Sweetheart Strawberry Shortcake (Printable Version)
A delightful layered dessert featuring shortcake, strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream, perfect for any occasion.
# What You'll Need:
→ Shortcake
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
06 - 1/3 cup whole milk
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Strawberries
08 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
09 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
→ Whipped Cream
11 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
12 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
13 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
03 - Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Stir in milk and vanilla until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely.
06 - Combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss gently and let sit for at least 15 minutes to macerate.
07 - Beat the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
08 - Crumble shortcake biscuits into bite-sized chunks. In 4 glasses, layer shortcake crumbles, macerated strawberries, and whipped cream. Repeat layers, finishing with whipped cream and a decorative strawberry on top.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The individual layers mean every forkful hits all three components instead of sliding off like traditional shortcake stacks
- These look infinitely more impressive than the effort they actually require
02 -
- Overworking the shortcake dough develops too much gluten, making tough biscuits instead of tender ones
- If the whipped cream looks grainy or curdled, you have overbeated it and need to start fresh
03 -
- Fold a splash of orange liqueur into the macerating strawberries for an adults only version
- Greek yogurt makes a lighter alternative to whipped cream if you want to cut the richness