Name: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake with easy dessert recipes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup sugar (divided); 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed; 2/3 cup whole milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 egg (for egg wash); 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash); 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for whipped cream)

Jump to Recipe

Let’s be honest, there’s just something magical about the old-school way of doing dessert. I’m talking flaky, buttery shortcakes—nothing from a can or squeeze bottle—and juicy strawberries that haven’t seen the inside of a plastic tub labeled ‘topping.’ This strawberry shortcake is the kind of dessert that makes you feel like you’re back on grandma’s porch, summer breeze in your hair, wondering why we ever tried to reinvent it in the first place. The charm here is in the layers. The biscuits? Rich and crumbly, with just the right hint of sugar. The berries? Sliced, sugared, and left to do their thing—soaking, softening, becoming a jammy dream. And the whipped cream? We’re whipping it ourselves, thank you very much. This is one of those ‘keep it simple, keep it real’ desserts that never needs upgrading. Whether you’re making it for guests or just treating yourself (because, yes, you absolutely deserve it), this recipe gets right to the heart of what dessert should be: comforting, straightforward, and ridiculously good. Grab a fork. Or don’t—nobody’s judging.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
3) Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
4) How to Make Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
5) Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
6) Making Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
8) Try these desserts next!
9) Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

This strawberry shortcake uses buttery homemade biscuits, not sponge cake.
Fresh strawberries and real whipped cream keep it light, not overly sweet.
You can prep the components ahead of time and assemble when ready to serve.
It’s one of those easy dessert recipes that impresses with little effort.

2) Easy Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

This is the kind of dessert I make when I want people to think I’ve done something impressive, but really just threw things together in under an hour. We’ve got flaky biscuits. We’ve got strawberries doing their juicy thing. And whipped cream? Yeah, we made it ourselves—because we’re those people now.

I’m always amazed by how something so simple can feel so special. This is one of those sweet easy recipes that you’ll pull out when your in-laws pop over, or when your friend says, “Oh no, don’t go to any trouble,” which we all know means “please make something delightful.”

Whether it’s your first try or your fiftieth, this dessert hits every time. No tricky steps. No stress. Just solid, delicious layers of goodness. It’s the kind of thing that makes you look forward to strawberry season, or let’s be honest, frozen berries in a pinch.

3) Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

All-purpose flour: The base of your biscuits. I’ve tried other flours and honestly, nothing else gives you quite the same texture.

Baking powder: This is what gives the biscuits their lift. We want rise, not pancakes.

Salt: Just a little helps the sweetness stand out and keeps things from tasting flat.

Sugar (divided): Half goes into the biscuit dough, the rest sweetens the strawberries. I’ve tried skipping it in the dough—don’t.

Cold unsalted butter: Key word? Cold. Those butter chunks create pockets of magic in the biscuits.

Whole milk: Adds moisture and brings everything together. Go full fat here—trust me.

Vanilla extract: A little flavor depth never hurt anyone.

Egg (for wash): This helps your biscuits look golden and fancy without doing anything fancy.

Water (for wash): Mixes with the egg to give you a smooth brush-on glaze.

Fresh strawberries: The star of the show. Get the good ones, and let them sit with sugar to get syrupy and rich.

Heavy whipping cream: Whip it till fluffy. Don’t shortcut with canned stuff—you’ll taste the difference.

Powdered sugar (optional): A little sweet touch in the whipped cream, especially if your berries are tart.

Vanilla extract (for whipped cream): Pulls the cream and berries together with a soft, mellow finish.

4) How to Make Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet. Don’t skip lining it—you’ll thank me when cleanup time rolls around.

Step 2. In a big bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and half the sugar. Add cold butter and cut it in until it looks like tiny pebbles. It won’t be perfect—just don’t overmix.

Step 3. Stir in milk and vanilla just until the dough comes together. It should be rough, not silky.

Step 4. Turn it out, gently knead a couple of times, and flatten it to about an inch thick. Cut biscuits and place on your sheet. Don’t twist the cutter—straight down gives you rise.

Step 5. Whisk the egg with water and brush it over the biscuit tops. Sprinkle a bit of sugar for that golden crunch.

Step 6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. You want golden, not pale. Let them cool while you prep the rest.

Step 7. Toss sliced strawberries with the rest of the sugar. Let them hang out for 15 minutes until juicy and shiny.

Step 8. Whip cream until it holds soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and vanilla if you like. Don’t walk away—it goes from perfect to butter in a blink.

Step 9. Slice biscuits in half, spoon on berries and juice, then whipped cream. Cap it with the biscuit top and serve right away. No need to be neat—messy tastes better.

5) Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Use fresh strawberries when you can. This is one of those simple homemade sweets easy recipes that lives and dies by the quality of the berries. If they’re in season, grab as many as your budget allows.

Keep your butter cold. I don’t mean “eh, it’s not warm”—I mean cold. Like, keep it in the fridge until the very moment it meets the flour. That’s what gives you those dreamy, layered biscuits we all crave in easy dessert recipes.

Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add the liquid, stir just until things look barely combined. It’ll feel wrong. That’s how you know you’re doing it right.

6) Making Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Ahead of Time

If you’re looking for one of those simple desserts few ingredients sweets easy recipes that still lets you prep in advance, this is it. The biscuits can be baked the night before. Let them cool and stash them in an airtight container.

You can slice and sugar the berries a few hours ahead. They’ll keep getting juicier, which is exactly what we want. The whipped cream is best made fresh, but you can whip it and store it in the fridge for a few hours if needed.

Just keep all three parts separate until go-time. That way, nothing gets soggy and everything tastes freshly made—because it is.

7) Storing Leftover Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

This isn’t a long-term storage kind of dessert, but it’ll hold up okay if you store the parts separately. Biscuits stay good for two days in an airtight container at room temp.

The berries and cream need the fridge. Keep the strawberries in a sealed bowl and the whipped cream covered. Both will hold for about two days.

When you’re ready for leftovers, warm the biscuit slightly, add berries and cream, and pretend it’s fresh. Honestly, it’s still great the next day.

8) Try these desserts next!

9) Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake