Strawberry Shortcake with Flaky Biscuits and Vanilla Custard Cream

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 8 servings (8 shortcakes)
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Cook Time: 16 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (includes 1 hour chilling)

Quick Ingredients

• Strawberries: 1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries, 1/3 cup (67 g) sugar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, 1/8 tsp salt
• Biscuits: 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, 1 cup (240 ml) cold buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream (for brushing)
• Custard cream: 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 4 large egg yolks, 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch, 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract, 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream

Do This

• 1. Macerate sliced strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and salt for 30 minutes.
• 2. Cook pastry cream (milk + sugar; whisk in yolks/cornstarch), boil 1 minute, then chill 1 hour.
• 3. Heat oven to 425°F (218°C). Cut cold butter into dry biscuit ingredients; stir in buttermilk, egg, vanilla.
• 4. Cut and bake biscuits 14–16 minutes until tall and golden; cool 10 minutes.
• 5. Whip 1 cup cream to soft peaks; whisk chilled pastry cream smooth; fold together.
• 6. Split biscuits; layer custard cream and strawberries (plus juices); serve right away.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Flaky, tender biscuits: crisp edges, soft centers, and plenty of buttery layers.
• Bright berry flavor: quick maceration creates a naturally syrupy strawberry sauce.
• Light custard cream: pastry-cream flavor with the airy lift of whipped cream.
• Make-ahead friendly: prep the strawberries and custard in advance, then bake biscuits fresh.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries, 1 lemon
• Dairy: unsalted butter, whole milk, buttermilk, heavy cream
• Pantry: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, fine salt, vanilla extract

Full Ingredients

Macerated Strawberries

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (nice if your berries are less fragrant)

Flaky Vanilla Biscuits

• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) cubes
• 1 cup (240 ml) cold buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream (or buttermilk) for brushing tops
• Optional finishing: 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla Custard Cream (Pastry-Cream-Style Whipped Custard)

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream

For Serving

• Optional: extra sliced strawberries
• Optional: extra lemon zest (use 1/2 tsp finely grated zest)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Macerate the strawberries

Add the sliced strawberries to a medium bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar, add the lemon juice and salt, and toss well. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. The berries should look glossy and juicy, with a small pool of syrup at the bottom.

Tip: If your kitchen is very warm (above 75°F / 24°C), you can macerate them in the refrigerator; just bring them back toward room temperature before serving for the best aroma.

Step 2: Cook the vanilla pastry cream

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and warm until steaming and small bubbles appear around the edges, about 4 to 6 minutes (do not boil hard yet).

While the milk warms, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together in a heatproof bowl until smooth and slightly lightened, about 30 seconds.

Slowly pour about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly (this gently warms the yolks). Pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking the whole time.

Step 3: Thicken, finish, and chill the custard

Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and begins to bubble. Once you see bubbles, keep whisking and cook for 1 full minute (this cooks out the cornstarch so the custard won’t taste starchy).

Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter until melted, then whisk in the vanilla extract.

Scrape the pastry cream into a shallow dish. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface (this prevents a skin). Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Step 4: Preheat the oven and prep the pan

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Timing note: Start the biscuits when your custard is chilling and your strawberries are macerating. The biscuits are best slightly warm or at room temperature.

Step 5: Mix and shape the biscuit dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and cut them in using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until you have a mix of pea-size pieces and some flatter shards (those shards help create flaky layers).

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Pour into the flour-butter mixture and stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. If you see dry flour at the bottom, fold the dough a few more times; avoid overmixing.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Pat into a rectangle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and pat back to 1 inch thick. Repeat this fold-and-pat process one more time (two total folds) to build layers.

Pat to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut 8 biscuits using a 2 3/4-inch (7 cm) round cutter, pressing straight down (don’t twist). Place biscuits on the baking sheet with sides just barely touching for taller rise.

Step 6: Bake the biscuits

Brush the tops lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 14 to 16 minutes, until well-risen and golden brown on top.

Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before splitting (this helps the interior set so they don’t crumble too much).

Step 7: Make the whipped custard cream

In a cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks (when you lift the whisk, the peak gently droops), about 2 to 4 minutes depending on mixer speed.

Remove the chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk it briefly until smooth and creamy (it will look firm at first, then loosen up). Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the pastry cream and whisk to lighten. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a spatula until no large streaks remain.

Refrigerate the custard cream for up to 2 hours if you want it slightly firmer for piping, or use immediately for a softer, more billowy texture.

Step 8: Assemble and serve

Split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half on a plate. Spoon (or pipe) a generous layer of vanilla custard cream over the bottom, then spoon strawberries and plenty of their syrup on top.

Add the biscuit top. Finish with a small extra spoonful of custard cream and a few strawberries for a classic shortcake look. Serve immediately so the biscuits stay flaky and the berries stay bright.

Pro Tips

• Cold butter is everything: If your butter starts to soften, chill the bowl for 10 minutes before shaping and baking.
• Don’t twist the cutter: Twisting seals the edges and reduces rise. Press straight down for the tallest, flakiest biscuits.
• Cook the custard long enough: After it starts bubbling, cook for a full 1 minute while whisking to avoid a chalky cornstarch taste.
• Soft peaks for the cream: Overwhipped cream can make the custard cream grainy. Stop at soft peaks, especially if you’ll fold by hand.
• Use the syrup: The strawberry juices are part of the sauce; spoon them over the custard so every bite tastes like strawberry shortcake.

Variations

• Brown sugar biscuits: Replace the biscuit sugar with 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar for a caramel note.
• Balsamic strawberries: Add 1 tsp (5 ml) balsamic vinegar to the strawberries (still keep the lemon). It deepens the berry flavor.
• Lemon-vanilla custard cream: Add 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest to the milk as it warms; strain before chilling if you prefer it perfectly smooth.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Best day-of: Shortcakes are best assembled right before serving.

Make-ahead custard: The pastry cream (before folding in whipped cream) can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Fold in freshly whipped cream the day you serve (or up to 2 hours ahead for a firmer set).

Make-ahead strawberries: Macerate up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate; stir before serving.

Biscuits: Bake up to 1 day ahead, cool completely, and store airtight at room temperature. Rewarm on a baking sheet at 300°F (149°C) for 8 minutes before serving.

Leftovers: Store components separately if possible. Assembled shortcakes will soften as they sit; refrigerate and enjoy within 24 hours.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate, per 1 assembled shortcake: 520 calories, 29 g fat, 58 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 2 g fiber, 31 g sugar, 310 mg sodium.