Let's give an iconic summer dessert an extra fruity boost with this blueberry-strawberry shortcake! These ultra flaky shortcakes are filled with a homemade whipped cream and juicy macerated strawberries and blueberries for a dessert that tastes like summer in every bite. Whether you need a red, white and blue dessert for the 4th of July or just a light and refreshing sweet treat for a casual summer party, you can't go wrong with these very berry shortcakes.
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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Strawberry shortcakes are the ultimate nostalgic dessert that invoke a down-home, cozy feel, which always makes for a crowd-pleasing dessert. But with the addition of sweet, ripe blueberries, this recipe is even better than the one you grew up adoring.
Thanks to a special folding technique, these shortcakes feature lots of flaky layers, and our berries macerate with a couple secret ingredients that make for an extra delicious fruit topping. When you also add in the luscious homemade whipped cream, you're in for a special treat.
This blueberry-strawberry shortcake recipe is also versatile enough for all your summer occasions, especially those summer holidays. Can you picture anything more festive than these little red, white and blue treats for Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day? I sure can't.
And then there's the ease. Yes, we're making our blueberry-strawberry shortcakes from scratch, but I promise the process couldn't be easier, and the hands-on prep time doesn't take nearly as long as you might think. Just imagine how impressive it will be when you set down these from-scratch shortcakes -- but it'll be our secret that the baking process is surprisingly simple.
Bonus: If you love this recipe, you should also check out my apple shortcakes with maple whipped cream!
Ingredients
As I mentioned, I use a few simple secret ingredients to macerate our berries, which are the Grand Marnier, cinnamon and fresh orange zest. I just love the sweet brightness the orange zest adds, and a pinch of cinnamon gives a lovely depth.
If you're serving kids, you can leave the Grand Marnier out, but it brings a richness that really makes our strawberries and blueberries shine. Plus, who doesn't love a boozy dessert? This lady sure does.
Please note that I specified buttermilk rather than regular milk in this recipe. While you technically can use regular milk, I don't recommend it. The buttermilk adds a wonderful flavor, and without it, I find the shortcake tastes a little flat.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. Simply add 1 ¼ tablespoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to 1 ¼ cups whole milk. We let the mixture sit for five to 10 minutes, and then we have our buttermilk substitute.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For this blueberry-strawberry shortcake recipe, we make three components in this order: the macerated berries, the shortcakes and whipped cream. We want to make the berries first because they need time to sit, and we can easily and quickly prepare the whipped cream while the shortcakes bake.
Step 1: We slice off the tops of our strawberries and cut them into quarters. Then, we toss them in a bowl with our blueberries, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and Grand Marnier (photo 1). We set the bowl aside to let the juices start flowing.
Step 2: For our shortcakes, we stir together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (photo 2) and then add frozen grated butter (photo 3) and stir until combined (photo 4).
Step 3: Now we pour in our buttermilk (photo 5) and stir again just until combined (photo 6). The mixture will be crumbly, so don't expect a perfectly smooth dough.
Step 4: From here, we turn out the dough onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle (photo 7). No need for a rolling pin here. Our hands will take care of the job just fine.
Step 5: To get those flaky layers, this is where we fold the dough like a letter several times. First, we fold one side of the dough into the center (photo 8), and then we fold the other side on top of the first fold (photo 9). We flatten into a rectangle again (photo 10), rotate the dough (photo 11) and repeat three times.
Step 6: Now we're ready to cut out our shortcakes with a cookie cutter (photo 12). We'll have leftover dough, so we gently flatten the scraps and cut again. This should leave us with about six shortcakes.
Step 7: With our biscuits cut out, we gently place them in our baking dish and brush them with additional buttermilk (photo 13). And just like that, we're ready to bake.
Step 8: And for our final step, we make our homemade whipped cream to give our blueberry-strawberry shortcakes the perfect finishing touch. This step is as simple as whipping together heavy cream, a touch of sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form (photo 14).
Recipe FAQs
We split these buttermilk shortcakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife and then place the bottoms on the serving plate. Now we spoon our macerated berries with their juices on top and add a dollop of whipped cream. We add the top and repeat. Just like that, we're ready to dig in!
The shortcakes will keep if stored in an airtight container for about three days. When you're ready to serve the shortcakes, you can serve them room temperature or heat them by placing them back in the cast-iron skillet, covering with foil and popping them into a 350-degree oven until heated through, about five to 10 minutes.
The berries and whipped cream will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Before serving the whipped cream, you might want to quickly fluff it up with a whisk or fork.
After baking, allow the shortcakes to full cool. Cover in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag for up to three months.
In addition to the folding technique, cold butter ensures extra flaky shortcakes, and grating frozen butter is much colder than refrigerated butter. Plus, I find it's even easier and faster than cutting in butter with a pastry knife, which means less dough handling.
