Mixed Berry Shortcakes take sweet, buttery shortcakes topped with homemade whipped cream and stuffed with ripe, fresh, juicy strawberries and blueberries. This lightly sweetened dessert recipe is perfect for any occasion.
Easy Drop Berry Shortcakes
I first made these easy shortcakes for my dad’s birthday years ago. He likes simple, not overly sweet, and fresh fruit so these were perfect for him.
A simple dough cut into rounds, sprinkled with sugar, and baked to perfection. Once they’re baked, they’re sliced in half, topped with a homemade whipped cream (or cool whip, whatever you prefer), and drizzled with a strawberry sauce and topped with blueberries.
If you’re a shortcake lover, try my Strawberry Shortcake Cake next. It’s less shortcake, more layered cake, with fruit and cream that is irresistible.
Why you’ll love Berry Shortcakes
- Easy Summer Dessert – Make the most of whatever fresh summer berries you have on hand.
- Made from Scratch – Only a few simple ingredients in these shortcakes made from scratch.
- Great for Crowds – This recipe is easy to double to feed more people and is a fun way to wow your guests. Sometimes my family even just uses half a shortcake (open faced lol) to make them stretch further.
Equipment you’ll need
Ingredients for Mixed Berry Shortcakes
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
For The Shortcakes
- FLOUR – All purpose flour.
- SUGAR – Granulated white sugar both in the dough and sprinkled on top.
- BAKING POWDER – Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps the shortcakes to rise.
- SALT – For balance.
- HEAVY CREAM – You could also use whole milk but I get the best results with heavy cream.
For The Berry Topping
- CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR – Sometimes called icing sugar or powdered sugar, it’s all the same.
- BERRIES – Fresh berries, I used strawberries and blueberries but you could use raspberries or blackberries.
For The Whipped Cream
- HEAVY CREAM – You’ll whip the heavy cream with sugar until stiff peaks form.
- CONFECTIONERS SUGAR
How to make Berry Shortcakes 🍓
- STEP ONE: Make the dough. First, make the dough by whisking together the dry ingredients and then pouring in the heavy cream and stirring until just combined. Shortcake dough is meant to be dry and crumbly. You don’t knead it, just press it together.
- STEP TWO: Bake. Next, press the dough into a log and slice into 6 rounds, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- STEP THREE: Make the strawberry sauce. While the shortcakes are baking, make the strawberry sauce by moving about 1/3 of the cut strawberries to a bowl, sprinkling with powdered sugar and then mashing. Once it is liquidy, pour the remaining cut strawberries in. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.
- STEP FOUR: Make the whipped cream. To a cold mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- STEP FIVE: Assemble. When ready to serve, slice each shortcake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in a bowl, top with strawberry sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, blueberries, and then place the top half on top. Drizzle with more strawberry sauce and enjoy!
Tips & Suggestions 🫐 🍓
- Try other fresh berries in these shortcakes like blackberries or raspberries.
- Don’t have time to make whipped cream? You can use Cool Whip or even Reddi-Whip if in a pinch.
- To make whipping your cream easier, use a chilled bowl. I like to toss my metal mixing bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting this recipe.
- To take the shortcakes up another notch, garnish with chocolate sauce or hot fudge.
How to store leftovers
These mini shortcake biscuits are best served fresh while still warm. They will start to absorb the moisture from the whipped cream and fruit and start to become soggy if kept too long. For that reason, I don’t recommend storing the assembled shortcakes.
To store leftover unassembled shortcakes, cover and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Separately, the whipped cream and strawberry sauce can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FAQs
What’s the difference between shortcake and a biscuit?
While the texture of these shortcakes looks quite similar to a drop biscuit, they’re still different. They taste a lot sweeter than a normal biscuit which is what lends themselves so easily to being topped with fresh, juicy, ripe, flavorful berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
Can I use frozen berries?
If it’s not berry season and you want to make Berry Shortcakes, you can absolutely use frozen blueberries and strawberries.
Frozen berries are frozen at the peak of freshness so they are a great (and affordable) alternative.
How do you prevent your berry shortcakes from getting soggy?
Ahhh! Nobody wants soggy shortcakes. This usually happens when you assemble your shortcakes too early and the juices from the mixed berries soaks into the cake.
Make sure to wait until serving to assemble them if possible.
Need more berry recipes? Try these:
Berry Cheesecake Fluff
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Skillet Blackberry Crumble
Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Berry Sangria
Click here for my entire collection of dessert recipes.
Mixed Berry Shortcakes
Ingredients
For the Shortcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar + 2 TBS, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the Berry Topping
- 1 quart strawberries hulled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups blueberries
For the Whipped Cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
To make the Shortcakes
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir together until all of the dry ingredients have come together to form a crumbly dough.
- Gently press the dough together with your hands and transfer to a clean work surface. Without kneading, form the dough into a 6 inch round log. The dough will be very dry and crumbly but press it together without kneading.
- Slice the log into 6 equal rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet. If the dough is not sticking together, gently press it into a circle. It will come together while baking.
- Sprinkle the tops of the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make the Berry Topping
- Place approximately ⅓ of the strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Use a fork to mash together until the mixture is mostly liquid. Stir in the rest of the cut strawberries. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
To make the Whipped Cream
- To a large, cold bowl, add the heavy cream and sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Alternatively, you can use the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.
To assemble the Shortcakes
- Slice each shortcake in half horizontally and place the bottom of each cake on a plate. Top with strawberry sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and additional berries. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Originally published July 26, 2011
This looks delicious!! Well done! (lucky Dad)
Sadly my supplier doesn’t carry that key anymore for my key necklaces but I do have some other options available… 😛
Thanks!
Off to look for other options…