This strawberry shortcake is the ultimate treat! It’s super easy to make, incredibly moist, and bursting with fresh strawberries, fluffy vanilla bean whipped cream, and a drizzle of homemade strawberry syrup. It’s perfect for summer and holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with Fresh Strawberries: Loaded with juicy strawberries for that fresh summer taste.
- Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream: Light, sweet, and flavored with vanilla bean paste, it’s the perfect match for the strawberries.
- Moist and Delicious Cake: This isn’t your average sponge cake. It’s a super moist vanilla cake that melts in your mouth when paired with the whipped cream and strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
For the Strawberries:
- 3 cups fresh strawberries thinly sliced
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
For the Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and slightly fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternating between the two, until everything is combined and smooth. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake for 29-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Strawberries:
- Place the sliced strawberries in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with sugar and gently stir to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let the sugar dissolve and create a syrup.
- When ready to use, separate the strawberries from the juice.
For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream:
- In a chilled large bowl, whip the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form (about 1 minute).
- Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla bean paste. Mix on low speed until combined, then on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 1 more minute).
Assembling the Cake:
- Level the tops of the cake layers with a sharp knife if they have domed while baking.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons of strawberry syrup over the first cake layer.
- Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries on top.
- Spread about ⅓ of the whipped cream over the strawberries.
- Add another layer of strawberries over the whipped cream.
- Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the steps.
- Add the final cake layer, top with the remaining whipped cream, and decorate with the remaining strawberries.
- Drizzle with the leftover strawberry syrup and serve.