Biscuit-like cake layers combined with sweet macerated strawberries and fresh whipped cream make this beautiful dessert a true show stopper. Instead of individual strawberry shortcakes, this recipe is perfect for a party or a crowd.
Why this recipe works so well
This “from scratch” cake recipe is worth the little bit of extra effort and is actually quite easy. This is a shortcake cake, not individual biscuits.
However, the texture of the cake is more like a biscuit than a pillowy, sponge cake. And because of that, the layers truly hold up to the juicy strawberries like strawberry shortcake should.
Because this version is a whole cake rather than individual servings, I find it so much better when serving to multiple guests.
Expert Tips and FAQs:
After reading through the instruction you can print the recipe at the end of the post. All ingredients and measurements are listed there.
- Shortening – Regular or butter flavored should be fine. We have not tried substituting with butter. However, it’s common knowledge that you can swap shortening for butter and vice versa in baking.
- Milk – For the best cake we recommend whole milk, but you can use 2% instead. We have not tested this recipe with dairy free milks.
- Lemon zest – We will zest lemons before juicing and slicing for other recipes and often have zest in the freezer. You can do it the other way too! Zest your lemon, then juice it and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.
- Strawberries – Being that these are the star of the show, be sure to find gorgeous, plump, ripe berries! For a pretty presentation, do not hull the garnish berries. The leaves add a nice pop of green. Leave some berries whole and cut others in half. Pile randomly on top.
- Heavy whipping cream – If you prefer, you can use a tub of Cool Whip. We prefer to make our own when we can!
How to make strawberry shortcake cake:
Please note that there is a printable version of this recipe farther down in this post. The instructions below include step by step photos to help you visualize the process. Please print the recipe below to get the ingredient list and measurements.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup of sugar, the flour, shortening, milk, egg, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- With mixer at medium speed, beat mixture until well combined and a soft dough forms.
- Spread (it will be thick, not pourable) the dough evenly into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Meanwhile while the cake is baking, remove 6-8 nice looking berries and set aside for garnish (see tip above).
- Wash and hull the remaining berries.
- Cut the berries into fourths.
- Sprinkle the cut strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar to macerate, mash slightly. This is an important part of strawberry shortcake filling!
- Beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium-soft peaks form. It should be firm but not stiff. Set aside.
- Remove cake from the oven and invert onto a plate or cutting board.
- Using a bread knife, carefully split hot shortcake horizontally. You can also use non-flavored dental floss!
- Spread both halves of the cake evenly with softened butter.
- Spoon half of macerated strawberry mixture onto the bottom half of the cake.
- Spread half of the whipped cream on top of the berry layer.
- Place other cake half on top and spoon remaining macerated strawberry mixture over the top.
- Spread the remaining whipped cream over the macerated strawberries.
- To decorate, garnish with the reserved strawberries.
TIP: Watch the video in this blog post to see this cake being made.
More amazing strawberry recipes:
Strawberries are my favorite fruit, hands down. Here are several strawberry recipes that I think you will love!
- Strawberry Pie with jello, like grandma used to make!
- Our super pretty Strawberry Cake is made from scratch with a little help from strawberry jello.
- Start your day with this fresh Strawberry Banana Smoothie or this beautiful Strawberry Beet Smoothie. If muffins are more your thing, these Fresh Strawberry Muffins are amazing.
- The delicious cousin to my most popular recipe, Pineapple Dream, is this amazing Strawberry Dream dessert.
- If frozen treats are your jam, try my Strawberry Frozen Yogurt as well as these Strawberry Banana Popsicles!
- Let’s not forget about the cocktails! Strawberry Kiwi Sangria is perfect for a bridal shower or brunch. And of course, who doesn’t love a Strawberry Margarita!
- And honestly, who can resist decadent chocolate covered strawberries.
- But that’s truly not all, I have a lot more. You can see all the strawberry recipes here.
- I urge all shortcake fans to try my Strawberry Shortcake Trifle this summer as well.
- This Strawberry Lasagna is creamy, dreamy, and bursting with strawberry bliss.
- This gorgeous, show-stopping Strawberry Bundt Cake will wow your guests.
- These Strawberry Shortcakes are a delicate dessert for spring and summer parties!
I found this original cake recipe in my favorite cookbook of all time, the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook. I’ve changed it slightly by adding whipped cream to the inner layer and making a couple other tweaks. If I could only keep one cookbook from my collection, it would be this one.
