Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Biscuits, strawberries, whipped cream. Those are the base components of a classic strawberry shortcake. I vary it a little by using Chantilly cream which is a more indulgent version of whipped cream: heavy cream whipped with sugar and vanilla extract. The biscuits are a variation of my go-to recipe, but sweeter and incorporating Rose Levey Beranbaum’s trick of adding hard-cooked egg yolk for extra color, lightness and tenderness (the regular version also works very well, though I suggest using all butter versus half butter and half lard). You’ll need:
11 ounces (2 cups) White Lily all-purpose (NOT self-rising) flour OR a combination of 5 ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour plus 6 ounces (1 1/4 cups) cake flour
2 hard-cooked egg yolks, pressed through a fine mesh strainer
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ounce sugar
2 ounces cold butter, cut into small pieces
6 ounces (3/4 cup) buttermilk
About 4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
4 tablespoons sugar
1 recipe Chantilly Cream (see Components Menu)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees, arranging a rack on the top shelf of the oven. Once that’s done, combine the fruit and the sugar and allow to sit (macerate).
Sift the flour and leavening together into a bowl. Add the salt and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Add butter and rub between your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add cold buttermilk and with a spatula, slowly and gently bring the dough together. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead once or twice to form a smooth dough. Pat into a mass about 3/4″ inch thick and using a biscuit cutter, cut into 2 3/4″ rounds. You’ll have 7-8 portions. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and bake 10-12 minutes until golden.
Prepare the Chantilly cream. When the biscuits have cooled, split them and lay them on individual plates. Spoon on some of the Chantilly cream, then a layer of the macerated strawberries, then apply the tops of the biscuits. Add another layer of Chantilly cream and finish with more strawberries. Consume immediately, with gusto.
I am curious what the hard boiled eggs do for the shortcake?
Hey Erica! That’s an excellent question. The hard boiled egg yolks do a couple of things. Primarily, they help make the biscuits tender. They do that by adding bulk to the dough but without bringing any more gluten to the party, if you follow me. Flour is the building material of a bread but the gluten it contains is only useful to a point. Yes it helps trap expanding gas, but it’s also stretchy, chewy stuff. To undermine that chewiness, bakers often employ an alternate building material that doesn’t contribute any more gluten. Frequently that’s corn starch, but finely grated egg yolk also works well — plus it adds a little color!
Thanks for the question,
– Joe
Can I make these a day ahead? I want to serve these at a BBQ but I don’t have time in the morning to make them. If I make them the night before, will the biscuits still be good?
Chantilly Cream- you have heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla.. what are the exact amount to do the Chantilly Cream? Also, what does this recipe yield, thanks.
Hey Vicky!
Look under the Pastry Components menu and you’ll find the recipe. It yields about 2 1/2 cups.
– Joe