Blueberry Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberry Strawberry Shortcake is a fun twist on a classic dessert! Nothing screams summer like fresh berries with piles of whipped cream! This recipe focuses on the natural goodness of the fruit flavors, paired with a soft and tender shortcake.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Sometimes shortcakes can be amazing! And sometimes it can be a big disappointment, with the shortcake being dry and biscuit-like. You will love the shortcakes in this recipe! They are soft, buttery, not-too-sweet, but sweet enough. They are the perfect combination of a biscuit and a sugar cookie. I could eat them by themselves, but they are extra-delicious when topped with piles of whipped cream and fresh blueberries and fresh strawberries.

This red, white, and blue dessert is perfect to serve on patriotic holidays, like July 4th for America's Independence Day!

Ingredient Information

Butter - This recipe uses salted butter. If you are using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is used both in the shortcakes, as well as to make the fresh whipped cream that tops the shortcakes. You will need 3 cups total.

Berries - Choose brightly colored, slightly firm berries that are at their peak in freshness.

Instructions

There are three parts to this recipe: The strawberries, the whipped cream, and the shortbread. If you are making this for an event, each step can be done a day in advance, which I love as it keeps the hours leading up to the event less stressful!

Step One: 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 some 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 over both berries.

Step Two: Whip the Cream

For the most volume and the best texture, use very cold whipped cream and chill the bowl in the freezer before whipping.

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.

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!

Step Three: Make the Shortcakes

The ingredients are simple, but this shortcake can come out differently depending on small changes to the ingredients and processes.

Keys to Success:
-Keep your dairy ingredients cold
-Use fresh baking powder
-Don't overmix

1. Begin by mixing the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
   
2. Next cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or a fork.
   
   I like to grate my butter with a food processor and then freeze it, so it is really cold but still cuts into the dry ingredients well. The cold butter helps create the best texture for the shortcakes.
   
3. After you have added in the heavy cream the dough will still be crumbly and you may wonder if you have messed up. Don't worry! Just turn the dough, crumbs and all, onto a floured surface and push 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.
   
4. Roll the dough out to ½-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter, cut out shortcakes and place onto a baking sheet, with shortcakes touching each other. This allows the shortcakes to support each other as they rise, resulting in nice, tall shortcakes.
   
   Brush with a little more heavy cream and sprinkle some coarse sugar over the top, then bake until they are golden.

Step Three: Assemble Shortcakes

1. Allow the shortcakes to cool for about 10 minutes. Then slice them in half horizontally.
2. Top the first half with whipped cream strawberries and blueberries. Add the second shortcake half, then top with more whipped cream and fruit.

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.
• Chocolate Shortcakes: Use 3 ¾ cup 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 cup heavy cream for the shortcakes.
• Strawberry-Banana Nutella Shortcakes: When assembling, spread a layer of nutella over each of the shortcake halves. Replace the blueberries with freshly sliced bananas.
• 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!

Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind the scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!

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!