The texture and crumb would also be great cut into cubes for a trifle too I think!
I know that I will be making this again and again and again.
Sharon your comments are the best kind! I’m so glad you enjoy these–and yes they would be great in a trifle. I hope you enjoy them for a very long time to come. –Rachel
Can you use heavy whipping cream instead of buttercream?
You can use milk, or half and half would work Bren but I think whipping cream would be very thick! Use that to make whipped cream for the top instead. –Rachel
Can you use regular milk instead of Buttermilk?
Yes Amanda you sure can. It’s not as good but it works just fine.
@Amanda, as a baker, a drop of vinegar in a half cup milk is what we use as a buttermilk sub
Hello,
Wonderful easy recipe. I did increase the buttermilk to 1 cup. It makes it wonderfully light and fluffy when done in an 8 x 8 pan. Baking time increases by about 10 minutes or so, too.
Thanks!
I am a very experienced baker. I like a biscuit type shortcake and my husband, unbelievably, likes those horrible little dessert shells from the grocery. He bought 2 large containers of strawberries today. So, I decided to look online and see if I could find a shortcake we might both like. This shortcake is DIVINE! It is unbelievably GOOD! And, super easy. I am very picky about my baked goods. This recipe is a keeper. I will no longer make shortcake any other way!
That is WONDERFUL Jean! A true compliment. I hope you enjoy them for many years to come. –Rachel
My son had to make this for his school project, and he followed your directions and that cake was a hit!! I was so happy to help him with it. I’ll be making a larger one for my entire family this holiday!! Thank you for this easy recipe!!
Wonderful Miyon. That sounds like a great school project. 🙂 I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. –Rachel