I love to bake and cook and share my recipes with you! I know it’s hard to remember to come back and search, so I’ve made it easy for you with my weekly newsletter! You can subscribe for free and I’ll send you delicious recipes every week right to your email.
Strawberry Shortcake
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
Shortcake
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup shortening
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Toppings/Filling
- 2 pounds strawberries divided
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine softened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Things You'll Need
Before You Begin
- Shortening - Regular or butter flavored should be fine. You can substitute butter if you prefer but the cake texture may be a little different. We are going for biscuit texture, not sponge cake texture.
- Milk - For the best cake we recommend whole milk, but you can use 2% instead. We have not tested this recipe with dairy free milks.
- Lemon zest - Zest lemons before juicing and slicing and store zest in the freezer. You can do it the other way too! Zest your lemon, then juice it and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.
- Strawberries - Being that these are the star of the show, be sure to find gorgeous, plump, ripe berries! For a pretty presentation, do not hull the garnish berries. The leaves add a nice pop of green. Leave some berries whole and cut others in half. Pile randomly on top. You might not use all of the garnish berries.
- Heavy whipping cream - If you prefer, you can use a tub of Cool Whip. We prefer to make our own when we can!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan.
Prepping
- Remove 6-8 nice looking berries and set aside for garnish.
- Wash and hull the remaining berries. Cut into fourths and sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar to macerate, mash slightly.
- Beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium-soft peaks form. It should be firm but not stiff. Set aside.
To Make the Shortcake
- In a medium bowl, measure 1/4 cup sugar, flour, shortening, milk, egg, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- With mixer at medium speed, beat mixture until well combined and a soft dough forms. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bake 15 minutes or until golden on top.
- Remove cake from the oven and invert onto a plate. Using a bread knife, carefully split hot shortcake horizontally. You can also use plain (no flavorings) dental floss!
- Spread both halves of the cake evenly with softened butter.
Topping and Filling the Shortcake
- Spoon half of macerated strawberry mixture onto the bottom half of the cake. Spread half of the whipped cream on top of the berry layer.
- Place other cake half on top and spoon remaining macerated strawberry mixture over the top.
- Spread the remaining whipped cream over the macerated strawberries.
- To decorate, garnish with the reserved strawberries.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Jacki says
I hate to give a fellow momma a bad comment but This was awful. The cake was not a cake more like a biscuit. There was no way to cut it in half so I made it twice to see if I messed up. I threw it all out. Total waste of time and money on a tight budget. So bummed because it was for Mother’s Day. Maybe it just wasn’t for me.
Amanda Formaro says
Strawberry shortcake IS made with biscuits. And it states in the post several times that the cake is more biscuit-like. I’m sorry you had trouble. I’ve made it multiple times without a problem.
“However, the texture of the cake is more like a biscuit than a pillowy, sponge cake.”
“We are going for biscuit texture, not sponge cake texture. ”
“Biscuit-like cake layers combined with sweet macerated strawberries and fresh whipped cream make this beautiful dessert a true show stopper.”
Kim says
tasted like dry cardboard i wouldn’t even give it to the dogs
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds like you did it wrong. Please follow the recipe exactly, baking is a science and unless I’m in your kitchen with you I cannot help troubleshoot.
Kara says
How do you store the finished cake?
Amanda Formaro says
You can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. Keep in mind that the macerated strawberry mixture could make the cake layer soggy with time. This cake is best served immediately. You could freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
Tina says
The cake was crumbly when i mixed it…. i followed the directions exactly how they were written- and it didn’t seem thick enough but i think it will taste just fine! Are there any tips or tricks with the cake part?
Amanda Formaro says
I highly recommend measuring your flour with the scoop and sweep method, it sounds like you had a bit too much in the batter. One cup of flour should weigh about 4.25 ounces. :)
Katie says
This cake recipe was absolutely horrible. Dont suggest I did anything wrong, the cake is not thick enough to cut in half at all, it’s dry and crumbled to the touch. I ended up with a mash of strawberries, whip creme and cake.
Amanda Formaro says
I’ve made his several times (as have lots of other people) and not had a problem. I’m sorry you had trouble.
Sarah says
I had this exact problem. It was like a dump cake… literally pile of crumbly cake with strawberries and whip cream… ugh
Jackie says
Hi there! I’m making this for Christmas dinner. Is there any part I can prep today?
