Strawberry Shortcake

For those of us online, it doesn’t really matter where on earth you reside, American foods are shared on social media, oftentimes with little explanation to non Americans. A kind of assumption that you should just ‘know’ about these dishes and today we’re getting into Strawberry Shortcake.

Tour the stack

The happy union of strawberries and cream dates back to the 1500’s, which is also the same century as shortcake’s origin.

Because these dishes exist separately outside this dessert, we have a record of how the two facets of strawberry shortcake; the strawberries and cream element’s were first paired together.

Strawberries and Cream: a Wimbledon tradition with a long history

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (or rather, his cook!) is often credited with first serving this treat.

the actual location this was first served still stands today, Hampton Court Palace, outside London.

At the time it had one of the largest kitchens in the country; and Cardinal Thomas had a close relationship to King Henry VIII. You know, the one who was known for three main things - having six wives. Which is linked to one of the best sayings for remembering a historical fact ‘Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.’ Secondly, Henry created a new Church of England (in order to divorce his first wife). And thirdly, he is known for being incredibly gluttonous.

For those who want to share other things King Henry VIII is remembered for, go ahead in the comments.

Anyway, the reason for strawberries and cream even becoming a thing was thanks to King Henry coming to Hampton Court Palace. With one of the Cardinal’s cooks clearly not having enough time to prepare a more involved dessert. So he coupled these two ingredients together for the first recorded time.

A field of poppies sits in front of Hampton Court Palace courtesy of Go World Travel.

This was worthy of note thanks to the article Strawberries and Cream: a Wimbledon tradition with a long history as

Dairy produce was considered ‘peasant food’ but, if the king ate it, then everyone else was going to as well. And so the combination gained popularity.

The strawberries that would have been served at this time would have come from wild strawberries that still grow in the woods throughout the United Kingdom. Because it would be a couple more centuries before the variety most of us know and love today, would have been created thanks to cross breeding.

I’m not going to go into that in more detail as this isn’t really the time. But just know, one day there will be deep dive into strawberries, because the British are known for their love of this fruit on a scale that outdoes virtually everywhere else on earth, and that’s for good reason. Now let’s get into the shortcake portion of this dessert with the word being a type of description as

Short meaning crumbly from the Old English ‘cruma’ is a term that came to be in the 15th century, adding a large amount of fat or ‘shortening’ to flour resulting in a crumbly or ‘short’ texture.

Quoting from the article ‘What is the true origin of the Strawberry Shortcake’

There is a connection in shortcake and shortbread; as the fat in both these dishes is what creates that signature tender texture. Anyway, Tori Avery in her article Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe reveals

The first record of the term “short cake” and the earliest recipe for it, an unleavened rich cookie, was in the anonymous Elizabethan cookbook The Good Huswifes Handmaid for Cookerie in her Kitchen (London, 1588), the second printed English cookbook. Within a decade, Shakespeare used the term shortcake for the name a character in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Shakespeare named her Alice Shortcake for those interested.

We see how shortcake came into it’s own from Serious Eats

In the late 16th century, author Thomas Dawson included a shortcake recipe in one of his cookbooks. It's remarkably similar to today's versions, calling for clotted cream or sweet butter (but recommending clotted cream more), though his also adds an egg yolk as well as mace, clove, and saffron for a more spiced flavor.

Adding spices was the norm for most desserts at this time. So you could say we see here how they add spices in the way we would add vanilla extract today.

There was the doughty doughnut, the tender oly koek, and the crisp and crumbling cruller; sweet cakes and short cakes, ginger cakes and honey cakes, and the whole family of cakes.” - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving

According to the article Strawberry Shortcake by Restaurant Hospitality in May 1995

American shortcake was first mentioned in print by Washington Irving in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow back in 1821.

And according to Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe by Tori Avery

A transitional stage in the development of the modern strawberry shortcake was “Strawberry Cakes” found in the June 1, 1845 issue (page 86) of The Ohio Cultivator (Columbus), which entailed a thick unleavened cookie, split, layered with fresh strawberries, and covered with a hard sugar-and-egg white icing: “Cover the whole top and sides with an icing made in the usual way, of beaten white of egg and powdered loaf-sugar. Although already raspberries were offered as an alternative (and soon sliced peaches), strawberries would remain the preference. Before the icing is quite dry, ornament the top with whole strawberries…”

Two years later and

Shortly after The Lady’s Receipt-Book, leavened shortcakes emerged as the most popular pastry for American strawberry cakes, although still made without whipped cream, and immediately the term strawberry shortcake took off in America.

