Strawberry Shortcake Trifles (Printable)

Layered shortcake, macerated strawberries and whipped cream in individual glasses—easy, elegant dessert for six.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortcake

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
07 - 1 large egg

→ Strawberries

08 - 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
09 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Whipped Cream

11 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut in using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Pour into the dry mixture and stir just until combined.
04 - Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making about 6 to 8 shortcakes. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely, then break into bite-sized pieces.
05 - While the shortcakes bake, combine diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to macerate and release their juices.
06 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
07 - Layer shortcake pieces, macerated strawberries with their juices, and whipped cream in small jars or glasses. Repeat for a second layer. Finish with a dollop of cream and a few strawberry slices on top.
08 - Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Individual servings mean no awkward cake slicing and everyone gets the perfect ratio of cake to berries to cream.
  • The shortcake biscuits are genuinely easy and taste so much better than anything from a store.
  • You can assemble them an hour ahead and they actually get better as the strawberry juices soak into the cake.
02 -
  • The butter must stay cold right up until you cut it into the flour. I once left mine on the counter too long and the shortcakes spread flat and greasy.
  • Stopping at soft peaks rather than stiff peaks in the whipped cream keeps it silky and spreadable rather than dense and clunky.
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping cream and it will come together in half the time.
  • Save a few perfect whole strawberries from the batch for garnish because the visual payoff on top of each trifle is worth the effort.

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