Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcake with Biscuits and Vanilla Whipped Cream

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 6 servings (6 shortcakes)
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 16 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream (for brushing)
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) turbinado sugar or brown sugar (for topping)
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/3 cup (70 g) packed dark brown sugar (for berries)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (for berries)
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Do This

• 1) Toss sliced strawberries with brown sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt; rest 30 minutes.
• 2) Heat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
• 3) Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in cold butter until crumbly.
• 4) Stir in cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms; pat, fold, and cut 6 biscuits.
• 5) Brush with cream, sprinkle sugar, and bake 14–16 minutes until tall and deep golden.
• 6) Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft-medium peaks.
• 7) Split warm biscuits, layer strawberries and whipped cream, and spoon on extra syrupy juices.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Deep, cozy flavor: Brown sugar in both the biscuits and berries adds a caramel-like warmth.
• Perfect texture contrast: Crisp-edged, tender biscuits meet juicy strawberries and cloud-soft cream.
• Make-ahead friendly: Prep the strawberries and bake the biscuits earlier, then assemble in minutes.
• Classic comfort, upgraded: Familiar shortcake with a richer, more “grown-up” strawberry flavor.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh strawberries, 1 lemon
• Dairy: unsalted butter, buttermilk, heavy whipping cream
• Pantry: all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, fine salt, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, turbinado sugar (optional)

Full Ingredients

Brown Sugar Biscuits

• 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream (for brushing the tops)
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) turbinado sugar or packed brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Deeply Flavored Strawberries

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/3 cup (70 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but delicious)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Macerate the strawberries for maximum flavor

In a medium bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with the dark brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Add the vanilla extract if using.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The berries should look glossy and juicy, with a dark, syrupy strawberry “sauce” forming in the bottom of the bowl.

Step 2: Preheat the oven and prep your pan

Arrange an oven rack in the center position. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a lightly greased sheet pan).

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. If your brown sugar is lumpy, rub it between your fingers or break it up with the whisk so it distributes evenly.

Step 4: Cut in the cold butter

Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

Those little butter pockets are what give biscuits their flaky lift, so don’t overwork this step.

Step 5: Add buttermilk, fold, and cut the biscuits

Pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms and there are no big dry patches left.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold it in half, rotate, and pat it back down. Repeat for a total of 3 folds. Then pat the dough to about 1-inch thickness.

Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 6 biscuits. Press straight down (don’t twist) to help them rise tall. If needed, gently re-pat scraps once to get the full yield.

Set the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet with sides just barely touching (this helps them climb upward).

Step 6: Brush, sprinkle, and bake

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the heavy cream. Sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar (or brown sugar).

Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 14–16 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the biscuits feel set when lightly pressed.

Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before assembling (warm is great; piping hot can melt the whipped cream too quickly).

Step 7: Whip the vanilla cream

In a cold mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.

Whip until soft-medium peaks form, about 2–4 minutes with a hand mixer. The cream should hold its shape but still look silky and spoonable (not stiff or grainy).

Step 8: Assemble the shortcakes and serve

Split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon a generous layer of macerated strawberries (including plenty of the syrupy juices) onto the bottom half.

Add a big dollop of vanilla whipped cream. Cap with the top half of the biscuit, then finish with another spoonful of berries and a final swoop of whipped cream if you like.

Serve immediately while the biscuits are still slightly warm and the strawberry juices soak into the tender crumb.

Pro Tips

• Keep everything cold for the biscuits: Cold butter and cold buttermilk create the best rise and flakiness.
• Don’t twist the cutter: Twisting seals the edges and can prevent tall layers.
• Let the strawberries sit the full 30 minutes: This deepens flavor and creates the syrup that makes shortcake irresistible.
• Stop whipping at soft-medium peaks: Slightly softer whipped cream spreads into the layers instead of sitting like a stiff mound.
• Use dark brown sugar for a deeper note: It brings more molasses flavor than light brown sugar.

Variations

• Balsamic strawberry shortcake: Add 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar to the strawberry mixture for extra depth.
• Brown sugar cinnamon biscuits: Whisk 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients.
• Mixed berry version: Replace up to 1/2 lb (225 g) of the strawberries with raspberries or blackberries; keep the same sugar and lemon amounts.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Best day-of: Assemble right before serving for the best contrast of crisp biscuit edges, juicy berries, and fluffy cream.

Biscuits: Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Rewarm in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. Biscuits can be frozen (well wrapped) for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and rewarm.

Strawberries: Refrigerate macerated strawberries in a covered container for up to 2 days. Stir before using.

Whipped cream: For the prettiest texture, make it the same day. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours; whisk briefly by hand to refresh if it softens.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate, per 1 assembled shortcake (1/6 of recipe): 520 calories, 28 g fat (17 g saturated), 62 g carbohydrates, 30 g sugar, 7 g protein, 3 g fiber, 390 mg sodium.