Blueberry-Strawberry Shortcake

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.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 573kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

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!

Video

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.

Nutrition