Forget those little store-bought fake-cake shortcakes! This is the most delicious strawberry shortcake recipe we’ve ever made! We layer our buttery, flaky homemade biscuits with irresistible sweet strawberries and whipped cream to make homemade strawberry shortcake completely from scratch!
This strawberry shortcake is so simple that you can make it within the hour, and so satisfying that it will easily become your go-to summer dessert.
For me, the moment that marks the beginning of summer is when I bite into my first strawberry of the season. Is it even a lazy summer day if it doesn’t end with juicy berries piled on flaky biscuits and a big dollop of freshly whipped cream?! Homemade strawberry shortcake is the essential dessert for summer!
Gardening with Mom
I grew up obsessed with strawberry shortcake! Not only was it my favorite, it was a reward for hard work.
Every summer, we’d plant the biggest garden, and by “we,” I mostly mean my mom. I remember Dad tilling the soil, and my 4 siblings and I “helping” for what felt like hours (it was probably 30 minutes). We’d dig through tomato vines and hunt for huge spiders with colorful patterns and potato bugs, then rush back to the house with dirt in our shoes and under our nails.
Fried Chicken, Jojo’s and Strawberry Shortcake
After a hot shower, we’d all pile around the table for fried chicken, JoJos (if you’re from the Pacific Northwest, you know), and to finish the day: strawberry shortcake. Always from those little spongy packages, always stealing the bits stuck to the white cardboard, and always – always – a big scoop of Cool Whip on top.
From Scratch Biscuits for Strawberry Shortcake
These days, unlike the little packaged angel food cakes, we make our shortcakes with from scratch flaky, buttery biscuits as a nod to BurgerVille (a PNW classic). But the berries? Still done the way Mom taught us:
How to Make Fresh Strawberries for Strawberry Shortcake
What’s the secret to Mom’s extra sweet berries?
Smash a few, slice the rest, sprinkle on a little sugar, and let them sit! That’s the secret to extra-juicy, syrupy strawberries – and trust me, they are heavenly.
Tips for Perfectly Flaky Biscuits
- Use a food processor or pastry cutter to cut in extra cold butter, jus like you would for a pie crust.
- Use unsalted butter to control the salt of the biscuit.
- Don’t over mix as this will lead to a tough bis