The Best Strawberry Shortcake
on Apr 18, 2017, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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A simple, sturdy cake is one of our favorite ways to enjoy the Best Strawberry Shortcake. You can’t go wrong with a fluffy cake layered with strawberries and finished off with whipped cream.
I look forward to strawberry shortcake every year. It means warm weather is here, and strawberries are ripe for the picking. This has been one of my favorite desserts since childhood, and I’m excited to share this classic shortcake recipe with you. Don’t forget the whipped cream on top!
This is the perfect dessert for springtime, but it can be enjoyed year-round with fresh or frozen strawberries. It can also be tweaked and enjoyed with this Shortcake Biscuit recipe and as a Sheet Cake. Every version is delicious!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is perfect for a quick, delicious dessert. It requires just 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes to make.
- It uses common pantry items and fresh strawberries, making it easy to whip up without a special trip to the store.
- The cake is homemade yet not fussy, offering a comforting, made-from-scratch taste.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar – Granulated
- Butter
- Egg
- Flour – All-purpose
- Milk
- Strawberries – Best if fresh
- Whipped cream – I love freshly made whipped cream most of all!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to make Strawberry Shortcake
Step 1: Mix sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix in remaining ingredients until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the batter into a pan and bake. Cool for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Cut the cake into pieces, split each, and layer with strawberries and whipped cream.
Step 4: Top with more strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
I like to add a tablespoon or two of sugar to my cut strawberries and let them sit while I make the shortcake. This gives the strawberries time to release their juices and makes a nice syrup to drizzle on top of the shortcakes. So good.
To make whipped cream, I add 1-2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer or electric mixer and whip the cream until soft peaks form. It’s so much better than anything pre-made from the store. It’s very worth the 5 minutes of prep if you ask me.
To serve strawberry shortcake, I slice the cake into nine pieces. Remove one piece from the pan and split it down the middle. Top half of the cake with strawberries and whipped cream, add the second half of the cake, and top with more whipped cream and strawberries.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries. Just make sure to thaw them and drain any excess liquid before sweetening and using them in the recipe. This will prevent the cake from becoming too soggy.
Expert Tips
- Ensure your butter, egg, and milk are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them blend smoothly into the batter, making a more even and tender cake texture.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients thoroughly, especially after adding the milk. This ensures a smooth batter without any lumps, creating a more consistent and light cake.
- Keep a close eye on the cake while baking. It should be lightly golden and spring back when touched lightly in the center. Overbaking can dry out the cake, so aim to remove it from the oven as soon as it’s done.
- Be sure to let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it in half to prevent it from splitting.
More Yummy Dessert Recipes to Consider
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Perfect Icing for Gingerbread Cookies
Cut Out Cookies
Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe for Perfect Holiday Decorating
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Best Gingerbread Recipes: Your Kitchen’s Holiday Magic
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup: Cozy Holiday in a Bottle
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
The Best Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- medium bowl Love these because they have lids and double as serving bowls.
- parchment paper The precut pieces are easy to use and cut as needed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1-2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced, and sweetened to your liking
- 2-4 cups freshly whipped cream, sweetened if you like
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square baking dish (or line it with parchment).
- In a medium bowl, add the sugar and melted butter and stir to combine well.
- Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat with an electric mixture or stand mixer to combine.
- Add the milk and beat again until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Place the batter in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden and springs back when lightly touched.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
- To serve, slice the cake into 9 pieces. Remove one piece from the pan and split it down the middle. Top half of the cake with strawberries and whipped cream, add the second half of cake, and top with more whipped cream and strawberries.
- Serve right away.
- Store any leftover cake covered at room temperature, separate from any leftover strawberries or whipped cream.
Notes
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer for this cake is best. I’ve made it a few times, stirring it all by hand, and I was left with little flour chunks in my batter and cake. Incorporating the milk with an electric mixture helped ensure no flour chunks in my cake.
- Ensure butter, egg, and milk are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them blend smoothly into the batter, making a more even and tender cake texture.
- Be sure to let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it in half to prevent it from splitting.
- Keep a close eye on the cake while baking. It should be lightly golden and spring back when touched lightly in the center. Overbaking can dry out the cake, so aim to remove it from the oven as soon as it’s done.
Great recipe using King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I added a few tablespoons of Pete & Jerry’s egg white just because gluten-less flour doesn’t rise as well. Even my GF skeptics loved it!!!
Moist with crumble absorbed ice cream and strawberries without going mushy! Yummy!
Easy and delicious!
This is the easiest, and most delicious cake recipe ever!! It’s really light, and not too sweet. Try it!!!
This was exactly what I was looking for!!! I searched and searched for a shortcake that wasn’t “spongy”, or angel food cake or white cake. I had all of the ingredients already, and WOW, this shortcake is amazing!! It’s so delicious and so so easy to make!! Will never buy store bought again, and will make this often. Thank you so much! Such a wonderful find!