Strawberry shortcakes just scream summer for me. Growing up eating the standard store-bought cakes with Reddi-wip, I decided that I should upgrade and make the dessert at home from scratch. As strawberries are coming in season, this is the time to perfect this recipe for the best summer dessert you can whip together anytime this season.
Strawberry Shortcakes are Simple, Seasonal Baking
Refreshing, summery, light
I’m not huge on complicated baking. I like cooking because it’s very in-the-moment and you don’t need to follow a recipe to the letter. I enjoy tasting as I go and acting on last minute inspiration and experimentation. When it comes to baking you can’t really do that. It’s more of a science. Not to mention dropping stick after stick of butter into a bowl of sugar can sometimes make me not want to eat the finished product… but sometimes I’d rather just make the dessert at home rather than outsourcing to a local bakery or my highly skilled, baking-enthusiast friends.
This homemade strawberry shortcake recipe is quick and easy to do, especially with the aid of a food processor. Just one bowl (not counting the processor). Simple, baking pantry staple ingredients. Only 15 minute baking time. And an end result that is sweet yet light, with perfectly ripe strawberries and decadent homemade whipped cream.
Pairing Wine with Strawberry Shortcakes
When it comes to anything sweet and citrusy, my go-to dessert pairing is a good quality Sauternes. It’s a French dessert wine produced in its namesake – Sauternes – which is part of the Bordeaux region. Sauternes is a certainly sweet wine with brilliant acidity and with deliciously rich, honeyed fruit notes. Generally speaking, any fruit-centric dessert is its perfect match.
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and give the recipe a rating! Pin it on Pinterest to save for later. I hope this dessert brings you as much joy as it brought me this past week! (I may have been averaging 2 shortcakes a day for a second there…)
And while you’re here, explore a couple of these recipes that would be perfect summery entrees for these strawberry shortcakes to follow:
Homemade Spinach Ricotta Ravioli
Fusilli with English peas, Straciatella, and Pistachio
Shiitakes in Red Wine Sauce with Farro and Asparagus
Print
Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Sweet shortcakes with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
Shortcake Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus some for sprinkling on top of cakes
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (sliced into small cubes)
- 2/3 cup half-and-half
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
Whipped Cream
- 1 small carton of whipping cream (minus what you use to bake the shortcakes)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp granulated sugar, more or less to taste
Topping
- 1 carton of fresh strawberries, sliced
- Optional: Lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
Shortcake Dough
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, baking powder) together in a food process. Pulse until combined thoroughly.
- Add cubes of butter to mix. Pulse until partially incorporated – don’t let the dough mix become smooth. You want there to be small globules, but not big chunks.
- Transfer dough mix to a large bowl. Add half-and-half and stir to combine.
- Move dough to a floured surface, and knead the dough a few times. Roll it out into an approximaly 0.25-0.5 inch layer. Using a cookie cutter or top of a glass, cut the dough into circles and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
- Brush some half-and-half on top of the shortcake rounds and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.
Whipped Cream
- Pour whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into blender.
- Blend until thickened. Be careful not to over-blend. Check on texture after every few pulses on the blender.
Assembly
- Layer two shortcake rounds with whipped cream in between the layers and on top.
- Scatter sliced strawberries over the shortcake.
- Optional lemon zest for some extra brightness.
Notes
Pair with Sauternes for serving
Sydney is a 29-year old American living between France and Italy. She has a WSET Level 2 certification in wine, along with a degree in environmental engineering and an MBA. She loves exploring local farmer’s markets, haunting her favorite wine bar, and discovering new restaurants.
