This easy strawberry shortcake with biscuits is a classic Southern-style dessert that comes together quickly and tastes like peak spring. Made with juicy strawberries, lightly sweetened whipped cream, and tender buttery biscuits, it's the kind of simple dessert that never goes out of style. It's also a great way to use leftover biscuits -- something I happen to have a lot of lately thanks to ongoing biscuit testing with some very good European-style and pasture-raised butters.
About These Biscuits
You can make great strawberry shortcake with just about any biscuit, but for this recipe I like a soft, tender, buttery biscuit that splits easily without crumbling. It should be sturdy enough to hold juicy strawberries and whipped cream, but not so dense that it feels heavy. That balance is what makes a biscuit-style strawberry shortcake so good -- the biscuits soak up the juices just enough while still keeping their texture.
Salted Butter in Biscuits
One thing I do a little differently is use salted butter in my biscuits. While the usual advice is to use unsalted butter in baking for better control over salt levels, I keep salted butter around for spreading and sometimes use it in baked goods if I know the extra salt will enhance the flavor. In biscuits, it quite often does, especially when you combine them with sweet berries and cream. That little bit of extra salt is just fine.
And just a sidenote. My personal favorite butter right now is Isigny Sainte-Mère, which Whole Foods sells. It has a clean, fresh, slightly grassy flavor that I really love. Some butters have what I think of as a "barnyard" flavor -- almost musky -- whereas this one tastes brighter and more delicate. I went down a rabbit hole reading about this and apparently the barnyard/cow flavored butters have more butyric acid while the grassier tasting butters have diacetyl.
How to Make the Best Biscuits for Strawberry Shortcake
Don't be Afraid to Handle the Dough
For the longest time I was afraid of overworking biscuit dough. Every recipe warns you not to, and for good reason. But in this case, a little handling actually helps. Instead of traditional kneading, you'll fold and press the dough, which builds just enough structure without making the biscuits tough. With all that butter in the mix, the dough stays tender while still baking up with a nice, sturdy crumb.
Skip the Cutter and Go with Squares
Most biscuit recipes call for cutting out rounds, but for strawberry shortcake, squares are easier and smarter. You don't have to re-roll scraps, which means less handling and more tender biscuits. I like to keep them on the smaller side and pile on the strawberries and whipped cream, but you can absolutely make them larger if you want a more filling dessert.
Bake Them Tall and Even
For tall, fluffy biscuits, pat the dough to about 1⅓ inches thick. Start baking at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 375°F for the remainder of the bake. This slightly lower temperature helps the biscuits cook all the way through without overbrowning, especially since they're thicker than most.
How to Prepare Strawberries for Strawberry Shortcake with Biscuits
Slice and Sweeten the Strawberries
Start with fresh, ripe strawberries and slice them into halves or quarters, depending on size. Toss them with sugar and let them sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This process, called macerating, draws out the juices and creates that classic sweet strawberry syrup that soaks into the biscuits.
Adjust the Sugar to Taste
The amount of sugar you need will depend on how sweet your strawberries are. If they're perfectly ripe, you won't need much. If they're a little tart, add an extra spoonful or two. The goal is sweet, juicy strawberries with a light syrup, not overly sugary fruit. In the past I've used as little as 2 teaspoons. For this recipe I used 2 tablespoons.
Let Them Get Juicy
Don't rush this step. As the strawberries sit, they'll soften slightly and release more juice, which is exactly what you want for strawberry shortcake. That juice is what soaks into the biscuits and brings everything together.
Or Forget the Shortcake and Just Make Biscuits!
These biscuits are so good you might find yourself skipping the shortcake and eating them on their own. The recipe is also easy to scale -- halve or even quarter the recipe if you only need a small batch. I sometimes make just two at a time.
Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake with Buttery Biscuits
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 1 pound strawberries, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons sugar, you can use more or less to taste
Biscuits
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (weigh), plus more for the mat (210 grams)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (36 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick salted butter (114 grams)
- ½ cup cold buttermilk or mix ⅓ cup whole milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of sour cream or yogurt, plus extra milk if needed (120 grams)
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (180 grams)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar or 4 tablespoons confectioners'
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Strawberries
- Toss berries with sugar, cover and refrigerate for several hours or until you are ready to make the cakes.
Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. -- You will be reducing heat later.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder powder, sugar and salt.
- Grate the cold butter over the mixture, tossing gently as you grate, then stir well until mixture is crumbly.
- Very gradually add about ⅔ of the milk into the flour mixture and stir with a heavy duty scraper until mixture comes together. You most likely will not need all of the milk mixture, so mix only until everything comes together as a scraggly butter splotched dough. You want it to be a little on the moist side at this point because it's going to absorb more flour from the mat.
- Sprinkle a very thin coat of extra flour on the a mat. Scrape the mixture onto the mat and push it all together, then press it down into a ½ inch thick rectangle. With a bench scraper, cake lifter or thin spatula, fold it over on itself and press down again. Repeat this folding procedure 5 times, press down gently after each fold and sprinkling in a little more flour to prevent sticking. The extra flour also helps with structure, so don't be afraid to add it. Also, feel free to use a rolling pin or a wine bottle to roll the dough. I typically don't roll, I just pat.
- Fold the dough over one last time and gently pat it into a rectangle somewhere around 3x6 inches and around 1 ⅓ inches thick. Slide the bench scraper under it and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Using a chef's knife, cut straight down to make 6 squares or 8 squares depending on how big you want your biscuits.
- Arrange the biscuits on a small rimmed baking sheet spacing about 1 ½ inch apart. Set the pan in the oven.
- Immediately reduce heat to 375 and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden.
Whipped Cream
- In a chilled mixing bowl using chilled beaters, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar and vanilla and beat until peaks are stiff
- Assemble! Slice the biscuit, rub a little whipped cream on the cut side, spoon strawberries over whipped cream, top with more whipped cream and more strawberries or top with the other half of the biscuits.
Leave a Reply