Creamy Raspberry and Strawberry Shortcake

I didn’t grow up eating homemade shortcake. My mom was more of a box-mix baker, and honestly, I thought that’s just how shortcake was supposed to be—kind of dense and sweet, more like cake than biscuit.

It wasn’t until I made shortcake from scratch that I realized what I’d been missing. Real shortcake is buttery and crumbly, almost like a scone but lighter. It’s the perfect base for fresh berries and whipped cream, especially when strawberries and raspberries are in season. And here’s the thing—it’s actually easier to make than you’d think. No mixer required, just cold butter and a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

What Kind of Berries Should I Use?

Fresh berries are always the best choice for shortcake, but frozen berries can work in a pinch if you thaw and drain them well first. When picking out strawberries, look for ones that are bright red all the way through with fresh green tops – avoid any with white shoulders or mushy spots. For raspberries, choose ones that hold their shape and aren’t leaking juice, as overly soft berries can make your shortcake soggy. If fresh berries aren’t in season, you might want to add a little extra sugar to help bring out their sweetness.

Options for Substitutions

This shortcake recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Butter: You can use margarine or even coconut oil if you prefer, though butter gives the best flavor. Make sure whatever you use is cold when mixing into the dough.
• Cornflour: If you don’t have cornflour on hand, just use regular flour instead. The texture will be slightly different but still tasty – your shortcake will be a bit less tender but still work perfectly fine.
• Cream: Heavy whipping cream works best here, but you can use thickened cream or even whipped coconut cream for a dairy-free option. Just make sure it’s cold before whipping.
• Berries: Feel free to mix things up with whatever berries you have – blueberries, blackberries, or even sliced peaches work great. You can also use frozen berries if fresh ones aren’t available, just thaw and drain them first.
• Vanilla essence: Vanilla extract works just as well, or you can try almond extract for a different flavor twist. Use the same amount either way.
• Icing sugar: Regular granulated sugar can replace icing sugar in the cream, though it won’t dissolve quite as smoothly. Give it a good whip to help it blend in.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making shortcake is overworking the dough, which develops the gluten and creates tough, dense biscuits instead of tender, crumbly ones – mix just until the ingredients come together and handle the dough as little as possible.

Skipping the chilling steps might seem like a time-saver, but warm dough spreads too much during baking and loses its shape, so those 20 minutes in the fridge before rolling and 10 minutes before baking really matter.

When it comes to the whipped cream, stop beating as soon as it holds firm peaks – over-whipping turns it grainy and buttery, making it impossible to pipe nicely.

Finally, assemble your shortcakes right before serving rather than hours ahead, since the moisture from the berries and cream will soften the layers and make them lose that perfect crisp-tender texture you worked so hard to achieve.

What to Serve With Raspberry and Strawberry Shortcake?

Honestly, this shortcake is pretty much a complete dessert on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side never hurts if you want to go all out. A cup of hot coffee or tea makes a great pairing since the slight bitterness balances out the sweetness of the berries and cream. If you’re serving this for a crowd, consider setting out some extra fresh berries on the side so people can add more if they want. You could also drizzle a little chocolate sauce or berry coulis over the top for an extra special touch.

Storage Instructions

Store: If you’ve already assembled your shortcakes, they’re best enjoyed right away since the cream will soften the cookies. But if you have leftovers, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The texture won’t be quite as crisp, but they’ll still taste great!

Make Ahead: The shortbread cookies can be baked up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also whip the cream a few hours ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge. Just assemble everything right before serving so the cookies stay nice and crispy.

Freeze: The unbaked shortbread dough freezes really well for up to 3 months. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and when you’re ready to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. The baked cookies also freeze well for up to a month in a freezer-safe container.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2700
• Protein: 25-30 g
• Fat: 170-190 g
• Carbohydrates: 240-260 g

Ingredients

For the shortcake dough:

• 5 oz butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1.75 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 0.4 cup cornstarch
• 0.4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cream filling:

• 1 cup heavy cream (must be very cold to ensure it whips to stiff peaks)
• 2.5 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the fruit assembly:

• strawberries (hulled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds)
• raspberries

Step 1: Prepare the Shortcake Dough

• 5 oz butter, cubed
• 1.75 cups flour
• 0.4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 0.4 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Cut the cold butter into small cubes and combine with flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible—this creates the tender, flaky texture that makes shortcake special.

