This Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe is the ultimate summer treat made from scratch with very little effort, but maximum flavours. With a golden crumbly texture, silky and luscious whipped cream and fresh juicy strawberries, no other dessert goes so well with a nice cup of tea. A great afternoon tea party dessert to enjoy all summer long.
If I have to think of a combination of ingredients to best describe summer, that would definitely be strawberries and cream. Sweet and juicy fresh strawberries with silky smooth cream, what a dream!
And if you throw come delicious shortcakes in the mix, you really have the dream team. Shortcakes are absolutely delicious. They do remind me of the British Sconeswhich have a similar texture and taste. Or the American biscuits, with a nice crumbly texture, and golden touch.
The shortcake is super easy to make with only 6 simple ingredients that are readily-available, and to garnish you only need 3 ingredients, or 2, if you wish to omit the sugar.
It’s a wonderful dessert to include to your afternoon tea menubut it’s also perfect for any party or celebration, potluck or backyard family gathering. You really can’t go wrong with a good strawberry shortcake
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
For the shortcake
- plain flour – I find that it works just fine as long as you use baking powder to give the dough a good lift, otherwise you can use self-raising flour
- sugar – caster or granulated work as well
- cream – I used double cream, which is the most popular option in the UK, the best option is heavy cream if you are in the US
- butter – I prefer salted butter, to balance the flavours, but unsalted butter can be used too
- baking powder – do not skip this, as otherwise the plain flour won’t be enough for the shortcakes to get the lift they need, and you’ll end up with a tough texture
- vanilla extract – optional, but it does add good flavour
To serve
- fresh strawberries – choose the ripe and juicy ones, they will make such a difference, out-of-season strawberries lack the sweetness we need for this dessert
- cream – whipped cream, double cream or heavy cream
- sugar – optional, but it does help bring out the juices from the strawberries, which can be used as a strawberry syrup to glaze the shortcakes
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- sift the flour in a large bowl, add the cold butter and rub the flour and butter together to get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs
- add the baking powder and sugar, and mix to combine
- pour over the cream, add the vanilla extract and mix well to get a dough
- roll the dough to a thickness of 1 inch, or 2.5 cm, and cut 8-10 rounds depending on the size of your cookie cutter – mine was 10 cm in diameter or 4 inches
- bake for 12 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) or until golden
- leave to cool completely, then use a knife to halve them horizontally
- beat the cream to get soft peaks
- slice the strawberries and toss the sugar over
- pipe cream over half of a shortcake, top with strawberries, then the other half of the shortcake
Why you’ll love this dessert
- it’s quick and easy to make – even a complete beginner in the kitchen will have great results
- it uses fresh seasonal produce – ripe and juicy strawberries are the best
- it’s incredibly delicious, ligth and refreshing – the perfect summer dessert!
A great dessert for your Afternoon Tea Party
An afternoon tea is so quintessentially British. Dating back to the early 1800s, the afternoon tea has become a much enjoyed ritual, especially in summer time, when the (sometimes nice British) weather allows you to have a garden party.
I have this post about various recipes to enjoy at an afternoon partyand these shortcakes are one of the best treat to have.
Although of course, you can enjoy them any other time of the year too, even just as a dessert for a special occasion, and the Wimbledon Championships is the perfect one here.
Expert tips
Store the shortcakes in an airtight container, and they should last well at room temperature for 2-3 days.
I would recommend whipping the cream jsut before serving, as fresh cream doesn’t last very long in the fridge, it get a yellowish colour, which doesn’t look quite appealing.
You can slices and strawberries and toss them with sugar in advance, that will give them plenty of time to release their juices, which can use used as a strawberry syup to glaze the shortcakes.
Other strawberry and cream desserts perfect for summer
If you’ve liked my HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE RECIPE or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKand PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
This Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe is the ultimate summer treat made from scratch with very little effort, but maximum flavours. With a golden crumbly texture, silky and luscious cream and fresh juicy strawberries, no other dessert goes so well with a nice cup of tea. A great afternoon tea party dessert to enjoy all summer long.
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Servings: 9 portions
Calories: 393kcal
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius ( 390 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the butter cut into cubes, and rub the flour and butter together to get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
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Add the sugar and baking powder, and mix well.
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Pour over the cream, add the vanilla extract and knead everything into a dough.
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Flour the work surface, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a 2.5 cm / 1 inch thickness, then use a 10 cm /4 inch cookie cutter to cut out 9 rounds, reworking the dough as needed.
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Transfer them onto a baking tray, leaving plenty of room around them to rise.
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Bake for 12 minutes or until golden, then remove from the tray the oven and let the shortcakes cool down completely.
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Wash, remove the stems and slice the strawberries, then toss the sugar over them and mix well.
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Set the aside until needed.
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Use a sharp knife to halve the shortcakes, then beat the remaining cream until it forms stiff peaks.
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Spoon or pipe the cream onto half on the shortcakes, then add slices of strawberries and top with the other half of the shortcakes.
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Enjoy!
Notes
- Store the shortcakes in an airtight container, and they should last well at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- I would recommend whipping the cream jsut before serving, as fresh cream doesn’t last very long in the fridge, it get a yellowish colour, which doesn’t look quite appealing.
- You can slices and strawberries and toss them with sugar in advance, that will give them plenty of time to release their juices, which can use used as a strawberry syup to glaze the shortcakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 966IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg