Indulge in a scrumptious, single-serving strawberry shortcake using our foolproof, customizable recipe. Experience dessert bliss in every bite!
When you're craving something sweet and satisfying but don't want the hassle of making an elaborate dessert, this strawberry shortcake recipe for one is perfect. Enjoy a classic treat without the stress of leftovers or complicated preparation
Jump to:
- What Is A Strawberry Shortcake?
- Why This Recipe Works
- What Is The Difference Between A Cake And A Shortcake?
- Ingredients In Strawberry Shortcake
- Ingredient Notes
- How To Prepare Strawberries For Strawberry Shortcake
- How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations
- Freezing Strawberries
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Recipe
What Is A Strawberry Shortcake?
Strawberry shortcake is a delightful dessert typically consisting of a sweet biscuit or cake layered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This popular dessert offers a delicious balance of flavors and textures, with the tender cake, juicy strawberries, and creamy whipped cream working in perfect harmony.
Strawberry shortcake has a long and cherished history. It traces its roots back to early European strawberry desserts and the British tradition of serving sweet biscuits or cakes with cream and fruit. The dish gained popularity in America during the 19th century and has become a beloved summertime treat.
Why This Recipe Works
- Use fresh or frozen strawberries: This strawberry shortcake recipe is the perfect recipe to use when you have fresh strawberries on hand. If it's not strawberry season, use frozen and thawed strawberries instead.
- Easy to customize: Although this is a made-from-scratch strawberry shortcake recipe, feel free to use a different kind of fruit instead. I love using peaches to make a peach shortcake or adding a mixture of fruit to make a mixed fruit shortcake.
- Easy to make: You'll be surprised by how quickly this dessert comes together. The shortcake is as easy to make as a homemade biscuit and it bakes in less than 15 minutes!
- Recipe doubles well: If you'd like to make extra, just double the ingredient amounts.
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
What Is The Difference Between A Cake And A Shortcake?
Some people love their strawberry shortcake made with cake, while others (myself included!) prefer a strawberry shortcake made with a biscuit. I like using a biscuit because it stands up nicely to the moisture of the strawberries and the whipped cream.
My mother always made shortcakes with Bisquick baking mix and while they were always delicious, there's nothing better than a lightly sweetened homemade biscuit made from scratch. It's so easy too - definitely skip the mix and make your own.
In many parts of the world, the word biscuit refers to a cookie. In the United States, a biscuit is similar to a scone that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Ingredients In Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. To make gluten-free strawberry shortcake, I recommend using King Arthur, Measure For Measure Gluten-Free Flour.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar sweetens the shortcake biscuit.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These ingredients help the biscuit to rise.
- Cinnamon and salt: For flavor.
- Butter: Use cold salted butter. Keep the butter in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Cold butter is essential in making the best-tasting biscuits. It ensures the biscuit will be flaky with crisp edges.
- Milk: Regular milk or dairy-free milk like almond or soy milk can be used.
- Strawberries: I use about ¼ cup of fresh sliced strawberries.
- Whipped cream: You can use store-bought but I would encourage you to make your own. Homemade whipped cream can be made with just heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract (optional). Unlike store-bought whipped cream, you control the amount of sugar. A dairy-free whipped cream alternative works well too.
- Powdered sugar (optional, for topping)
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
How To Prepare Strawberries For Strawberry Shortcake
- Select firm, fully red strawberries. Strawberries do not continue to ripen after picking.
- Store your strawberries in the refrigerator and keep them dry until you are ready to use them.
- Wash the strawberries. The simplest and quickest way to wash strawberries is to rinse each berry thoroughly under cold, running water. Do this by placing the strawberries in a colander, then pick up each strawberry and rub it gently with your fingers to remove dirt. Pat the strawberries dry with a paper towel.
- Another way to wash strawberries is through a vinegar wash. I use vinegar to clean most of my produce. This method cleans off any pesticide residue. In a bowl, mix four parts of water with one part of vinegar (I use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar). Let the strawberries soak in the bowl for 10 minutes. Then, rinse the strawberries thoroughly with fresh cold water.
- Cut off the stem and leaves. This is called hulling a strawberry. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top part and then slice the strawberries.
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a single strawberry shortcake. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Make the biscuit: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Blend in the butter using your fingers, a pastry cutter, a fork, or a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
Pro Tip: I always use my fingers to rub the butter and flour together. The technique is easy and effective.
- Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture is just combined. If the dough appears too wet, add an additional ½ tablespoon of flour.
Pro Tip: The secret to a tender shortcake biscuit dough is to go easy on the mixing. Stir until the dough comes together, a few lumps are okay.
- Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat and shape it into a circle.
- Bake until the biscuit is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the biscuit to a cooling rack to continue cooling for about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the strawberry shortcake: Slice the biscuit in half, spoon the sliced strawberries on the bottom half, and top with whipped cream. Place the top half of the biscuit over the whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
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Expert Tips
- Don't wash your berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more likely to spoil quickly.
- Use cold ingredients: The trick to making a perfect shortcake biscuit every time is to ensure your ingredients are cold. Don’t take the butter, milk, or eggs out of the refrigerator until you are ready to make the biscuit.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add in the milk stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to a chewy biscuit instead of a light and flaky one.
- Measure ingredients correctly: It's so important to measure flour properly when you are baking cakes and breads. To measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop flour into a dry measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Want to use cake instead of a biscuit for the shortcake? No problem, use our easy mini pound cake recipe or our single white cake recipe instead of making the biscuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The shortcake biscuit can be stored covered in the refrigerator but is best eaten a day or so after baking.
Although I prefer using fresh strawberries in this strawberry shortcake recipe, you can use frozen and thawed strawberries if fresh is not available to you.
Macerating can add flavor to strawberries by coating the berries with sugar. This helps to draw out the juices making a sweet syrup.
Years ago, I used to macerate the strawberries in this recipe but I don't do it anymore. I prefer a strawberry shortcake that isn't too sweet and love the fresh taste of just the strawberries.
If you want to macerate the berries, place the sliced strawberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the sugar over the top and stir gently. Set the bowl aside while you make the biscuit dough.
You can use whipped cream purchased from the grocery store but homemade whipped cream takes just minutes to make and tastes so rich and wonderful.
Check out our small batch whipped cream recipe to see just how easy it is to make homemade whipped cream.
Yes! If you'd like to make individual strawberry shortcakes, double or triple the ingredients in this recipe to make more.
Variations
- Strawberry Lemon Shortcake: Prepare the shortcake as directed, except stir in ½ teaspoon of finely shredded lemon peel into the flour mixture after cutting in the butter.
- Mixed Berry Shortcake: Prepare strawberry shortcake as directed, except substitute ¼ cup of mixed fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries) for the strawberries.
- Peach Shortcake: Prepare the strawberry shortcake as directed, except substitute fresh sliced peaches for the strawberries.
- Banana Shortcake: Prepare as directed, except substitute sliced bananas or sauté the bananas in butter and brown sugar and make a Bananas Foster Shortcake.
- Apple Shortcake: Prepare as directed, except make a small batch of fried apples to use instead of strawberries.
Freezing Strawberries
Strawberries freeze very well and freezing them is the best way to store them to enjoy later. Here's how to freeze strawberries:
- Rinse the strawberries well (see the Preparing Strawberries section above).
- After rinsing, gently blot dry with a towel or a paper towel.
- Slice the stem off the top of the berry.
- Place the cut side down on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Place uncovered in the freezer until completely frozen, at least 2 hours. This keeps the berries from sticking together when you store them.
- Once frozen solid, place the berries in a freezer-safe storage container. Once packed, store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single strawberry shortcake recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Strawberries: Strawberry Scones, Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet, Strawberry Ice Cream, Avocado Salad With Berries, Strawberry Milkshake, Fruit Quesadilla
- Cinnamon: Snickerdoodles, Apple Dutch Baby, Mini Cherry Pie, Mini Tres Leches Cake
- Milk: Rice Pudding, Apple Cider Donuts, Blueberry Cobbler, Coffee Cake
- Whipped Cream: Mini French Silk Pie, Peach Crisp, Banana Cream Pie, Blueberry Crumble
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
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If you’ve tried this strawberry shortcake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter , cold
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup sliced strawberries
- whipped cream (homemade or store-bought)
- Optional: powdered sugar for topping
For the whipped cream
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Blend in the butter using your fingers, a pastry cutter, a fork, or a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
- Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture is just combined.The secret to a tender shortcake biscuit dough is to go easy on the mixing. Stir until the dough comes together, a few lumps are okay.
- Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat and shape it into a circle.
- Bake until the biscuit is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the biscuit to a cooling rack to continue cooling for about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the strawberry shortcake: Slice the biscuit in half, spoon the sliced strawberries on the bottom half, and top with whipped cream. Place the top half of the biscuit over the whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
- Don't wash your berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more likely to spoil quickly.
- Use cold ingredients: The trick to making a perfect shortcake biscuit every time is to ensure your ingredients are cold. Don’t take the butter, milk, or eggs out of the refrigerator until you are ready to make the biscuit.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add in the milk stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to a chewy biscuit instead of a light and flaky one.
- Measure ingredients correctly: It's so important to measure flour properly when you are baking cakes and breads. To measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Want to use cake instead of a biscuit for the shortcake? No problem, use our easy mini pound cake recipe instead of making the biscuit.
- Use either store-bought or homemade whipped cream.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Lina says
Is this recipe supposed to include an egg? I kept all my ingredients refrigerated and the dough was still cold when I added it to the sheet pan but it still spread, did not rise, and sort of crumbled. Seems like it needed an egg to hold it together?
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Lina, the shortcake is simply a biscuit and no egg is needed. As you can see from the photos and from the video, the biscuit should not spread. I would check to see if your baking powder is fresh. Baking powder is an ingredient that helps baked goods rise. If the shortcake did not rise, chances are that this leavening agent was the reason. The crumbling could be caused by more flour being added to the dough which disrupted the ratio of dry to wet ingredients. How was the flour measured? If you dip your measuring cup into your bag of flour and use it as a scoop, you often wind up with a too-tightly packed 1/2 cup of flour, giving you more flour than you need. Instead, we recommend spooning the flour from he bag and into the measuring cup, then use something with a flat edge, like a knife, to level it off before adding it to the mixing bowl.
Susan Myers says
The video says 1-2 Tablespoons sugar but the recipe on the link says 1-2 teaspoons. Which is correct? Also if you used powdered sugar which I usually use how much of that would you use?
Joanie Zisk says
I'm assuming you are asking about the whipped cream? Thank you for catching that. The beauty of making homemade whipped cream is that you control the sweetness. In all honesty, I never measure the amount of sugar I use when I make whipped cream for myself. I would suggest you start with adding 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to your cream, whip it slightly and taste it, if you would like the whipped cream to be sweeter, add more until it is as sweet as you like it. I don't use powdered sugar in whipped cream, but I would think adding the same amount instead of granulated sugar would work just fine.
amy middleston says
I still haven't tried it but will definitely today or tomorrow but I think for the heavy cream if you add the sugar to the cream while it is still liquid it won't become thick so it's best to whip up the heavy cream and once its thick add sugar. just telling yall
Joanie Zisk says
Amy, I recommend adding the sugar with the cream to thicken. The cream will thicken up with the sugar added. If you add the sugar after the cream has thickened, you will taste the granules of sugar.
Melissa says
I adapted the recipe to make it gluten free and vegan. I used gluten free flour, vegan butter and almond milk. Used a little more than 2 tablespoons of milk. Turned out perfect! I cut it in half because the whole shortcake would have been too much for me at once. I am not a huge fan of whipped cream so didn’t make it. Definitely will make it again. Fast and easy to make for a great dessert!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the strawberry shortcake. Thanks so much for your feedback.
Robyn says
This was TO DIE FOR. So good! I divided it into two and it was the perfect amount for my husband and me.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so happy you loved the strawberry shortcake! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie
Gloria says
A dessert I don't have to share. WINNER! I love strawberry shortcake. Now I can make it anytime I want.
Jenni says
Oh my gosh, love this! SO often I just want ONE, and not make a huge batch of strawberry shortcake. What a great recipe for a great summer dessert!
Amy Nash says
There is nothing like homemade whipped cream and totally worth the extra effort, in my opinion! Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite summertime desserts and this version looks fantastic! Perfect for nights when my husband is working late and I want something sweet all for myself!
Audrey says
This tastes absolutely amazing! I defiantly need to make more than one.😉
Shiho says
Looks so delicious! I definitely whip homemade whipped cream for this beautiful cake 😀 Thank you for the recipe<3