Stir in the sugar, then add the egg and mix just until a shaggy dough comes together.

I prefer not to overmix at this stage, as it can make the shortcakes tough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Shape and Chill the Shortcakes

• shortcake dough from Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 3mm thickness.

Using a round cutter (about 2-3 inches in diameter), cut out 18 rounds—you’ll need three per serving for layering.

Place the cut shortcakes on the prepared trays, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Chill the shaped dough on the trays for another 10 minutes while the oven finishes preheating—this rest helps them hold their shape and bake evenly.

Step 3: Bake the Shortcakes Until Golden

• shaped shortcakes from Step 2

Bake the shortcakes for 15 minutes, or until they’re light golden brown on top and firm to the touch.

They should smell buttery and smell delicious—that’s your cue they’re done.

Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking trays for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, the shortcakes should be crisp on the outside with a tender crumb inside.

Step 4: Whip the Cream and Prepare Berries

• 1 cup heavy cream, very cold
• 2.5 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• strawberries, hulled and sliced
• raspberries

While the shortcakes cool, remove the heavy cream from the refrigerator and pour it into a clean, cold bowl—I cannot stress enough how important it is that the cream is very cold, as it’s the key to achieving stiff peaks quickly.

Using an electric mixer or whisk by hand, whip the cream until soft peaks form, then gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla while continuing to whip until firm peaks form and the cream looks fluffy and thick.

Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

While the cream whips, hull and slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch thick rounds, and leave the raspberries whole.

Step 5: Assemble and Garnish the Shortcakes

• cooled shortcakes from Step 3
• whipped cream from Step 4
• sliced strawberries and raspberries from Step 4

Place a cooled shortcake on a serving plate and pipe a generous dollop of whipped cream from Step 4 on top.

Add a few slices of strawberries and several raspberries over the cream.

Place a second shortcake on top and repeat the layering with more cream and berries.

Top with the third shortcake and finish with a final piping of whipped cream and a handful of fresh berries arranged on top.

Serve immediately while the shortcakes are still crisp and the cream is cold.

Creamy Raspberry and Strawberry Shortcake

Delicious Creamy Raspberry and Strawberry Shortcake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Servings 6 shortcakes

Calories 2600 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the shortcake dough::

• 5 oz butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1.75 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 0.4 cup cornstarch
• 0.4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cream filling::

• 1 cup heavy cream (must be very cold to ensure it whips to stiff peaks)
• 2.5 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the fruit assembly::

• strawberries (hulled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds)
• raspberries

Instructions

 

• Cut the cold butter into small cubes and combine with flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible—this creates the tender, flaky texture that makes shortcake special. Stir in the sugar, then add the egg and mix just until a shaggy dough comes together. I prefer not to overmix at this stage, as it can make the shortcakes tough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 3mm thickness. Using a round cutter (about 2-3 inches in diameter), cut out 18 rounds—you'll need three per serving for layering. Place the cut shortcakes on the prepared trays, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Chill the shaped dough on the trays for another 10 minutes while the oven finishes preheating—this rest helps them hold their shape and bake evenly.
• Bake the shortcakes for 15 minutes, or until they're light golden brown on top and firm to the touch. They should smell buttery and smell delicious—that's your cue they're done. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking trays for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, the shortcakes should be crisp on the outside with a tender crumb inside.
• While the shortcakes cool, remove the heavy cream from the refrigerator and pour it into a clean, cold bowl—I cannot stress enough how important it is that the cream is very cold, as it's the key to achieving stiff peaks quickly. Using an electric mixer or whisk by hand, whip the cream until soft peaks form, then gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla while continuing to whip until firm peaks form and the cream looks fluffy and thick. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. While the cream whips, hull and slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch thick rounds, and leave the raspberries whole.
• Place a cooled shortcake on a serving plate and pipe a generous dollop of whipped cream from Step 4 on top. Add a few slices of strawberries and several raspberries over the cream. Place a second shortcake on top and repeat the layering with more cream and berries. Top with the third shortcake and finish with a final piping of whipped cream and a handful of fresh berries arranged on top. Serve immediately while the shortcakes are still crisp and the cream is cold.