Classic Strawberry Shortcake
Tender, buttery shortcake biscuits split and filled with sweet strawberries and whipped cream.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
The original American strawberry shortcake isn't a sponge cake. It's a rich, crumbly biscuit, much like a scone, split while warm and piled with juicy sugared strawberries and cream. Fannie Farmer's recipe from over a century ago works in exactly the same way.
Macerating the strawberries in a little sugar draws out their juices, which then soak into the shortcake. It's summer in a bowl.
Inspired by the strawberry shortcake in Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, a public-domain classic.
Classic Strawberry Shortcake
35 min total · approx. 450 kcal per serving
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the strawberries with 2 tbsp sugar and set aside for at least 30 minutes to become juicy.
- Heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan and line a baking tray. Mix the flour, 3 tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt, then rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Stir in 150ml cream and the vanilla to make a soft dough. Pat out on a floured surface to 2.5cm thick and stamp out 6 rounds with a 7cm cutter.
- Place on the tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Bake for 12–15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool slightly.
- Whip the remaining 250ml cream to soft peaks.
- Split each shortcake in half. Spoon strawberries and their juice over the bottoms, add a generous dollop of cream, then the tops and more strawberries. Serve straight away.
Calories are an estimate per serving. Diet tags are a guide only: always check ingredient labels for allergens, and see our food safety note.
