Strawberry Shortcake Cake (eggless summer dessert)

The easiest eggless shortcake you will make that is fluffy on the inside and crusty on the outside. Served with macerated strawberries and a yogurt vanilla whipped cream making it the best summer combination of all time.

Strawberries and cream meets strawberry shortcakes. This dessert exists because of the Premium Scottish Strawberries from Spinneys. They literally taste like strawberries on steroids, so sweet, juicy and fresh. I cannot explain how delicious they truly are. Some of the best best best strawberries I have had in the UAE. HANDS DOWN. With summer is full swing, it is taking no prisoners, the weather has been slapping us with its heat and this classic dessert is one for the books. Everyone knows the classic strawberries and cream but how about the classic strawberry shortcake recipe? I made a whole YouTube video on strawberry shortcake, which is linked here, go watch it and have a laugh.

Back to business tho, we do not need a lot to make this recipe and it comes together very easily. Considering that we do no need eggs to make it as well it is pocket friendly. You do need the best quality ingredients to make it, since we do no need much to make it. The shortcake cake comes together so simply and quickly that you will be making it on repeat whenever you need a quick fix dessert to whip up without fuss or any fancy equipment. I also like serving this with vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream but there is something so yummy about strawberries and cream that just had to indulge.

What is a shortcake? Why is it called a shortcake? What makes a short cake short?

These questions are debatable. Some recipes say a shortcake is only a shortcake when made with eggs, sugar, butter and flour. While other recipes say eggs re not needed at all. A shortcake is like a scone or a biscuit but more fluffy and cake like. It has a crust on the outside but very tender and light on the inside. It is called a shortcake because of the fat in it aka the shortening and that is what makes a shortcake short. There is plenty of fat in the batter and baking powder/soda which yields a very tender crumb once baked.

What is the difference between a cake and a shortcake?

Shortcake is considered to be a drop biscuit but fluffier and sweeter. I don’t mean biscuit as in your snappy biscuits and tea I mean butter biscuits served with gravy like my brown butter biscuits. While a cake is very rich, consists of eggs, could include additional ingredients like sour cream, hot water, oil etc. and it is most often than not served with frosting or icing.

Is shortcake the same as shortbread? Is shortcake just a biscuit?

Shortcake is nothing like shortbread. Short bread is more like a coffee biscuit that you serve at tea time. It is not fluffy and soft but more crumbly and snappy. Shortcakes are similar to the butter souther style biscuits which are cake like and very tender with a crust on the outside.

What does the strawberry shortcake symbolize?

There is no better dessert than strawberries and cream that symbolizes summer. The fresh and juicy strawberries paired with the fluffy whipped cream on a tender slice of shortcake. It is now a tradition to enjoy summer with simple flavors and these combine together to create the best dessert for the season.

What ingredients are needed to make this strawberry shortcake cake?

To make the shortcake cake we need all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt, castor sugar, vanilla, almond extract, butter, whole milk, granulated sugar and cashew nuts. To make the macerated strawberries we need fresh strawberries, castor sugar, balsamic vinegar. For the whipped cream we need heavy whipping cream, yogurt, icing sugar, vanilla.

Vegan – to keep this recipe plant based you can use almond milk in place of the full fat milk and a vegetable butter to replace the regular butter. I would sugared using a neutral flavored milk and butter as we do not want to over power the flavors of the short cake. For the whipped cream you can use any plant based whipping cream option.
Gluten free – to make the dessert gluten free you can use a gluten free flour mix (cup for cup) measure. Do not use almond flour alone, it will not work.

What equipment is needed to make this strawberry shortcake cake?

To make the shortcake cake we need a large mixing bowl, rubber spatula and your hands or a pastry cutter to rub the flour and butter together. To make the macerated strawberries we need a knife, chopping board and mixing bowl. To make the whipped cream we need a mixing bowl with an electric beater, you could also use a whisk but this would take a lot more time to whip up. The shortcake cake is baked in a 9 inch round tin lined with baking paper in the oven.

How to make this strawberry shortcake cake?

To make the macerated strawberries – In a mixing bowl add the strawberries, castor sugar, balsamic vinegar and stir together until combined.
To make the whipped cream – Beat the whipped cream, vanilla, sugar until stiff peaks. Add the yogurt and beat again until combined. Place in the fridge to chill.
To make the strawberry shortcake – Preheat the oven to 350 deg F, line a 9 inch round tin with baking spray and baking paper, set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt, castor sugar, stir to evenly distribute. Add the cold butter and and rub into the flour using your index finger and thumb. You could use a pastry cutter as well. The mixture should resembles damp sand and should clump together – that means it’s done. Pour in the milk, vanilla, almond extract and stir together until the batter is just combined and there are no dry pockets of flour. Transfer to the baking tin, level it out with a spoon and top with the granulated sugar and cashew nuts. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin.

Serving this strawberry shortcake cake?

The best way to serve this shortcake cake is while it is still warm, and the whipped cream is chilled and the strawberries have released plenty of juice. You can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well. Alternatively you could just pour cold cream on top with serve it with strawberries that are not macerated. Pair it with my strawberry lemonade and you’ve got yourself the summer tea party menu of the year.

Storing this strawberry shortcake cake?

I always like serving the shortcake cake separately with the cream and strawberries on the side to allow everyone to decide for themselves how heavy they like their cream and strawberries. Personally I love more cream and strawberries. But also this helps store all the components later. The shortcake cake can be wrapped in cling wrap wrap or place in a zip lock bag and store at room temperature for 2 days, alternatively in the fridge for 1 week – when ready to eat, warm it and serve. The whipped cream and macerated strawberries can be stored in individual ir tight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Looking for more summer dessert recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this strawberry shortcake cake recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.