Jeanette says
I tried it and I had to double the recipe for the shortcake because there wasn’t enough to cut into 2 layers. And I would not cook it at 450° for 15 minutes. It’s browned it too quickly and made it too dry.. I would do it for 400 for at least 10 to 12 minutes. Watching it carefully. And with the whipapex cream I would definitely add 3 tablespoons go back to sugar and some vanilla. To taste. I would let strawberries soak into the cake longer before I served it.
Celia says
Regarding splitting the cake: non-flavored dental floss works great and is clean right out of its container.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks! I’ll add this tip to the post :)
Terri says
So I made the cake and it’s more like the size of a biscuit height definitely not fluffy enough to cut in half so I’m not sure what I did wrong. So now I guess I’m just gonna make another one and that will be the second layer
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds right actually! It’s pretty thin, check the step photos in the post :)
Caitlin says
This is a really nice recipe, and very yummy! The biscuit is absolutely delectable, the lemon zest adds a nice touch. It came out perfect in the oven, but I experienced the same issues cutting it as others did — it crumbled. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with using a buttered pan vs. cooking spray, but the cutting was done right after it came out of the oven as suggested, so I don’t know what happened. I think trying the string idea someone mentioned in the comments would be a good move.
Couple of adjustments/suggestions:
*I ended up adding an extra 3 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and a splash of vanilla to the whipped cream, as it was not sweet at all. Also, make your whipped cream towards the end, and not at the beginning.
*Make an extra 2 pounds of macerated berries to top each slice with when serving, because this was a dry shortcake. I like mine juicier. On the plus side, it didn’t get soggy!
Hannah says
Great recipe!
On point 12 I think there is a mistake! Shouldn’t it be “with softened butter” instead of “was softened butter”?
12. Spread both halves of the cake evenly WAS softened butter
Amanda Formaro says
Yep, thanks for telling me! I’ve fixed it :)
Sandra says
Can you make everything the night before and assemble the next day?
Amanda Formaro says
It is best to spread the butter on the cake when warm. And the macerated strawberries may get a bit mushy if made the day before.
Justine says
Salted or unsalted butter?
Amanda Formaro says
I always use unsalted
Shannon says
Made it once to recipe and even with allowing for rising the layers were absurdly thin and collapsing under the weight of the weight of the strawberries. It came out overly salty as well. Second round ended up tripling the cake recipe allowing for the tops to be flattened and removed 1/3 the salt. Turned out better. Also make your whip at the end. It’s never a good idea to make it before cake is baked and cooled as it will loose it’s form even sitting in the fridge.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble. Without being in your kitchen with you I am unable to identify where you may have gone wrong. I’ve made this recipe multiple times without issue. I’m glad you were able to make it again with your own adjustments.
Rebecca says
When trying to split the cake it just crumbled and fell apart :-(
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble! Was the cake still warm when you cut it?
Jennifer says
My cake split fine but the top broke in half when I tried to move it :(
Cynthia says
Your recipe calls
For butter but doesn’t tell
You what to do with it in the instructions?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Cynthia. In step 8 of the printable recipe it tells you to spread the softened butter onto the cake layer :)
Marla Gale says
Do you need to let the cake cool before putting the whipping cream on?
Amanda Formaro says
You’ll want the cake to be hot for spreading on the butter. Because it’s on a cooling rack and each layer is half it’s height after cutting in half, it will cool quickly. So by the time you get to that step you should be good. If for some reason the cake is still hot, yes allow it to cool a bit first.
Lisa says
Delicious
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Lisa!
Lisa Lysholm says
Your formatting on the print function for your recipe pages has changed leaving it no longer possible to print the image along with the recipe. Yes, the cake sounds good, but the image makes me want to make it NOW.
I wish you could help us out with that and again enable the possibility of printing the recipe image along with the ingredients and directions.
A picture paints a thousand words.
Amanda Formaro says
I have turned the images back on for the printable version.
Natalie says
I just love strawberry shortcake! Looks so delicious and perfect for parties!
Amanda Formaro says
It’s soooo good!
Sue Charlton McEndree says
Looks too pretty to eat!!. My Mom used to take a long piece of white sewing thread that she kept wrapped in tissue to keep it clean & split the cake in half with the thread. . She said she could keep it more even than with a knife.
Amanda Formaro says
What a great tip! I’m going to try that!