This strawberry shortcake recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer strawberries. Tender biscuits surround the sweet, juicy berries and billowy whipped cream. The combination is rustic, simple, and only lightly sweet, putting the berries front and center. I’d rank it up there as one of my favorite summer desserts…if not favorite desserts, period.

When I was growing up, my family made strawberry shortcake every summer, using store-bought cake. It wasn’t until years later that I realized classic shortcake biscuits are easy to make from scratch—there’s no need to get store-bought! Seriously, you can make these biscuits with 6 basic ingredients in about 30 minutes.

If you’re not already on team homemade strawberry shortcake, I hope you’ll try this easy recipe this summer. I recently updated it to have flakier biscuits, simplified instructions, and a streamlined ingredient list. If you ask me, it’s classic strawberry shortcake perfection!

Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients

I adapted these shortcakes from my homemade biscuits. They call for the same ingredients, but in slightly different ratios to make these shortcakes sweeter. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

You’ll also need these ingredients to make the homemade whipped cream:

• Heavy cream: The high fat content is necessary for light and airy whipped cream.
• Powdered sugar: For sweetness.
• Vanilla extract: For warm depth of flavor.

Lastly, don’t forget fresh strawberries for the filling!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake

Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to make this strawberry shortcake recipe:

Step 1: Prepare the Fresh Strawberries

I do this step first because I like to macerate the fresh strawberries with a little sugar. The sugar draws out the strawberry juices, making them soft and juicy without any cooking. Simply hull and chop the strawberries, toss them with the sugar, and set them aside while you work on the other components.

Step 2: Make the Biscuits

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure your butter is cold from the fridge, then cut it into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Work it into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

Pour in the milk and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with your hands to incorporate any remaining dry flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds and pat or roll again until 1/2 inch thick. Rotate and fold again.

Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream

Plan ahead here. Before you start making the biscuits, chill your mixing bowl in the fridge. This will help your cream whip beautifully! Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Mix with a stand mixer or hand mixer on low, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 4 to 8 minutes until medium peaks form.

Step 4: Assemble the Strawberry Shortcakes

Slice the biscuits in half and fill with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream. I like to add the strawberries first so their juices soak into the biscuit.