There’s a particular magic that happens when the first truly ripe, ruby-red British strawberries appear at the market. That’s the signal that summer has truly begun, and for me, it means one thing: it’s time to make my classic Strawberry Shortcake. This isn’t the version you might find in a supermarket, made with a light-as-air sponge. Oh no. We’re talking about the real deal—a proper, buttery, slightly crumbly shortcake biscuit, with a texture somewhere between a scone and a perfect biscuit, that soaks up all the glorious strawberry juices without turning to mush. It’s the kind of dessert that feels both rustic and elegant at the same time.

The first time I perfected this shortcake biscuit recipe, I was so proud. It had taken a few tries to get that ideal balance of flakiness and sturdiness. My husband, who’s usually picky about desserts, asked for seconds before he’d even finished his first helping! That’s when I knew this recipe was a keeper. It’s the combination of textures that makes it so special: the crisp, sugary top of the warm biscuit, the cool, juicy strawberries that have been gently sweetened to release their natural syrup, and a generous dollop of softly whipped, vanilla-scented cream. It’s pure, unadulterated summer joy in a bowl.

This strawberry dessert works beautifully for a lazy Sunday afternoon, a garden gathering with friends, or as the grand finale to a summer barbecue. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the season’s best produce, turning a simple punnet of strawberries into something truly memorable. We’re going to walk through how to make every component from scratch, and I promise, it’s a genuinely rewarding process.

Recipe Overview

This Strawberry Shortcake recipe focuses on creating three perfect components that come together in harmony: tender, flaky shortcake biscuits, juicy macerated strawberries, and freshly whipped cream. The flavour is rich and buttery from the biscuits, balanced by the bright, sweet tartness of the fruit. I’ve found through testing that letting the strawberries sit in sugar for just 20 minutes makes a world of difference, creating a luscious syrup that’s essential to the dish.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Servings: 6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake

• Genuine Flavour: We use real butter and buttermilk to create a shortcake biscuit with a rich, savoury-leaning flavour and an incredibly tender crumb. This provides the perfect backdrop for the sweet, vibrant strawberries without being overly sugary itself.
• Ready in Under 40 Minutes: From getting your ingredients out to assembling the final dessert, the whole process comes together in about 35 minutes, making it a brilliant option for a last-minute summer treat.
• Flexible Recipe: This fruit shortcake base is fantastic with other seasonal fruits. Try it with a mix of summer berries like raspberries and blueberries, or even with juicy peaches in late summer. It’s as versatile as my Rose Gold Cake recipe, which you can adapt for different occasions.
• Great for Summer Gatherings: It’s ideal for serving at a garden party or after a light dinner of something like Grilled Lamb Chops. You can bake the biscuits ahead of time and assemble them just as your guests are ready for dessert.
• Family Tested: This recipe always gets compliments. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often fighting over who gets the last spoonful of strawberry syrup.

Strawberry Shortcake

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 15 min cook  •  👥 6 servings

📌 Pin This Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the best results, use the freshest ingredients you can find, especially the strawberries and cream. I always reach for a good quality British unsalted butter for the richest flavour in the shortcake biscuits. It truly makes a noticeable difference to the texture and taste.

• For the Shortcake Biscuits:
• 300g plain flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 115g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
• 180ml cold buttermilk
• 1 tbsp double cream, for brushing
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling
• For the Strawberry Filling:
• 500g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 40g caster sugar (or more, to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• For the Cream Topping:
• 300ml double cream, very cold
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ashley’s Tip: For the flakiest texture, I sometimes pop my cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before I start. This ensures it stays solid as you mix it into the flour, which is the key to creating those lovely, light layers in your shortcake biscuit.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake

We’ll prepare this delicious strawberry dessert in three stages: macerating the strawberries, baking the shortcake biscuits, and whipping the cream. This workflow ensures everything is ready at the same time for assembly.

