This Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake recipe is a special treat. It's perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, the Fourth of July, or for any summer time dessert when strawberries are abundant.
Fresh macerated strawberries compliment a moist and sponge-y gluten-free vanilla shortcake (cut in half to make two stacked layers), and homemade whipped cream. This dessert can be whipped up so fast (ha, a pun) and its payoff in flavor is eye-rollingly delicious.
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What Is Strawberry Shortcake?
Strawberry shortcake is traditionally made with biscuits instead of cake. The term shortcake refers to a small cake made using biscuit dough, which yields a crumbly, scone-like texture. Shortcakes are made with a high percentage of fat to achieve this texture, hence the ingredient "shortening" was often used.
However, in modern years strawberry shortcakes are also often made using what we know of as cake or a sponge cake. Think of those kind of funny yellow sponge discs you sometimes see at the grocery, if you know what I'm talking about.
This recipe does not use gluten-free biscuits, but a sponge cake base. This saves a lot of time and effort - seriously this recipe can be made so quickly. It's also more of a nostalgic taste for me. I will be sure to update this post if I develop a recipe using more traditional biscuits.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream:
Whipped cream is so easy to make. You only need three ingredients; cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract. Once you learn to make it from home, you may never go back to buying store-bought.
- Place a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachments in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill. Tip: You want it to be cold to the touch.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into the bowl. Whisk on high speed until medium to stiff peaks start to form, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overbeat, or you will break or deflate the whipped cream. I used an electric hand mixer.
- Serve immediately.
Note: Make sure your powdered sugar contains cornstarch. (I used organic powdered sugar which has organic cornstarch) The cornstarch helps the whipped cream to stabilize enough that it won't melt or deflate while being served. This whipped cream should be stabilized for several hours, but I have not yet tested how long it lasts. I recommend making a new batch of whipped cream each night before serving this dessert.
Whipped Cream Stabilization:
The above recipe is not fit for storing whipped cream in the fridge overnight or for long periods of time, as it will deflate. If you are looking to use whipped cream for something like icing cupcakes, you will need to use a stabilized whipped cream recipe.
There are several methods to stabilize whipped cream, such as by using unflavored gelatin, powdered sugar + cornstarch, cream cheese or Greek yogurt, vanilla pudding mix or even marshmallow fluff (thanks to the gelatin).
How To Macerate Strawberries:
Maceration is a sweetening process that causes strawberries to become softer, syrupy, and sweeter. This is especially helpful if you're working with strawberries that are out of peak season or are not as sweet as you'd like for whatever reason. The process of maceration also gives the strawberries a shine, which can be appealing in certain desserts, rather than a dry exterior.
To macerate strawberries, all you need is fresh-cut strawberries and granulated sugar. To every 1 pound of strawberries, add 2-4 tbsp. of sugar. Tip: Adjust the sugar depending on how sweet or sour your strawberries are. Stir to combine. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. The longer the strawberries macerate, the more syrup they will produce.
You can also macerate frozen strawberries, but you will need to defrost them in the refrigerator first. Frozen strawberries will produce more liquid than fresh. I recommend always using fresh strawberries when they are the main star of a dish, such as in Strawberry Shortcake.
How To Make Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake:
For the Shortcake:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Grease a cupcake tray with butter or non-stick spray, line with cupcake liners, or use a silicone cupcake tray.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine until evenly distributed.
- Add in the buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined. Tip: You can make your own buttermilk by using ⅔ cup milk + 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Allow to sit 5-10 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake wells, filling about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow shortcakes to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
To Assemble the Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake:
Note: Only prepare the amount of shortcakes you will be eating at this time.
- Slice each shortcake in half, setting the top-half aside. Then, spoon the macerated strawberries onto the bottom-half, followed by whipped cream. Place the top-half of the shortcake on top of the whipped cream, giving it a slight press. Spoon more whipped cream on top, and then top it with a strawberry (optional). Eat with a fork.
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Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Whipped Cream
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Ingredients
For the Macerated Strawberries:
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries rinsed, stems removed, and quartered or sliced
- 2-4 tablespoon granulated sugar adjust amount depending on sweetness of your strawberries
For the Homemade Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Shortcakes:
(Dry Ingredients)
- 1 ¼ cups high-quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum I recommend using a rice flour blend. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
(Wet Ingredients)
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (make your own by using ⅔ cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
To Macerate Strawberries:
- Add 2-4 tbsp. of sugar to sliced or quartered strawberries. Stir to combine. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. The longer the strawberries macerate, the more syrup they will produce. I made them in the morning, refrigerated for 6 hours.
For the Shortcakes:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Grease a cupcake tray with butter or non-stick spray, line with cupcake liners, or use a silicone cupcake tray.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine until evenly distributed.
- Add in the buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake wells, filling about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow shortcakes to cool completely.
For the Homemade Whipped Cream:
- Place a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachments in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill. Tip: You want it to be cold to the touch.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into the bowl. Whisk on high speed until medium to stiff peaks start to form, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over-beat, or you will break or deflate the whipped cream. I used an electric hand mixer.
- Serve immediately.
To Assemble:
- Slice each shortcake in half, setting the top-half aside. Then, spoon the macerated strawberries onto the bottom-half, followed by whipped cream. Place the top-half of the shortcake on top of the whipped cream, giving it a slight press. Spoon more whipped cream on top, and then top it with a strawberry (optional). Eat with a fork.
Notes
- Only top the shortcakes with strawberries and whipped cream that you're going to serve right away. I recommend making the whipped cream fresh at every serving.
- If serving all 9 shortcakes at once, you may want to make a double batch of whipped cream as it is a half recipe.
- Make sure your powdered sugar contains cornstarch, as it helps to stabilize the whipped cream for several hours.
- Store shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
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