Old-Fashioned Southern Strawberry Shortcakes

Old-Fashioned Southern Strawberry Shortcakes, made from scratch with sweetened cornmeal shortcake biscuits, are what dessert dreams are made of, and for a good reason.

With fresh red, juicy strawberries, billowy clouds of whipped cream, and crunchy old-fashioned shortcake biscuits, this strawberry shortcake recipe is a quick and easy dessert, and it is as beautiful as it is delicious!

Fresh strawberries are at their best in the spring and summer when they are in season. And this strawberry shortcake recipe is as perfect to serve at a backyard barbecue as it is for a festive Mother’s Day or Easter celebration.

Strawberry shortcake is now Florida’s official dessert! During its most recent legislative session, Strawberry shortcake was designated as the official state dessert. 

Ingredients – Here’s what you need to make this recipe:

• Fresh strawberries – are the star of this show. Buy the freshest strawberries possible and let them shine. 
• Sugar – granulated sugar is used to macerate the strawberries and to sweeten the shortcake biscuits. Confectioners sugar sweetens the whipped cream. 
• Heavy cream – is the major component in the soft billowy homemade whipped cream. After whipping, the rich cream doubles in volume.
• All-purpose flour – is the base of the cornmeal shortcake biscuits. 
• Cornmeal – is what sets this southern shortcake biscuit apart and gives it a Southern spin or twist. 
• Butter – adds rich flavor and moisture to the shortcakes. 
• Baking powder – reacts with the buttermilk and causes the shortcakes to rise. 
• Salt – enhances the flavor of the other shortcake ingredients. 
• Buttermilk – another southern twist, works with the baking powder to cause the drop biscuits to rise and become fluffy shortcakes. 

Directions – Here’s how to make it:

1. To make the strawberry filling, mix the sliced strawberries and sugar in a bowl and macerate for about 30 minutes. 

2. To make the drop biscuits for the strawberry shortcakes, gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Place the dry ingredients, including flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine everything. Or, if you don’t have a food processor, place the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Add the chilled cubed butter to the mixture in the food processor and pulse a few times until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  You can also cut the butter in with a pastry blender or fork until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Add the buttermilk and stir until the mixture comes together. Do not over-mix, or your biscuits will be tough.

6. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more buttermilk, about a tablespoon at a time. If it appears too runny, add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time.
7. Spray the inside of a quarter cup measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray and use it to scoop out your biscuits.

8. Drop the biscuits about an inch apart onto a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

9. Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

10. To make the whipped cream, place a metal mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Add the sugar and whipping cream to the chilled mixing bowl. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Store any unused portion in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
12. To assemble the strawberry shortcakes, slice the biscuits. Add a generous layer of whipped cream and a generous layer of strawberries to the bottom biscuit half. Place the top of the biscuit on top and repeat the layers. Serve immediately.

Frequently asked questions:

Sharon’s tips:

• Instead of strawberries, step out on the wild side and try substituting your favorite fruit or a combination of fruit and berries.  For example, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, nectarines, blueberries, cherries, or even figs would all be delicious. 
• Keep the butter cold until you are ready to make the biscuits. I use unsalted butter; if all you have is salted, reduce the amount of salt you use in this recipe. 
• Speaking of salt, I use kosher salt. If all you have is regular table salt, only use one-half as much. 
• Not in the mood to make biscuits or don’t have time? Substitute slices of angel food cake, or pound cake, or the small cake dessert shells you can purchase at your bakery.
• You can also substitute frozen whipped topping or canned whipped cream for homemade whipped cream too!
• Want to ramp up the flavor of the strawberries? Feel free to add a splash of Grand Marnier or a bit of lemon juice to the strawberry mixture. 

More desserts with fresh fruit:

If you like this fruit dessert, you might also be interested in these easy and popular recipes on my blog:

• Strawberry Trifle with Angel Food Cake
• Red, White, and Blue No-Bake Ice Box Cake
• Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie
• No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake
• The Best Apple Dumplings
• Southern-Style Fresh Peach Pie
• Easy Pear Pie
• Kumquat Pie
• Southern Peach Cobbler

If you need more menu ideas or recipes, check out all of my dessert recipes here.

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

Old-Fashioned Southern Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe

Sharon Rigsby

With fresh red, juicy strawberries, billowy clouds of whipped cream, and crunchy old-fashioned cornmeal shortcake biscuits, this quick, and easy dessert is as beautiful as it is delicious!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 14 mins

Macerate berries 30 mins

Total Time 59 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 8 servings

Calories 388 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Strawberry filling:

• ▢ 2 pounds fresh strawberries rinsed, hulled and sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar

Whipped cream:

• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream chilled
• ▢ ¼ cup confectioners sugar

Cornmeal shortcake biscuits:

• ▢ 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ⅔ cup cornmeal
• ▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
• ▢ 1½ cups buttermilk

Instructions

 

Strawberry filling:

• Mix the sliced strawberries and sugar in a bowl and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Cornmeal shortcake biscuits:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine everything. Or, if you don't have a food processor, place the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add the cubed butter to the mixture in the food processor and pulse a few times until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, you can cut the butter in with a pastry blender or fork until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the buttermilk and stir until the mixture comes together. Do not over-mix, or your biscuits will be tough. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more buttermilk, about a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture appears too runny, add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time.
• Spray the inside of a ¼ cup measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray and use it to scoop out your biscuits. Drop the biscuits about an inch apart onto a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Whipped cream:

• Place a metal mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place the sugar into the mixing bowl and add the whipping cream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Store any unused portion in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Assembly:

• To assemble, slice the biscuits. Add a generous layer of whipped cream and a generous layer of strawberries to the bottom biscuit half. Place the top of the biscuit on top and repeat the layers. Serve immediately.

Notes

Instead of strawberries, step out on the wild side and try substituting your favorite fruit or a combination of fruit and berries. For example, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, nectarines, blueberries, cherries, or even figs would all be delicious. 

Keep the butter cold until you are ready to make the biscuits. I use unsalted butter; if all you have is salted, reduce the salt by one-half. 

I use kosher salt in this recipe. If all you have is regular table salt, only use one-half as much. 

Not in the mood to make biscuits or don’t have time? Substitute slices of angel food cake, pound cake, or the small cake dessert shells you can purchase at your bakery.

You can also substitute frozen whipped topping or canned whipped cream for homemade whipped cream too!

Want to ramp up the flavor of the strawberries? Feel free to add a splash of Grand Marnier or a bit of lemon juice to the strawberry mixture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 60.2mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1.4mg

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**This recipe was originally published on February 15, 2018. It was republished on February 28, 2021, with new pictures, a new FAQ section, and expanded tips.