The Best Strawberry Shortcake
on Apr 18, 2017, Updated Aug 22, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Easy recipe and delicious! Strawberries are always on the dirty dozen list so I made the recipe with all organic ingredients. It turned out great and feels good to know my family is not getting toxins in their food.
This is the best shortcake recipe I have found so far. I was looking for a recipe that is slightly sweet but not cakey and not too much like biscuits. This recipe fit the bill and even had a slight crunch to the top, which made it perfect for strawberry shortcake. Thank you!
Delicious recipe, my wife says it’s the best shortcake she’s ever had! Have you ever made the recipe in a muffin tin? Looking to make a pre-portioned version to take to a party, but wasn’t sure if the cook time would need to be adjusted?
That is SUCH a clever idea! I think it would work great! It’ll take less time to cook and I’d test the doneness of the cake by gently pressing on the cake, if it springs back it’s done and if the indent stays, it needs a little longer. Maybe bake for 12 minutes and add time from there? I’d love to know how they turn out!
Melissa, the cupcakes turned out great! At 12 minutes they were visibly not done, so I just kept a close eye. I ended up baking for 18 minutes and they were delicious! Loving this recipe 😊
Yay! Thanks for coming back to leave us some tips, such a fun idea!
Yum! This was so easy and delish small enough to make in toaster oven so I didn’t have to turn oven on so good! Thanks!
Lovely recipe for strawberry shortcake! I liked it because it’s not overly sweet. You can sweeten it up by dusting the cake with sugar but I liked it just as is. The strawberries and fresh whipped cream was the perfect ending complement to a lovely Fathers Day BBQ! Thanks!
It sounds like a lovely dessert for a lovely day! So glad you enjoyed it Heidi!
This recipe is so good, the only thing I would do differently next time is make more. The 9 servings are small and the recipe so good, everyone will want more.
Super easy and incredibly tasty. I doubled the recipe and it didn’t make it 24 hours in my house. Will definitely make again.
This is the BEST EVER SHORTCAKE!!!!!! So easy to make and absolutely delish!!!
Thank you for a fantastic recipe.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it as much as we do. And thank you for leaving a review, I so appreciate it.
My first time making any kind of drop biscuit, saw these immediately wanted to try as not real fond of the store bought shortcake. Amazingly easy and are so delicious. Will def be making these again! Thanks for a great recipe.
Yay! So glad you liked it.
I could tell just from tasting the batter that this was going to be a good recipe…I made the cake-like shortcake, and OH MY GOD, this was AH-MAZING!!! Seriously the best shortcake I’ve ever had. And I bake constantly!
I so appreciate the comment Kiera!