Valentines Day Strawberry Shortcake (Printable)

A romantic dessert with tender shortcakes, sweet strawberries, and light whipped cream to share.

# What Goes In:

→ Shortcakes

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
06 - 2/3 cup whole milk
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional for topping

→ Strawberries

10 - 1.5 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
11 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional

→ Whipped Cream

13 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
14 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry mixture and stir just until combined without overmixing.
04 - Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 6 rounds using a 2.5-inch cutter or glass. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
05 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
06 - In a bowl, combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Toss and set aside for at least 20 minutes to macerate.
07 - Beat cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
08 - Split each shortcake in half horizontally. Layer with macerated strawberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other half and additional strawberries and cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shortcakes are genuinely tender and melt-in-your-mouth, nothing like the dense store-bought ones that taste like sweetened cardboard.
  • Macerated strawberries taste like concentrated summer, and when you layer them with fresh whipped cream, something almost magical happens on your tongue.
  • It looks impossibly fancy but comes together in under an hour, so you can actually pull this off for someone without spending all day stressed in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough is the number one way to end up with dense, tough shortcakes instead of tender ones, so resist the urge to keep stirring after the wet and dry ingredients are barely combined.
  • Cold ingredients matter more than you think—if your butter is soft or your cream isn't cold, the whole texture changes, so keep everything chilled straight from the fridge.
  • Assembling these right before serving keeps the shortcakes from getting soggy, but if you need to make them ahead, bake the cakes and refrigerate them, then macerate the berries and whip the cream closer to serving time.
03 -
  • If you don't have a pastry blender, two forks or even just your cold fingertips work perfectly for cutting in the butter—the goal is pea-sized pieces, not a fine sand texture.
  • Don't twist your cutter when cutting the dough; press straight down and lift straight up, because twisting seals the edges and prevents the shortcakes from rising evenly.
  • Whipped cream can be made up to a few hours ahead and refrigerated, but whip the cream just before you need it rather than hours in advance, since it can start to separate or turn grainy.
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