1. Prepare the Strawberries: In a medium bowl, gently combine the quartered strawberries, 40g of caster sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve. Set aside at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes. This process, called maceration, will draw out the natural juices to create a beautiful syrup.
2. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, 50g of caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
4. Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. It’s these larger butter pieces that create the flaky texture.
5. Form the Dough: Pour in the cold buttermilk. I find that using a fork to gently bring it all together prevents me from overworking the dough. Mix just until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overmix!
6. Shape the Biscuits: Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it just two or three times to bring it together, then pat it out with your hands to a thickness of about 2cm (just under an inch). Use a 6-7cm round cutter to cut out 6 biscuits. You may need to gently bring the scraps together to get the last one.
7. Bake the Biscuits: Place the biscuits on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the tablespoon of double cream and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar for a lovely crunch.
8. Bake to Golden: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the shortcakes are well-risen and a beautiful golden brown on top. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. They are best served warm.
9. Whip the Cream: While the biscuits are baking, pour the very cold double cream, icing sugar, and remaining 1 tsp of vanilla into a chilled bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until soft, pillowy peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip it into butter!
10. Assemble and Serve: To serve, carefully split a warm shortcake biscuit in half. Place the bottom half in a bowl, spoon over a generous amount of the juicy strawberries and their syrup, add a large dollop of whipped cream, and finally, place the top half of the biscuit on top. Serve immediately.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: The key to a flaky, tender shortcake biscuit is keeping your ingredients cold. Cold butter, cold buttermilk, and even a cold bowl for your whipped cream will give you the best results. The cold butter creates steam in the hot oven, pushing the layers of dough apart to create a beautiful rise.
• The Secret Step: I learned that gently folding the dough over itself two or three times before patting it out (a technique called lamination) creates even more distinct, flaky layers. Don’t knead, just gently press and fold. This simple action elevates the texture of the final shortcake biscuit.
• Make-Ahead: You can bake the biscuits up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The strawberries can be macerated a few hours ahead and kept in the fridge. For the best texture, always whip the cream just before you plan to serve.
• Storage: If you have leftovers, it’s best to store the components separately. Keep the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days, and the strawberry mixture and whipped cream covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large mixing bowls
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (for the cream)
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack
• Pastry cutter (optional)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overworking the dough: When you mix the flour and buttermilk, stop as soon as the dough comes together. Overworking develops gluten, which will result in tough, dense biscuits instead of light and tender ones. A shaggy, slightly sticky dough is what you’re aiming for.
• Using warm butter: If your butter is soft or at room temperature, it will blend into the flour and create a greasy, cake-like texture. Using very cold, firm butter is non-negotiable for achieving that classic flaky shortcake crumb.
• Skipping the maceration: Simply slicing strawberries and putting them on the shortcake misses a huge opportunity for flavour. Allowing them to macerate in sugar draws out their moisture, creating a delicious natural syrup that soaks into the biscuit and ties the whole dessert together.

What to Serve With Strawberry Shortcake

This summer dessert is a complete treat on its own, but a few little additions can make it even more special. The rich, buttery notes and sweet fruit are wonderfully versatile.

• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: A small scoop served alongside creates a lovely contrast of warm biscuit and cold, creamy ice cream.
• Fresh Mint: A few fresh mint leaves sprinkled on top not only add a touch of green but also a beautiful, fresh aroma that complements the strawberries.
• A Glass of Fizz: A crisp glass of Prosecco or a light rosé wine cuts through the richness of the cream and biscuit beautifully. For a non-alcoholic option, a tall glass of sparkling elderflower pressé is a wonderful match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strawberry Shortcake

A classic American dessert featuring tender, flaky buttermilk biscuits piled high with juicy macerated strawberries and freshly whipped cream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 685

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Shortcake Biscuits

• 300 g plain flour
• 50 g caster sugar
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 115 g cold unsalted butter cut into 1cm cubes
• 180 ml cold buttermilk
• 1 tbsp double cream for brushing
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar for sprinkling

For the Strawberry Filling

• 500 g fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
• 40 g caster sugar or more, to taste
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cream Topping

• 300 ml double cream very cold
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method

 

1. Prepare the Strawberries: In a medium bowl, gently combine the quartered strawberries, 40g of caster sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve. Set aside at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes. This process, called maceration, will draw out the natural juices to create a beautiful syrup.
2. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, 50g of caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
4. Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. It’s these larger butter pieces that create the flaky texture.
5. Form the Dough: Pour in the cold buttermilk. I find that using a fork to gently bring it all together prevents me from overworking the dough. Mix just until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overmix!
6. Shape the Biscuits: Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it just two or three times to bring it together, then pat it out with your hands to a thickness of about 2cm (just under an inch). Use a 6-7cm round cutter to cut out 6 biscuits. You may need to gently bring the scraps together to get the last one.
7. Bake the Biscuits: Place the biscuits on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the tablespoon of double cream and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar for a lovely crunch.
8. Bake to Golden: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the shortcakes are well-risen and a beautiful golden brown on top. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. They are best served warm.
9. Whip the Cream: While the biscuits are baking, pour the very cold double cream, icing sugar, and remaining 1 tsp of vanilla into a chilled bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until soft, pillowy peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip it into butter!
10. Assemble and Serve: To serve, carefully split a warm shortcake biscuit in half. Place the bottom half in a bowl, spoon over a generous amount of the juicy strawberries and their syrup, add a large dollop of whipped cream, and finally, place the top half of the biscuit on top. Serve immediately.

Notes

These shortcakes are best served warm. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

I truly hope you and your family enjoy this classic strawberry shortcake as much as mine does. There is something so satisfying about making each element from scratch and seeing it all come together. It’s a true taste of British summertime. If you try this recipe, I would love to hear how it went for you—please leave a comment below!

Happy baking,
Ashley