And we see this further cemented into what we know it as today with

A June 1862 issue of the Genesse Farmer (Rochester) described a "Strawberry Shortcake" made up of layers of soda biscuit, fresh berries, sugar, and cream.

With Wikipedia noting that

A similar recipe appeared in Jennie June's American Cookery Book (1866) by Jane Cunningham Croly. The first known cookbook by a black woman in the United States, A Domestic Cook Book (1866) by Malinda Russell, also contains a recipe.

The several features represent a wider audience becoming acquainted with the dessert and a few years later

With the advent of the new transcontinental railroad in 1869, the shipment of California strawberries on ice contributed to a surge in popularity of shortcake throughout the country.

Quoting again from the incredibly detailed Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe by Tori Avery.

One of the most fascinating elements of the history of Strawberry Shortcake is how it established itself in Asia, specifically Japan. It is also beloved and consumed in Korea, but in my research it was hard to establish that history, so I’ll only be going into Japan here.

In 1912, a Japanese chef named Fujii Rin'emon traveled to the U.S. and discovered an iteration of strawberry shortcake that used sponge cake, strawberries, and whipped cream.

Quoting there from The Delicious Evolution Of Strawberry Shortcake

The sponge referenced there is clarified thanks to Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects

a strawberry shortcake might consist of soft, fluffy chiffon-style sponge filled with fruit and cream

Light and fluffy cakes is something we see very much beloved in Japanese desserts. Or even with the sandwiches filled to the brim with cream and a pretty line of strawberries in the center. And though there are different origins for these desserts, Japan and the United States had quite an amicable relationship, particularly in trade during the 17 and 1800’s until the early 1900’s when things soured in the United States with immigration attitudes and policies towards China. This expanded to include Japan, particularly the Japanese Exclusion in the 1920’s followed by Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

A Japanese chiffon, cream and strawberry cake sits on a cake server.

This is relevant as it wasn’t until

After WWII, as Japan and the U.S. mended their relationship and engaged in more trade, yogashi became more accessible, and this unique descendent of strawberry shortcake became just as popular as its ancestor is in the States.

Nowadays, strawberry shortcake is particularly popular at one particular time of year.

Christmas cake is widely-consumed during the holiday season in Japan, inspired by Western desserts (known as "yogashi" in Japanese).

Quoting from The Delicious Evolution Of Strawberry Shortcake there.

The chiffon style serving of shortcake resembles the fact that at times this dessert has been served alongside or on top of sponge and angel food cake in the United States. Though it’s most often served in one particularly way now, which we’ll dig into in the next chapter.

Shortcake

The true shortcake is neither bread, nor cake, nor pastry, though bearing what might be called a ‘differing likeness’ to each. It is a modernized form of the pandowdies of our grandmothers.

—May 1894 issue of The New England Kitchen (Boston)

We first need to ask what defines a shortcake?

This is a particularly relevant question when we consider

Over the years, sponge cake, angel food cake, and puff pastry have all been used as the base for strawberry desserts.

Quoting from The Delicious Evolution Of Strawberry Shortcake

And we see how many across the United States made this dish their own in the article Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe

In the 20th century, many Americans, especially Northerners with little familiarity or experience with soda biscuits, developed a preference for substituting pound cake, angel food cake, or hot-milk sponge cake as the base.

My traditional method when covering a recipe is to do a bunch of research and find the common ground in ingredients. And then share the ways in which they affect each other and how to make the best version of this dish for yourself in your own kitchen.

When considering a strawberry shortcake, this becomes a little messy as to some this is a cake served with whipped buttercream and strawberries in the center. In fact, you could say a Victoria Sponge Cake is a type of shortcake. As summed up by Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects

Over time shortcake has evolved to take on several forms.

