Best Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

4.93 from 14 votes

This strawberry shortcake is the perfect dessert for showcasing summer's beautiful berries topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening and sugar till very light, about 2-3 minutes.
2/3 cup shortening, 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Beat in eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla extract.
2 large eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing in about 1/2 the flour mixture on low speed just until mostly incorporated, then adding half the milk and mixing well to combine, then repeating with the remaining flour mixture and milk. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once or twice during the process and do not overmix.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/4 cups whole milk
Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, making sure to check the cake with a toothpick for doneness. It should come out mostly clean with just a few crumbs sticking to it. Be careful not to overbake the cake.

Wash and hull the strawberries, then transfer to a pan for easier mashing. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries a bit but be sure to leave some larger pieces of fruit.
Add sugar, to taste. If your berries are really sweet, then they may not need much sugar at all. Set aside to allow the sugar to draw out the juices of the strawberries for 15-20 minutes before serving so that the strawberry topping is somewhat syrupy.
2 pints strawberries, 1/4 to 1/2 cups granulated sugar

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2-4 minutes. Be sure not to overwhip the cream - it should just be soft and holding it's shape without being firm or thick.
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Top each slice of cake with a generous spoonful or two of mashed strawberries and a nice dollop of whipped cream just before serving.

Storage: Store everything separately. The cake is really best the day it is made but will keep for 2-3 days covered in an airtight container on the counter. Leftover strawberries and whipped cream can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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