Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Summer is meant for Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake! Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening allows for the perfect pillowy texture – the perfect complement to the juicy strawberries!
Tips for Making Strawberry Shortcake
- Use ripe, flavorful strawberries. If they’re not very sweet, macerate them with sugar for 20–30 minutes.
- Don’t slice the strawberries too thin. Chunky slices give you a better texture and more substantial filling.
- Macerate gently. Toss strawberries with sugar and let them sit until juicy. A little lemon juice or zest can brighten them.
- Keep the butter cold. For biscuit-style shortcake, cold butter creates flaky, tender layers.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until the flour is incorporated. Overworking it develops gluten and makes the shortcake tough.
- Don’t pack the flour. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it, or use a scale.
- Brush the tops with cream. It helps them brown beautifully. A sprinkle of coarse sugar gives a lovely crisp top.
- Bake until just golden. Overbaking is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry shortcakes.
- Whip the cream fairly softly. You want it thick enough to hold the berries but still creamy, not stiff and grainy.
- Assemble right before serving. The strawberry juices will eventually make the shortcake soggy.
A particularly good trick
Split the shortcake while it’s still slightly warm, spoon the strawberries over the bottom half, add a generous dollop of whipped cream, then put the top back on. The warm biscuit absorbs just enough strawberry juice without becoming mushy.
And don’t underestimate vanilla and lemon zest in the shortcake or whipped cream—they make strawberries taste much more intense.
How to Make a Quick Homemade Whipped Cream
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Chill your bowl and beaters for about 10–15 minutes if you have time. This helps the cream whip faster and hold its shape.
- Pour the cold heavy cream into the bowl.
- Beat on medium speed until the cream starts to thicken.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Continue beating until soft to medium peaks form. When you lift the beaters, the cream should hold a peak but still look smooth and fluffy.
- Don’t overbeat—once it becomes grainy or starts looking like butter, you’ve gone too far.
For strawberry shortcake
Use 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar per cup of cream. The strawberries provide plenty of sweetness, so you don’t need an overly sweet whipped cream.
Make-ahead tip: Whipped cream is best made shortly before serving, but you can refrigerate it for several hours. For a sturdier cream that holds up longer, add 1–2 tablespoons of mascarpone or cream cheese while whipping.
Best assembly: Split the shortcake → add a spoonful of macerated strawberries and their juices → add whipped cream → another layer of strawberries → top with a little more whipped cream.
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY MIXTURE
- 2 pints Strawberries
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Light brown sugar firmly packed
SHORTCAKES
- 2 cup All-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Clabber Girl® Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
- 1 Egg large
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
- Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Combine strawberries, 2 Tbsp. sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl. Toss to mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours before serving.
- Heat oven to 425ºF. Lightly spray baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until flour is blended to form pea-size pieces. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Toss with fork until well combined (do not overwork). Drop batter into 6 equal mounds on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven; place baking sheet on a rack to cool.
- Split each shortcake in half horizontally. Place bottoms on serving plates. Place an even amount of strawberries on shortcake bottoms. Top with whipped cream. Replace shortcake tops. Serve immediately.