So to define what shortcake is, requires also factoring in what it’s role is in the dessert thanks to the article Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe

Shortcake proves the ideal base, as it is firm enough to stand up to the juicy berries and damp cream and absorbing only some of them without losing its identity or becoming a mushy mess.

These days, the American strawberry shortcake usually features a biscuit filled with fresh cream and macerated strawberries.

Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects

Ultimately what defines a shortcake and what you are most likely to find 9 times out of 10 when searching images of this dessert is an American style biscuit (a type of cousin to the scone) which has a tender, but somewhat dry texture making it perfect as a base for the other components of this dessert.

However, there is another facet that needs acknowledgment and that’s the height of the shortcake, which is also one reason why either a cake base or an American style biscuit works is because they’ve got enough body to hold the toppings without getting soggy or falling apart. We’re going to come back back to the different bases that act as the shortcake; but for now we’ll say we’ve defined that the majority of recipes for strawberry shortcake include this type of quick bread. So, is there actually a difference between American biscuits and shortcakes?

According to Southern Living, yes they are different.

Where they differ is that shortcakes typically contain a higher amount of sugar, baking powder, and sometimes an egg for a fluffier result than standard biscuits, making them perfect for dessert applications.

This is where I did do some research to consider what makes a standard shortcake. With 8 recipes reviewed and all calling for all-purpose flour and baking powder. With a further 50% of the recipes also calling for baking soda alongside the baking powder.

If a recipe includes buttermilk or sour cream, these are acidic ingredients that help the baking soda react creating carbon dioxide and helping them rise during the baking process. In the case of the Kitchen Projects shortcake, there is no acidity in the dairy, but lemon juice is stirred through the cream which is acidic so helps provide the necessary chemical reaction for that rise as the shortcakes bake.

Additionally, baked goods brown better in an alkaline environment which is created when we add baking soda. So it helps to give the shortcakes a nice golden exterior alongside butter, sugar, eggs, where they were used, and flour.

Plain or all purpose flour has an average protein level of 10-12% (this can vary from country to country, so if you’re unsure, definitely check what yours is nationally). This protein amount of 10-12% contributes to a tender texture that helps achieving the ideal bite and color in our baked goods.

With Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects recommending

you should generally try to use the lowest protein all purpose flour you can find to maximize the tenderness of the shortcakes, though you’ll have a delicious product regardless of what you use.

The ideal texture is one that is tender, but can hold itself together, which requires you mix the dough together until no dry portions remain in the edges of your bowl, but Southern Living reminds us to

Avoid overworking the dough to keep your shortcakes light and tender. Work quickly to keep the cold bits of butter intact for the flakiest results.

We’re going to come back to making the dough. But whilst we’re on the topic of flour, well, there was a quote I discovered whilst researching this episode that stuck out. What remains from a settler diary in the New World as per PBS SoCal

"We cannot set down foot but tread on strawberries," wrote one Englishman. Native Americans crushed the bountiful berries with cornmeal to make a cake that might have served as the inspiration for the first strawberry shortcake.

Some shortcakes include cornmeal, minimally so, but the historical use of cornmeal cakes to serve ripe strawberries by Native American’s links to the continued use of some cornmeal being used in these cakes.

Shortcakes made with plain and a mixture of plain and buckwheat and cornmeal flours sit halved on a tray from Kitchen Projects.

And it’s clear Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects understood this because she did some further testing

in the spirit of treating shortcakes as a blank slate, I subbed 20% of the all purpose flour for both cornmeal and buckwheat. 20% is generally my go-to for adding in alternative flours without changing the structure of a baked good too much. Both the nubby yellow cornmeal and the nutty buckwheat shortcake offered their own charms. I could imagine pairing a cornmeal shortcake with fresh peaches and a buckwheat shortcake with plums, for instance.

Bronwyn doesn’t just provide a base for strawberries here, but also a recipe that you can amend slightly for a dessert that lasts from spring through to late summer using seasonal produce. A cornmeal shortcake would also taste exceptional with a blueberry and/or blackberry jam. Or fresh apricots macerated with a little lime juice.

For anyone not following Bronwyn on socials, I’m going to link her Insta Bayou Saint Cake in the caption as she knows her stuff and is publishing a book in 2027.

