For something called a “shortcake,” this is one dessert that always manages to stand tall. This Classic Strawberry Shortcake features buttery, short, crumbly shortcake sandwiching sweetened homemade whipped cream and bright, juicy, summery strawberries. It’s like a dessert sandwich, only it’s even better than that sounds! Classic Strawberry Shortcake livens up summer evenings and shows us that desserts can make delicate and delectable memories!
Ingredients
For the shortcakes:
- 1 cup heavy cream, plus more, to taste, for brushing
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more, to taste, for dusting a work surface
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more, to taste, for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen and cut into 1-inch cubes
For the filling:
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3 –Whisk 1 cup of the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of the sour cream, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla in a small bowl together. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4 –Pulse 2 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, the baking powder, and the salt in a food processor until combined.
Step 5 –Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture looks like a fine meal.
Step 6 –Pour the chilled heavy cream mixture into the flour mixture and pulse until just combined.
Step 7 –Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface.
Step 8 –Turn the dough onto the prepared work surface and pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick sheet.
Step 9 –Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits from the dough as possible.
Step 10 –Reshape the remaining dough into another 1/2-inch-thick sheet to cut out more biscuits; there should be about 12.
Step 11 –Place six of the dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 12 –Brush the tops of the rounds with the extra heavy cream.
Step 13 –Top the cream-brushed rounds with the remaining biscuit round, making six dough sandwiches. This helps make the shortcakes easier to split later on.
Step 14 –Brush the tops of the biscuit stacks with the extra heavy cream and sprinkle them with the extra granulated sugar.
Step 15 –Bake the biscuits until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes.
Step 16 –Let the shortcakes cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 17 –Toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
Step 18 –Just before serving, beat 1 cup of the remaining heavy cream, the remaining sour cream, the remaining brown sugar, and the remaining vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Step 19 –Split the shortcakes in half.
Step 20 –Spoon 1/2 of the cream mixture on the bottoms of the biscuits.
Step 21 –Top the cream layer evenly with the strawberries.
Step 22 –Top the strawberries with the remaining cream mixture.
Step 23 –Replace the biscuit tops and serve.
