These mixed berry shortcakes are not-too-sweet biscuits topped with whipped cream and fresh, juicy berries. They're a perfect blend of fresh and creamy and I share all my tips for making the best biscuits. It's a great dessert for when there's an abundance of berries and to celebrate holidays like Mother's Day and the 4th of July.
A colorful, old-fashioned dessert
This dessert promises to wow people at any gathering and make it memorable.
Why? It has a little of everything: floury biscuits, whipped cream topping and a waterfall of lightly sweetened fresh berries.
Whether it's a casual brunch or an outdoor dessert spread, these shortcakes will hit the mark. They always do around here.
Why make this recipe
- Perfect balance: these berry shortcakes combine delicate, crumbly biscuits with fresh berries' natural sweetness and juiciness, creating the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
- Versatility: while traditionally served with whipped cream, these shortcakes can also be paired with other toppings, such as ice cream or fruit compote, offering endless possibilities for customization.
- Ease of assembly: with straightforward instructions, assembling these shortcakes is a breeze, making them an ideal dessert option for casual gatherings and formal occasions.
FAQ
Yes, you can prepare the biscuits in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Reheat them in the oven before assembling the shortcakes for best results.
Absolutely! For a unique twist, feel free to use alternatives such as vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or coconut whipped cream to top your shortcakes.
To prevent the biscuits from becoming soggy, assemble the shortcakes before serving. Alternatively, lightly brush the biscuit halves with melted butter to create a barrier between the biscuits and the berries.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour. Just ensure the blend contains xanthan gum or add it separately to help bind the ingredients together.
Type of berries you can use
Depending on your preference and seasonal availability, you can use any combination of fresh berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Fresh berries are always preferred and I use them for these shortcakes. If you don't have them available, I suggest you make a berry sauce or topping, but using a mix of berries instead of just one.
How to make the shortcake biscuits
- Keep the ingredients cold: When making the biscuit dough, ensure the butter and other dairy ingredients are cold to achieve a flaky, tender texture in the biscuits.
- Don’t overwork the dough: to prevent toughness in the final product, handle the biscuit dough gently and avoid overmixing. A light touch ensures a delicate crumb.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly with pieces the size of peas. I like to use my hands but you can also use a dough or pastry cutter. It will be irregular and that's fine.
Stir the wet ingredients thoroughly, especially the egg whites, before adding them to the crumble mixture. But don't beat. We don't want to incorporate much air. Don't use an electric mixer.
The dough will be shaggy and irregular before rolling, and that is fine. Sprinkle flour on the surface and some on top, but don't overdo it. Adding too much flour will toughen the biscuits.
Roll to a thickness of about 1 inch. You want them to have some height but not much as you don't want excess crumb.
Use a plain round cookie or scone cutter, leaving little space between them as you cut. You can gather and roll scraps, but the less you do this the better. So try to have as little excess dough as possible.
Baking biscuits
Bake them cold: it's the best way to ensure tender and flaky biscuits. Freeze the tray with the cut rounds of dough for 5-10 minutes or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before baking.
Test for doneness: these biscuits can rise and turn golden before being fully baked inside. So check by carefully opening a biscuit with a fork and lifting it slightly to make sure it's dry inside with no wet parts.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Keep the ingredients cold: When making the biscuit dough, ensure the butter and other dairy ingredients are cold to achieve a flaky, tender texture in the biscuits.
- Don’t overwork the dough: to prevent toughness in the final product, handle the biscuit dough gently and avoid overmixing. A light touch ensures a delicate crumb.
- Use ripe berries: For the best taste and juiciness in your shortcakes, opt for ripe, flavorful berries at the peak of their season.
- Prep the berries ahead: Wash and prepare the berries ahead of time, but avoid adding sugar until just before serving to prevent them from becoming too watery.
- Homemade whipped cream may deflate over time, so it's best to whip it before serving for optimal texture. You can also use a store-bought topping.
Storage
- Allow the biscuit halves to cool completely before storing them to prevent condensation.
- Assembled leftovers: they should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Separate components: store each part separately to maintain freshness and prevent sogginess. Store baked biscuit halves at room temperature in an airtight container; the rest in the refrigerator in their own containers.
- Reheating biscuits: If the biscuit halves have become slightly stale, you can revive them by briefly reheating them in the oven at a low temperature until warmed through.
- Avoid freezing assembled shortcakes, as the texture of the biscuits and whipped cream may suffer upon thawing.
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Easy Berry Shortcakes
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Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold butter, in pieces
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of cream, cold
For the berry filling:
- 1 and ½ cups whole fresh mixed berries
- ½ tablespoon granulated white sugar
For the whipped cream topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
For the shortcake biscuits:
- Have ready a baking tray or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add cold butter in small pieces and mix until it is the size of peas.
- In another bowl, combine eggs and cream. Do not beat but integrate thoroughly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir with a fork until moistened. It might have floury patches. Don’t overmix.
- Turn this shaggy dough onto a lightly floured counter and dust the top lightly with flour.
- Handling it as little as possible, bring the dough together until you have a rough ball. Do so without kneading; it may be uneven and that is fine.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out a rectangle about 1 inch tall. Cut circles of dough with a round cookie cutter about 2-2.5 inches.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, turn the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Brush the tops with milk (or water) and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown, puffed and dry. Check that the inside is fully baked by lifting the middle of a biscuit with a fork. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and keep baking.
- Let cool on a wire rack completely before serving cut in half with whipped cream and red berries.
For the sweetened whipped cream:
- Put the heavy cream and cream cheese in a medium or large mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and beat with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until firm peaks (stiff peaks) form, it will take about 4-5 minutes, depending on the speed of your beaters and the size of the bowl (smaller bowls take longer).
- Beating: if using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat at low speed, especially towards the end so you don't curdle the topping. I use an electric hand-held mixer for this reason.
- Important: whipped cream can curdle very quickly when overbeaten. To avoid this, I always beat it at medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form, lower the speed to medium and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form. Then, I finish beating by hand with a whisk until I get stiff peaks. It takes a bit of arm muscle, but it's harder to overbeat cream by hand.
For the berry topping:
- Wash and carefully dry berries without crushing them. Stem the strawberries if using. Do this about 30 minutes before you're ready to assemble them.
- Cut them into little pieces, mix them with the sugar and reserve. It will release a syrupy juice.
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