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Syrup and Biscuits - Jackie Garvin's Southern food blog

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream is a classic fresh  strawberry treat with sweet, short biscuits for shortcake, sweetened sliced strawberries and fresh vanilla whipped cream

strawberry shortcakes and fixings

After moving from our hometown of Mobile, AL in 1985, we lived in Central Florida for 33 years before moving to our current home in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Central Florida is renown as the Winter Strawberry Capital. Strawberries are a big deal. BIG deal. 

strawberry shortcake

Strawberry farm stands dot the landscape and many overlook a strawberry field. The farm stands would sell strawberry shortcake in addition to a variety of other strawberry treats such as milkshakes, cakes, and pizza. It’s such a wonderful, and much anticipated, event to order up your treat and sit outside enjoying it while overlooking the strawberry field.

Not only was this a winter ritual for my husband and our children, we’d always take our parents when they visited. After our daughter had our twin grandchildren, I couldn’t wait to introduce the fourth generation to this ritual. 

 

 

 

 

  1. Young Jackson and Ella eagerly awaiting Strawberry Shortcake. (Little Jackson and Ella aren’t so little any longer.  They’re now high school students and live in NC, also).
  2. We need more!
  3. Brandon Farms was our family’s  favorite destination for Strawberry Shortcake.
  4. The strawberry fields at Brandon Farms.

While I’ve always loved strawberries, I’m grateful for our time in Central Florida and our treasured Strawberry Shortcake experience. Strawberries are a wonderful fruit and deserving of special attention. We eat them often, but, Strawberry Shortcake will always be my favorite way to enjoy them. 

Is a shortcake the same thing as a biscuit?

The shortcakes I make are a type of biscuit.  I use my standard buttermilk biscuit recipe and added sugar and extra butter. The sugar adds sweetness, obviously, and the butter adds more structure which helps the shortcake hold up to the addition of syrup from the strawberries without getting soggy. For this reason, I prefer these shortcakes to sponge cake or pound cake for Strawberry Shortcake.

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?

I’ve never made Strawberry Shortcake with frozen strawberries but I don’t see any reason not to.  I’m not the least bit opposed to frozen strawberries and use them in Strawberry Pretzel Salad  .

strawberry shortcakes and fixings for JHomemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Strawberry Shortcake makes a great finish to meals like Air Fryer Salmon with Garlic Sauce or Slow Cooker Chicken with Orzo .

Directions for Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Strawberries

  1. Wash and hull strawberries. Cut berries into fourths and add to a bowl.
  2. Add sugar to berries and stir.
  3. Let the berries sit on the counter for an hour to allow the sugar to dissolve. Stir. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready for use.

Shortcake

  1. Add flour and sugar to a bowl and whisk.
  2. Cube cold butter and add to flour mixture.
  3. With hands or pastry cutter, work butter into flour until most of the butter pieces are no larger than pea size.
  4. A good tip to help determine the size of the butter pieces is to gently shake the bowl.  The large pieces will come to the surface.
  5. When the butter is sufficiently worked into the dough, pour in the cold buttermilk.
  6. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is wet.  The dough will be sticky.
  7. Sprinkle flour on a tea towel. Turn out the dough onto the flour sprinkles.  Add some flour to the top of the dough. 
  8. Keep adding flour and working it into the dough until the dough is no long sticky. 
  9. Either pat or roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick. Next, do a series of folds that will create flaky layers. Grab a side of the tea towel and fold one third of the dough on itself. Grab the opposite side of the tea towel and repeat. Then grab the top of the tea towel and fold one third of the dough down on itself. Lastly, grab the bottom of the tea towel and fold one third of the dough up on itself. Roll or pat the dough out, once again, to 1/2 inch thick.  See all those beautiful butter pieces? That’s a thing of real beauty.
  10. Dip a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter into flour.
  11. Press straight down into the dough. Do not twist the biscuit cutter. 
  12. Remove the scraps from around the cut outs and make a stack from the scraps. 
  13. Gently form the scraps into a ball and repeat the folding process.
  14. Repeat the cut out process.
  15. Place the cut outs, one inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  16. Brush with melted butter.
  17. Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 12 t0 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting open.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

  1. Pour cold heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl.
  2. Whip with electric mixer until it holds its shape on the beaters when lifted out of the bowl, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until mixed in. Store in refrigerator until ready for use.

Assemble the strawberry shortcakes

  1. Split the shortcake in two. Spoon on strawberries and some of the syrup.  Don’t forget the syrup, it’s the most important part of the whole operation and the reason I prefer biscuit shortcakes to sponge cake or pound cake for this dessert. Biscuit shortcakes hold up to the addition of the syrup and won’t get soggy. Top with whipped cream.

 

strawberry shortcake for Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
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5 from 5 votes

Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream is a classic fresh  strawberry treat with sweet, short biscuits for shortcake, sweetened sliced strawberries and fresh vanilla whipped cream
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American South
Keyword: berries, biscuit shortcakes, homemade strawberry shortcakes with vanilla whipped cream, strawberry, whipped cream
Servings: 20 2 (2 1/2) inch shortcakes
Author: Jackie Garvin

Equipment

Ingredients

for strawberries:

  • 3 quarts strawberries
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

for shortcakes:

  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup 9 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk cold
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

for whipped cream:

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream cold
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

for strawberries:

  • Wash, hull, and slice strawberries and place in a large bowl.
  • Add sugar and stir well. Keep on the counter for an hour to give the sugar a chance to dissolve. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready for use.

for shortcakes:

  • Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Cube butter.  Add to flour mixture. With hands or a pastry cutter, work butter into flour until the most of the butter is pea size.
  • Pour in buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is wet.  The dough will be sticky.
  • Sprinkle a small amount of flour into a tea towel.
  • Turn out the dough onto the flour coated tea towel.
  • Sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Work it in with your hands and keep adding flour until the dough isn't sticky.
  • Press or roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Using the tea towel, bring up one edge and fold the dough in thirds. Repeat with the opposite edge.
  • Press, or roll,  out the dough to 1/2 inches thick again and repeat folding method going from top to bottom.
  • Press, or roll, out the dough to 1/2 inches.
  • Dip a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter in flour.
  • Cut out dough circles and place each circle  one inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  • Carefully remove scrapes and stack them on top of each other. Repeat process from above until all the scrapes are used.
  • Brush shortcakes with melted butter.
  • Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until shortcakes are golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let cool before using.

for whipped cream:

  • Add cold heavy cream to a mixing bowl. Whip with electric mixer until it holds it shape on the beaters when they're lifted out of the bowl.
  • Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until incorporated.

to assemble:

  • Split shortcakes. Spoon strawberries and syrup over the shortcakes. Top with whipped cream.
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ABOUT JACKIE

I’m Jackie Garvin, the personality behind the blog. Syrup and Biscuits is a Southern food blog that champions the best the South has to offer: simple food with modern and vintage recipes, beloved traditions, a focus on family and bountiful gratitude for many blessings. We love company and we're mighty happy you joined us. Read more...

Comments

  3. Amy Wren says

    Ha Ha! You two are funny! I like Jackson’s litle face in the first picture!

    We enjoyed our shortcakes a lot!! We are plum out of strawberries and sauce. I may have to take a trip back out to the farm this week for more berries to go with my frozen shortcakes….darn it!

    Reply

  4. Danny Taylor says

    Thank you for the wonderful story. Jackson and Ella are the perfect shortcake models and I’m sure will continue to be so for many years to come. Could go for some of that shortcake right now matter of fact!!!

    Reply

  7. SweetJeanette says

    Jackie
    Eddie Jones was my uncle. He loved the land and loved his berry fields. His daughter, Trenda, passed away on my birthday last year. This March 4th, will be one year ago.
    I remember avoiding going there when some family members were there…they’d put me to work! ROFL!!!

    Reply

    • Jackie Garvin says

      We just love Brandon Farms and I love your uncle without ever meeting him. I know the story of his daughter dying at such a young age shortly after him.

  8. Nana Ann says

    what a great story – (I am just now finding your website) – I made Mama’s pound cake this weekend and had fresh strawberries and whipped cream – heavenly!! P.S. – my grandaddy had a cane press and when I was a kid we used to go over there and squeeze cane juice (my dad had planted sugarcane) but we didn’t make the syrup – but my daddy did when he was a boy – good stuff – grandma’s biscuits and cane syrup1!!

    Reply

  9. SweetSugarBelle says

    The trip looks so fun, and the berries amazing! I love it that he wanted to be the best and made his dream a reality! This is a beautiful recipe. Nothing more wonderful than perfectly sweet summer berries!

    Reply

  10. Michele says

    What a wonderful story, Jackie! Heartwarming as usual 🙂 And I love the beautiful simplicity of the Strawberry Shortcake, too! To me real shortcakes taste at least a hundred times better than those ole spongecake thingies in a package! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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