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
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
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Can I use Turbinado sugar instead?
Sure. Turbinado is still cane sugar. It may not dissolve as easily but it works. –Rachel
These were delicious for shortcake. I didn’t have buttermilk so I substituted sour cream, milk and a pinch of vinegar. Reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup. Thank you for the recipe.
My 9 year old grand daughter and I love to bake together. We found this recipe and baked in an 9×9 pan. It was super easy, no big mess and did not need a hand mixer. We mixed the cake just until the dry was blended into the wet ingredients. We think that helped keep the it light and airy. We sliced into squares, added fresh strawberries & blueberries that we had prepared with a little sugar earlier in the day. We always make our whip cream from scratch too. It was delicious! We have lots of ideas for this versatile sponge cake. Thank you so much!
Whip cream should always be from scratch Tammie! I’m with you there! I’m glad you liked it. –Rachel
Awesome
Yummy!! was wondering do you Let cool n tins?
Hey Melanie, I let them have about 5 minutes to cool then use a knife to lift them out and finish cooling on a rack. –Rachel
This recipe came out perfectly! So moist and flavorful. Much,much better than those store bought disc’s. I didn’t have butter milk, so I substituted with 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 Tbs of white vinegar.
How long did you bake them in the ramekins??
These were baked in a muffin tin for the pictures here Brittany. You’d want to bake until a toothpick comes out clean but you’ll need to watch them. Check them at 10 minutes and they may take as long as 15 or so. –Rachel
Can u replace buttermilk with something else?
Regular milk is fine. –Rachel
sour cream is a grerat replacement for buttermilk. I do it in cakes all the time
Can you use regular milk?
Yes you sure can Debbie. –Rachel
I’ve been wanting a real shortcake to go with my strawberries and not a biscuit Thank You so much! I just made the recipe and it’s almost done, the house smells amazing. I did do my own flavor enhancement, a pinch of cardamom, zest from a Cara Cara orange and a splash of almond flavoring. What I was thrilled with this recipe, using one bowl and creaming the butter and sugar by hand. Wow! I got them out of the oven let them cool a few and then removed them from the muffin pan, I got 12 muffins happy! Took one sliced it in half for a taste test with hubby Wow! Best little cake ever and I’m sure when I top them with the fresh strawberries they will even be better.
Wonderful Elissa! Short cake is CAKE to me as well. Your adjustments sound lovely and delicious. I’m so glad you enjoyed them! –Rachel