Moving on from flour, all of the recipes in my research use sugar in the dough with two not specifying, but the remaining six using granulated or white sugar which are effectively the same. They are refined sugars that add sweetness to the dough without contributing other flavors. This helps bring out the flavors from vanilla extract and the dairy used.

In 7 of the 8 recipes, butter was called for in the shortcake dough. With the butter being rubbed or cut into the dry ingredients until fine and resembling course crumbs. This process helps coat the flour to inhibit gluten formation and ensure a tender texture once the wet ingredients are added.

This isn’t a video about biscuits, but ultimately most of the scientific testing have been completed on biscuits so this is the best place to start when we delve into dairy in these quick breads. With butter, King Arthur Baking puts it well in how else it affects the biscuits.

Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

Like biscuits, dairy is included in virtually every shortcake recipe. In the eight recipes in my research, five called for cream with 3 of these calling for heavy cream, one calling for half-and-half and the remaining calling for double cream.

The biggest difference between these three is the fat content as per Eating Well,

Half-and-half combines equal parts whole milk and heavy cream, with 10.5%-18% milk fat content.

Whereas heavy cream is between 36-40% fat and double cream is approximately 48% fat. Though these can be used interchangeably here.

Two of the 8 recipes call for milk with one of those also calling for buttermilk powder and we see how these interact thanks to King Arthur Baking

milk and half & half should yield very similar results, with the half & half biscuits just slightly more tender

The remaining two shortcake recipes call for buttermilk and sour cream separately. So we’re going to look at all the dairy ingredients in these recipes and compare results.

Buttermilk is poured into a glass on a wooden board on a gray surface.

King Arthur Baking notes that

Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang

And Sally’s Baking Addiction adds,

Buttermilk offers similar acid levels as sour cream (a bit more, even), thus it can offer similar effects.

In the case of the recipes calling for buttermilk and sour cream; these are both acidic so help add a nice color to the baked shortcakes; whilst also helping them rise during the baking phase. As well as providing a nice tender crumb.

Because sour cream is acidic, but also high in fat, Neme’s Kitchen in their Baking Institution post notes that

Sour cream adds a velvety, creamy texture to baked goods. Its high fat content contributes to moistness in cakes, muffins, and quick breads. Baked goods made with sour cream tend to be tender and soft.

This helps provide a mid point between heavy cream and buttermilk biscuits with King Arthur Baking noting in their tests

The heavy cream biscuit is slightly paler than the other three, while the half & half version is the evenly brown. The buttermilk and sour cream versions are somewhere in the middle in terms of color: nicely caramelized around the edges.

Butter and buttermilk biscuits. They're delightful in all ways you'd expect a biscuit to be, and a little lighter than their heavy cream counterpart. Butter/buttermilk biscuits are flaky, creamy, and downright comforting.

In King Arthur Baking’s test they found the rise in their biscuits was pretty consistent with their buttermilk biscuits

just a smidge taller than the rest

Overall, the texture and flavor of the biscuits or in our case shortcakes would be very similar. Just think of what you want in the final baked result. A shortcake recipe calling for milk will have a light color and less flavorful flavor when compared with using the other dairies in shortcakes. When cream is called for the flavor will be light, whilst sour cream or buttermilk will add a slight tang that works to compliment strawberries and cream.

Lastly, only one of the recipes in my research used heavy cream without rubbing in butter prior to the dough, so some shortcake recipes might call for this method, but I could not see what the reviewers said in this case, so cannot speak for how this shortcake is when compared with some of the others in my research.

Half of the recipes in my research called for an egg in addition to the dairy. This addition not only helps bind the ingredients together to create a cohesive dough, but also provides moisture and leavening for a slightly higher rise as Bronwyn Wyatt noted when she made a batch without the addition of an egg.

To be fair, four of the eight recipes didn’t include eggs; with two of these being drop biscuits and one being baked in one large piece of dough and cut into equal portions. So if this is a method you’d prefer then folding dough and cutting out with a biscuit or cookie cutter, then these are great options.

Five of the eight recipes in my research include vanilla extract in the dough with 1 replacing the vanilla extract with lemon zest. Vanilla is a natural pairing for strawberries and cream and adds beautiful dimension whilst lemon’s acidity adds a great combination also.

