Blueberry Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

This Blueberry Strawberry Shortcake recipe is a fun twist on a classic dessert! Made with fresh berries and piles of whipped cream, this recipe highlights the natural goodness of the fruit flavors and features a soft and tender shortcake.

Each component can be made ahead, so it is an easy option to serve at a casual summer party!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Soft & Tender Shortcakes: These shortcakes are soft, buttery, not too sweet, but sweet enough. They are the perfect combination of a biscuit and a sugar cookie. The dough is easy to make and comes together quickly, resulting in light and fluffy shortcakes that are irresistible.

Make-Ahead: Each step of this recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, which is perfect for busy schedules or entertaining guests. It is so nice to whip up a delicious dessert without the stress of having to do it all at once.

Perfect for Summer Holidays: With fresh strawberries and blueberries, this recipe is perfect for summer holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. The bright colors and flavors of the berries make it a festive and patriotic dessert that everyone will love. Plus, it's a great way to use up those fresh berries that are abundant during the summer months.

Strawberry Cheesecake salad is another tasty recipe that can be customized with blueberries for a patriotic summer dish.

What are Shortcakes?

Shortcakes are a light and delicate dessert that is similar to a biscuit or scone. They are made using similar ingredients as biscuits and scones, but they are usually sweeter and have a more tender texture.

The term "short" comes from the use of the ingredient shortening, and generally means that this is a cake made with the addition of fat. In this recipe, I use butter as it is more flavorful and something most people keep in their kitchen.

Ingredient Information

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients, including measurements.

Butter - Use cold butter as that helps create a soft and flaky shortcake. This recipe uses salted butter. If you are using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Baking Powder - This is the leavening agent for this recipe. Not only does it make the shortcakes rise so they are light and fluffy, but it also contributes to the soft texture.

Heavy Cream - Heavy whipping cream is used both in the shortcakes, as well as to make the homemade whipped cream that tops the shortcakes. You will need 3 cups total. Use cream that has at least 35% milk fat.

Berries - Traditional shortcake is made with strawberries, this recipe adds fresh blueberries, which adds color, flavor, and texture. Choose brightly colored, slightly firm berries that are at their peak in freshness.

How to Make Shortcakes

1) Macerate the Berries

• Macerating is the process of softening an ingredient by soaking it in liquid.
• For this recipe, cut the strawberries, toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar, and let them hang out in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• This allows the sugar to draw out the juices of the strawberries, and you end up with sweet strawberries swimming in a luscious juice.
• I prefer to macerate the strawberries and leave the blueberries firm. This provides variety in texture. But if you want both of the berries to be soft then you can increase the sugar to ½ cup and sprinkle it over both berries.

2) Whip the Cream

• Whip the cream using a hand or stand mixer, until the cream thickens.
• Alternatively, you can make your whipped cream in a dispenser which makes it easy and fun to pipe onto the shortcakes.
• Next, add the sugar and vanilla, and continue to whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.

3) Make the Shortcakes

• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or fork until it forms coarse crumbs.
• The flour and butter should be in consistent pea-sized pieces.
• Use a large rubber spatula to mix in the heavy cream.
• Turn the dough, crumbs, and all, onto a lightly floured surface and push them together to form a ball.
• If you need to drizzle a little more heavy cream to get things to stick together that is okay, but once you start kneading it everything should come together.
• Roll the dough out to ½-inch thickness.
• Use a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter to cut out the shortcakes, then place them onto a prepared baking sheet. They should be touching each other. This allows the biscuits to support each other as they rise, making them nice and tall.
• Brush the tops of the shortcakes with a little more heavy cream and sprinkle with some coarse sugar.
• Bake until they are golden brown.

 4) Assemble

• Allow the shortcakes to cool for about 10 minutes. Then slice them in half horizontally.
• Place the bottom half on a serving plate and top with whipped cream and the macerated berries.
• Add the second half, then top with more whipped cream and fruit.

Expert Tips

• I like to grate my butter with a food processor or box grater and then freeze it. This way it is really cold but still cuts into the dry ingredients well. The cold butter helps make flaky shortcakes.
• Double-check the expiration date of your baking powder. It needs to be fresh.
• Don't overmix the dough. Just work it until it sticks together. This is important to keep the biscuits tender.
• For the most volume and the best texture, use very cold whipped cream and chill the bowl in the freezer before whipping.
• If you are making the whipped cream ahead of time, it is best to stabilize your whipped cream to keep it from getting runny. This whipped cream recipe is my favorite way to stabilize!
• I prefer to macerate the strawberries and leave the blueberries firm. This provides variety in texture.

Shortcake Variations

Lemon Berry Shortcakes: Lemon is a delightful complement to berries. Add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the shortcakes. You can also add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the berry mixture. Lemon curd is also a delicious additional layer!

Chocolate Shortcakes: Use 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ cup butter, and 1 ½ cups heavy cream for the shortcakes.

Boozy Strawberries: For additional flavor, add 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, Limoncello, or Francelico to the sliced strawberries.

Strawberry-Banana Nutella Shortcakes: When assembling, spread a layer of Nutella over each of the shortcake halves. Replace the blueberries with freshly sliced bananas.

Mixed Berry: Replace the strawberries and blueberries with your favorite summer berries, like raspberries or blackberries. Or use a combination!

Classic Strawberry Shortcakes: Use 2 pints of strawberries and no blueberries. Increase the sugar to ¼ cup.

Recipe FAQs

More Summer Recipes

Strawberry Shortcake was the dessert for our Delaware dinner which you can check out HERE!

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Recipe

This recipe was originally published on July 7, 2020, and updated on July 1, 2021 to add blueberries, update photos, and add additional tips. Here's a photo from the original recipe, where Cora was showing how much she loves to make shortcakes!