Expert Tips
- We want our shortcake dough as cold as possible, so put the butter and flour in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before preparing.
- Make sure you're baking powder isn't expired to ensure proper rising. If it's expired, you absolutely need to replace it.
- To grate the butter, simply run it on a box grater on the side with the large holes.
- As we handle the dough, we want to stir just until combined and use a gentle touch as we shape it to avoid tough biscuits.
- When using the cookie cutter, do not twist it to lift up our shortcakes. This could cause them to not rise properly.
- This step is optional, but you can place the biscuits in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking to ensure the dough is nice and chilled before baking.
- I recommend baking in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. The skillet gets blazing hot, which makes for perfectly crisp bottoms.
- Place the cut-out dough close together before baking. This also helps with the rising.
- Feel free to experiment with different liquors and liqueurs for the Grand Marnier. Bourbon and dark rum would be great as would a number of liqueurs, such as limoncello, Cointreau, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur or Frangelico.
Perfect Pairing
For a beer, you'll love a hefeweizen with these blueberry-strawberry shortcakes. With its citrusy, fruity and slightly sweet notes, hefeweizen pairs beautifully with berry-centered desserts.
Looking for a wine? A sparkling rosé is a wonderful wine pairing with strawberry shortcakes with blueberries. I just love how the berry notes meld with our macerated fruit, and those bubbles cut through whipped cream and shortcake.
Of course, on a warm day, a nice fruity margarita is never a bad idea. My blueberry margarita, blackberry margarita, roasted strawberry margarita or cherry margarita are also delicious options. You also can't go wrong with my blueberry bourbon smash, or if you need a patriotic drink to match, try my cherry vodka sparkler or cherry firecracker cocktail.
For your next summer party, this blueberry-strawberry shortcake recipe is the perfect sweet treat. I have no doubt everyone will adore every bite of these red, white and blue shortcakes.
Cheers!
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📖 Recipe
Blueberry-Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Box grater
- 3-inch cookie cutter
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet (preferably) or baking pan
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For Blueberry-Strawberry Mixture
- 2 cups strawberries tops removed and quartered
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier optional
- 2 teaspoons orange zest freshly grated
- Pinch of cinnamon
For Shortcakes
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour chilled and then spooned and leveled to measure
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter frozen and then grated (see notes)
- 1 ¼ cups cold buttermilk, plus additional tablespoon for brushing shaken before measuring
For Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
For Blueberry-Strawberry Mixture
- Toss strawberries, blueberries, sugar, Grand Marnier (if using), orange zest and cinnamon together.
- Set aside for 20-30 minutes to allow the berries to macerate and release their juices. This can be done up to a day before serving if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For Shortcakes
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Add the grated butter and stir just until the butter is incorporated and coarse crumbs appear throughout the dough.
- Pour buttermilk on top of flour mixture. Stir just until combined -- you don't want to overwork the dough. The dough will look crumbly, but it will come together in the next steps.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, like a countertop or pastry board. Gently using your hands, combine the dough so that it comes together and then pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. If necessary, you can flour your hands to work with the dough if it's a bit sticky.
- Fold one side of the dough toward the center, and then fold the other side on top of the first fold like a letter. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick rectangle again and then give it a quarter turn. Repeat three more times and flatten into the final 1-inch-thick rectangle. (Please see the blog for photos if that's helpful.)
- Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into shortcakes. Do not twist the cookie cutter. Simply press down, lift straight up and gently remove the dough. Reshape the scraps and cut more shortcakes. This recipe should yield about six shortcakes.
- Place the shortcake dough close together in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Alternatively, you can use a baking pan, but the cast-iron skillet will give you a nice crust. Brush with additional buttermilk and bake until the tops start to brown, about 15 minutes.
For Whipped Cream
- In a large mixing bowl, add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Set aside. This can also be made up to a day ahead of serving. Whisk or fluff up with a fork before serving.
- Slice shortcakes in half. Spoon macerated fruit onto the bottom half and top with whipped cream. Place the other half of the shortcake on the whipped cream, and then repeat the fruit layer and whipped cream on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- We want our shortcake dough as cold as possible, so put the butter and flour in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before preparing.
- Do not scoop the flour into your measuring cup. That packs in too much. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife.
- Make sure you're baking powder isn't expired to ensure proper rising. If it's expired, you absolutely need to replace it.
- To grate the butter, simply run it on a box grater on the side with the large holes.
- This step is optional, but you can place the biscuits in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking to ensure the dough is nice and chilled before baking.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Constance says
Awesome dessert. So good.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you, Constance! So happy you loved the recipe.
Alison says
This is bursting with berries, and the shortcake is buttery and flaky! Perfection in every bite!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
So glad you loved it, Alison!