When it comes to making the dough, the most consistent advice across all the recipes was to keep your ingredients cold. In fact, you can cut your butter into consistent pieces, return to the fridge whilst you mix the dry ingredients together and then take it out of the fridge to ensure it is as cold as possible.

7 of the 8 recipes rubbed or cut the butter into the flour and then added the dairy, and/or egg and vanilla extract, when called for. Only one of the recipes covers and refrigerates the dough prior to baking. Which is reflective of how quickly the dough should come together. Only two of the recipes in my research actually layer and stack the shortcake dough to create those nice layers.

When making the dough, you want to work fast. And if it’s a warm day or your kitchen is hot, chill the flour and butter mixture before adding the other dairy and forming your dough. And the same once you’ve formed your dough. The key when adding the wet ingredients to the dry is not to whip the mixture. Don’t stir together frantically just because you’re thinking you need to work quickly. Because this will affect how the gluten forms and could make tough shortcakes.

There’s a saying that aligns perfectly that is helpful to repeat if you’re wanting to rush when you’re doing baking like this. ‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.’ It means you’re controlling your movement. And that leads to faster results with a successful outcome, than working frantically and then having to re-do the whole thing.

Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects notes with the stacking method

This final stack meant the shortcakes could be easily split in half with a fork, preserving the craggy texture of the split (rather than sliced) biscuit (perfect for soaking up strawberry juice).

A nice crack in the edges of shortcake or biscuit is a helpful marker on where to lightly pull apart to create a nice rustic base for the toppings.

There are so many facets to shortcakes and one is where you use a biscuit or cookie cutter or simply cut into squares with a knife, before or after baking. Three of the recipes called for rolling the dough out and using biscuit or cookie cutters. If you’re following a recipe like this, it’s most helpful to form your dough into one nice thick piece. But roll out with intention, so you can cut out as many shortcakes from the dough as possible; and only have to re-roll the dough minimally thereafter.

Also, this piece of advice from King Arthur Baking matters when we consider what we’re using to cut them out:

For highest-rising biscuits, use a sharp biscuit cutter, rather than a drinking glass. A sharp cutter cuts the edges cleanly, rather than mashing them together; a sharp cut allows the biscuits to rise higher.

Some bakers recommend baking the biscuits packed tightly together in a skillet or other baking dish with edges, such as in the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction; because this will help them rise better as they can’t spread outwards as much. Something to consider, if this is has been an issue for you in the past or something you want to avoid.

Biscuits sitting tightly in a cast iron skilled on a marble surface from Sally's Baking Addiction.

The last piece of the shortcake puzzle lies in the temperature to bake the cakes. So much of the final texture goes into the temperature; with the 8 recipes in my research ranging from 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit or 200-232 degrees celsius. The reason they bake so high is to create steam from the butter, which helps the shortcakes rise as the steam evaporates. Additionally, try not to touch the oven door until as close as possible to the time they’re done. Because opening the oven will introduce cold air and lead to the shortcakes collapsing.

Finally, some people like to glaze the tops of their shortcakes with milk or egg yolk and/or a rough sugar. You can absolutely do this, but it’s not essential. Unless you want a real textural difference with a crunch from the sugar or you want a particularly golden topping.

When it comes time to serve, some people spread a little butter on their base. It could be plain or infused with orange zest or ground cinnamon. Apparently this is a hit and felt worth recommending. King Arthur Baking dives into this in their article How to make great strawberry shortcake.

Strawberries

We’ve spent a bunch of time on the shortcakes, because they’re the most involved part of this dessert. But honestly, for me, they’re really a vessel for juicy strawberries. And one of the most fun pieces of this dessert was learning

Tori Avery Strawberry Shortcake – A History & Recipe

Many Americans would hold shortcake parties every year to enjoy the new crop of strawberries and celebrate the imminent onset of summer.

In 7 of the 8 recipes the instructions begin with the strawberries. Tossing them with sugar in a process called maceration. The definition of macerate is to (apple dictionary)

Soften or become softened by soaking in a liquid

This is a type of cooking without the use of heat as the fruit softens from it’s original texture and also soaks up the flavor from the juice that is created in the process.

