Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcake

My husband doesn’t usually get excited about strawberry shortcake. It’s just not his dessert of choice. When I was done shooting this new recipe, I offered him a slice and he accepted. (He’s also not one to turn down dessert). He gobbled it down and then went for a second piece. Just this weekend I gave him a list of desserts I might make and listed this as one of them, and his response was “Ooo that was so good! You should do the strawberry shortcake!” Needless to say, I turned him into a believer.

I love strawberry shortcake because it’s simple, quick, not overly sweet, and a delicious way to bake seasonally. Because the dish is so simple, what really makes it special is when you get really good, fresh local strawberries. When you get a chance to sit on your porch and enjoy this on a warm spring evening (maybe after you’ve put the kids to bed and the house is actually quiet), there really is nothing better.

I had a good strawberry shortcake recipe I’ve used for some time, but I felt like there were some opportunities to improve it. Man, did it pay off. My recipe was good before, but this new recipe I’m sharing here is NEXT. LEVEL.

The buttermilk was one of the improvements I made to this recipe and WOW! You can use regular milk if you’re dying for shortcake and only have regular milk on hand. But the buttermilk makes the shortcake extra moist and tender. I also highly recommend you don’t skip the sparkling sugar on top. Since the shortcake isn’t overly sweet, the sanding sugar adds a bit to the sweetness and it also helps to give the top a nice crunch. You should be to find the sparkling sugar in the baking aisle of your local grocery store, the cake decorating aisle of your local craft store, or on Amazon.

3 Reasons I love this Strawberry Shortcake Recipe:

1. It’s super quick & you can make it in a food processor. This makes it a great last-minute dessert if you’re craving something sweet or having friends over for a last-minute cookout. You can blitz it and have it in the oven in about 10 minutes.
2. No cutting out individual shortcakes. Yep, another time saver. I put all the dough in pie pan to bake and then cut slices to serve verses making individual shortcakes.
3. It’s moist & slightly sweet. Some strawberry shortcakes can be very dry. This one is more like a biscuit and a cake had a baby. The buttermilk makes it super moist, so it’s good the next day. And it has a touch of sweetness without being overly sweet, so the strawberries are still the star.

Tips for success:

1. Prep your strawberries early and give them time to macerate. What’s macerating, you ask? It’s way more simple than it sounds. When you macerate fruit, you cover them with sugar in order to allow them to soften and release their juices. This is key to a delicious strawberry shortcake because it’s ALL. ABOUT. THE JUICE. Depending on how soon after baking you’re planning to serve your shortcake, you may want to prep the strawberries first and place them in the fridge so they have plenty of time to get all juicy.
2. Use a food processor if you have one. If you don’t have one, you can cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, but the food processor will make the process very quick and easy.
3. Don’t overmix your dough. Since this shortcake is a combo between a biscuit and a cake, you’ll want the dough to remain soft and light. When you add the wet ingredients, only mix until just barely combined. If you overmix you will activate the gluten in the flour and your shortcake will turn out tough and dense instead of light and luscious.

I want to hear how your strawberry shortcake came out! Post your comments below!

Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcake

This easy strawberry shortcake boasts a soft, tender crumb with a crunchy top for a delicious, not-too-sweet dessert that comes together in a snap.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• Food processor or pastry cutter

Ingredients

  

Strawberry Filling

• 1 32-oz package of strawberries
• 2-3 tbsp sugar more or less to taste

Shortcake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup buttermilk plus extra for brushing on top
• course sparkling sugar

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

 

Prepare the strawberries

• Clean, dry, and sort the strawberries.
• Remove the tops and thinly slice the strawberries, placing them in a medium storage bowl.
• Add the 2-3 tbsp sugar (more or less to taste) and stir well.
• Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge until serving.

Make the shortcake

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and grease a 9" pie pan. Set aside.
• Place a 4-cup glass graduated measuring cup or other medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill. You'll need it for the whipped cream.
• In the medium mixing bowl or bowl of your food processor, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse in the food processor for a few seconds until roughly combined (not finely combined – you still want a few chunks here and there). If you're doing it in a mixing bowl, use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter.
• In a separate bowl, add the egg to the buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
• Add the buttermilk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just barely combined. Be careful not to overwork the mixture.
• Press the dough into the prepared pie dish.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with some extra buttermilk and then sprinkle liberally with the course sparkling sugar.
• Place in the oven and bake 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Make the whipped cream

• Remove the chilled bowl from the freezer and add the heavy cream.
• Beat using an electric hand mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla (if using). Beat again until stiff peaks form but be careful not to overbeat the cream. You want the whipped cream stiff but still flowing.
• Place in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

Assembly the strawberry shortcake

• Slice a sliver of shortcake and place it on a plate, then cut the shortcake in half width-wise to separate the top of the shortcake from the bottom.
• Ladle the prepared strawberries on the bottom shortcake. Then add a healthy dollop of whipped cream.
• Top with the top of the shortcake, and serve!

Video

Notes

Keyword dessert, quick dessert, seasonal, shortcake, spring, strawberries, strawberry