This Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake is from a 1970’s Betty Crocker recipe that my nana and mom always made around this time of year when strawberries are in season. This is an easy recipe you can make the same day after you bring home the fresh berries hand picked from a strawberry farm. This Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake has a texture that is a cross between a scone and cake, topped with fresh picked strawberries and a dallop of homemade whip cream. After doing some research, I found that the only difference from the 1950’s recipe was revised in the 1970’s edition to increase the milk.

Bakers tips for Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake:

Keep ingredients cold and work quickly:

When working with biscuit or scone dough you need to work quickly and do not over handle the dough. To help keep things cold, dice the butter into small cubes and put into the refrigerator or freezer.

Use buttermilk for a tender crumb:

For a light tender crumb, use buttermilk or heavy cream. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make it yourself by adding 1 T. of white vinegar into a liquid measuring cup and then fill it with milk or cream to the 1 c. line (whole milk is best). Dry buttermilk is also really nice to have stocked in your pantry to mix up as needed.

Use good quality baking pans:

Always use light-colored, aluminum baking sheets, cake or muffin pans. I either use my vintage aluminum bakeware or NordicWare aluminum or Fat Daddio’s cake pans. Aluminum is best for distributing and reflecting even heat during the baking process. Dark baking pans conduct more heat off the surface, which may lead to your baked goods to burn or darken on the edges before they are fully cooked.

Sparkling Sugar vs. Sanding Sugar:

Sparkling sugar (sometimes called course sugar) is made up of larger crystals that are more heat resistant and provide added texture and crunch to a baked good. This type of sugar is perfect for giving to tops of your scones, muffins, and cookies a professional look. Sanding sugar (also called colored sugar) is another course-like sugar, with a finer grain, falling somewhere between granulated sugar and sparkling sugar. Before sprinkling with the sugar, brush cake with a light coat of heavy cream with a pastry brush.

Homemade whipped cream is easier than you think:

Homemade whip cream is so much easier than you think and tastes delicious compared to the waxy texture of cool whip. Be sure to place your metal bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge before making. It is important to use superfine sugar to prevent clumps, but you could also use confectioners sugar. To prepare whip cream ahead of time, simply stabilize with 1 T. of cornstarch, ClearJel or unflavored gelatin.