4 of the recipes simply call for stirring the strawberries with sugar helping draw the ambient moisture out of the fruit. With two further recipes adding lemon juice, helping draw out further liquid and adding dimension to those juices.

Most recipes recommend macerating for as long as possible before serving with The Kitchn suggesting

Macerated strawberries can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before serving. The longer they sit, the more their flavors will concentrate and intensify. They’ll also get softer and release more juices, so you may want to use a slotted spoon to scoop the berries onto the biscuits to avoid a soggy shortcake.

The most important detail in that suggestion is that if you like a strawberry with a bite, you’ll find after 24 hours it’ll be closer in texture to a jammy strawberry. So do consider the texture you want the fruit to have before you begin to macerate.

Macerated roughly chopped strawberries sit together.

In my research, Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects was the most detailed, beginning with the scientific base flavors of a strawberry

A fully ripe wild strawberry might have fruity aromas shared by peaches and pineapple, backed by bracing esters also responsible for the scents of caramel, pine needles, bay leaf, grapes, and citrus.

When we consider strawberries in this dessert we’re probably thinking about the bright, slightly acidic flavors within them. There is something so absolutely delightful about their aroma and taste, but when we consider the flavor we might not be able to understand the nuance within it.

If we buy strawberries from the supermarket and we didn’t or couldn’t smell them and we’re tossing in the recommended amount of sugar from the recipe we’re following and this pivotal element is lackluster, it can make or break the dish.

Bronwyn breaking down these nuances means even if we have those circumstances, we can bring out the best notes with a little extra work.

Bronwyn

macerated some supermarket strawberries with a little sugar and a splash of pineapple juice, let them sit for an hour until their juices were drawn out and tinged pink, and then reduced this liquid with a few bay leaves until it was thick and syrupy. I then added a couple drops of orange blossom water. The result was remarkable - the liquid tasted alive.

Another option if we don’t have the time or the ingredients to replicate her efforts we add our sugar and

balsamic is similarly rich in methyl anthranilate, which also gives a ripe strawberry its fruity scent.

Therefore, balsamic will create a similar reaction and depth of flavor.

You can absolutely add a little sliver of fresh ginger or springs of fresh mint to the strawberries or sprinkle over a little ground cinnamon. In fact, several years ago someone suggested adding ground cinnamon to a simple serving of strawberries and cream and it was a game-changer. Cinnamon is a natural sweetener, so it helps bring out the flavors in the strawberries.

One recipe in my research added one ingredient to the maceration that differed from all the others. Southern Living recommends optional almond extract. Strawberries and almonds are from the same family, they’re cousins in the Rose family, so this would also add nuance and dimension to the fruit with minimal effort.

I know I’ve just thrown a lot of suggestions at you, but effectively, yes strawberries and sugar work together, but adding just a couple of little extras can take this dessert to the next level. Btw saying strawberries every time is a mouthful, I usually just call them strawbs.

On to the

Cream

Of all the elements in this dessert, the cream is the most simple to create. No recipe in my research suggested using store-bought whipped cream or if you’re in the United States, there was no mention of cool whip either.

Only 1 of the 8 recipes in my research didn’t include sugar, and four of the recipes specified granulated sugar for the cream with the remaining two calling for powdered sugar.

Sugar acts to stabilize and sweeten the cream. For those who whip their cream without sugar, Bronwyn states her opinion in the Kitchen Projects substack where she compares whipped cream to unsalted food. Sugar can help cut through some of the richness in the cream.

Though 5 of the 8 recipes also call for vanilla extract. An additional recipe for the whipped cream includes lemon zest and 1 calls for both extract and lemon zest.

Lemon zest contains oils that acts as a light infusion in the cream and pairs well when served alongside the strawberries. In another video on Posset recently I dive into infusing cream, you’re welcome to watch that after this one, here.

Creams with lower fat content such as whipping or single cream are helpful in one way,

The lower fat content means the cream won’t break or turn to butter as quickly as higher-fat versions.

This means you can whip the cream without stressing of whipping to the point it thickens beyond that nice fluffy whipped stage, you know the point where it starts to look slightly curdled.

Whipping until soft peaks where it just holds itself together is easiest. That allows you to spoon soft lashings on top of your strawberries. All recipes recommended whipping the cream just prior to serving, though Southern Living also suggests

Whip the cream fresh before using. A cold bowl will help it whip up faster. To keep this dessert stable for a longer period of time, consider adding mascarpone, crème fraîche, or cream cheese to the whipped cream to help stabilize it.

Bronwyn Wyatt from Kitchen Projects advises

When I was still dolloping cream on a restaurant line, we would whip the cream till it had just thickened and store it in a tall metal container with a balloon whisk. We’d then re-whip the cream to order to ensure it remained velvety and supple, rather than stiff and grainy.

You can absolutely use Bronwyn’s advice here and prepare the whipped cream in advance with a little re-whip just prior to serving.

The last thing that feels worthy of mentioning with the cream is that it is abundantly clear the order the elements go when it comes to serving this dessert up. Shortcake, strawberries and cream. That cream will cling to the juices and sweetness of the strawberries and compliment both the fruit and that shortcake to create this well rounded taste on our palate and that is why fresh whipped cream is pivotal here.

Magic in the rustic

There’s something so charming about Strawberry Shortcake. The fact that no two plates are exact; the crags on the edges of the shortcake, the level of strawberry syrup that has soaked into the base, the dollop of whipped cream on top. Each is as individual as the people it’s being served to.

Described beautifully in the article The murky origins of strawberry shortcake from Mashed

There is nothing froufrou or hoity-toity about strawberry shortcakes, and that simplicity is one reason for its long-running popularity.

And Rebecca Frey from Serious Eats reminds us that

When it's time to serve, just remember that these are meant to be rustic so don't fuss too much over a perfect presentation.

Diving into this dessert led me to many iterations of how people make and/or serve it; the types of ingredients they might add to their shortcake from spices to egg yolks. The comments on whipped cream and preparing the strawberries. Almost everyone who speaks about strawberry shortcake does so with a confidence in their own methods and it meets their standards of what satisfies them. There is something so perfect in eschewing the Google SEO language of ‘best’ here.

If all you have time for is buying some ready made chiffon cake, strawberries and whipping cream because you’ve been given no notice for guests. It’ll be a hit. Or you have some spare sour cream in the fridge and want something that you can whip up with minimal effort to go with a more high maintenance dinner. People will light up.

A strawberry shortcake on a red lined white ceramic plate on a stone surface from Southern Living.

This quote from the May 1995 Restaurant Hospitality says it better than I can.

The remarkable thing about strawberry shortcake is that no matter how lumpy or misshapen it looks when it comes to the table, it still always looks festive, lavish, and quite special

And Our Coast’s Food: Strawberry Shortcake reminds us that even if there might be a particular type of shortcake, the boundary on what makes that base is pretty loosey goosey

I don’t believe a “proper” strawberry shortcake exists. The dessert seems more a matter of personal taste. Each version is authenticated by the nostalgia to which it is linked.

This dessert is a reminder of the timelessness of rustic food. The types of dishes we don’t necessarily feel compelled to pull out our cameras for. But it provides comfort when served and reminds us to live right here and now, enjoying the bounties of the present day and being grateful for the company of others.

Strawberry shortcake’s charm lies in it’s ability to be simple, messy and so utterly perfect in it’s imperfection. Exactly like the people we enjoy it alongside. Creating memories that will one day make us nostalgic for the moments we’re in right now.

Okay, we’ll I’m now off to make some strawbs shortcake, thank you so much for your time. I would love love love to hear what your favorite memories are when you think about this dessert, so please share in the comments. Several years ago I was chatting to co-workers about Victoria Sponge Cake and everyone had a story and that’s just the beauty of food.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this, please like share with anyone who might enjoy it. Please subscribe so you can be notified when the next episode drops. I do need to admit, my goal was to publish an episode every week, but I do all the work for each video on top of running my website and I use no AI because without all that work I wouldn’t be able to create this the way I do, so it’s slower going than I want, but I hope you stick around anyway.

I will see you in the next one, thanks, Ka kite an? and tschüss