The Best Strawberry Shortcake

strawberry shortcake with whipped cream in a bowl

4.73 from 137 votes

The streusel topping on this Amish Strawberry Shortcake makes a delicious shortcake that can be served many different ways!

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the strawberries:

4 pounds strawberries (cleaned, hulled and quartered)
1/2 cup sugar (to taste)

For the shortcake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder*
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or vegetable shortening**
2/3 cup 2% milk
1 large egg (beaten)

For the topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons salted butter cold

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the strawberries:

The strawberries will need about 3-4 hours to sit in the fridge and make juice, so plan ahead. In a large bowl, mix together the cut strawberries and sugar. You can add more sugar as you'd like. Cover and place in the fridge. 4 pounds strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar

Make the shortcake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x9" baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and shortening. Cut the ingredients together to make coarse crumbs. 2 cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder*, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/3 cup butter or vegetable shortening**
Add the milk and egg to the crumbs, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix or the shortcake will be tough. It will be very thick. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Set aside. 2/3 cup 2% milk, 1 large egg
In a small bowl, use two forks or a pastry cutter to cut together the flour, sugar and butter. This mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle it on top of the shortcake batter. 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons salted butter
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. To serve, top pieces of cake with strawberries, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Video

Notes

*Double-acting baking powder works best here. If your baking powder has been open more than 6 months, test it before using. Use aluminum free baking powder to prevent a metallic taste.

**Vegetable shortening (like Crisco) keeps the shortcake tender. Butter can be substituted but will produce a slightly denser, richer result.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake with strawberries on top. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition