This delicious skillet strawberry shortcake is made in a cast iron skillet and is a simple dessert recipe made with fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and a biscuit-type of cake.

There are so many strawberry shortcake recipes out there and so many ways of cooking them. From air frying to baking and canned biscuits to pastry dough, there are more ways to make this classic dessert than you can count. The version that I’m loving most these days is one that I make in a skillet. It’s a completely from scratch recipe, but it’s not hard to make, and the results are worth every minute (there aren’t many of those, either).
This recipe makes a great weeknight dessert, special birthday treat, addition to any potluck, or afternoon snack. Heck, you can even serve it to guests with a cup of coffee for a delicious, sweet treat while you have a chat.
Skillet Strawberry Shortcake
Rather than the classic sandwich look that you see with most strawberry shortcakes, this version uses a sweet biscuit base. Then it’s topped with whipped cream and a sweet strawberry topping. What you end up with is a super rustic version of this classic dessert that’s sweet, hearty, and full of down-home flavor AND feels. It’s a fantastic, down-to-earth version of a dessert that has a tendency to be done in an overly fancy manner at times. At least in my opinion.
Why You’ll Love This Skillet Strawberry Shortcake
- It’s one of the easiest from scratch recipes around.
- It uses homemade whipped cream and a homemade strawberry topping made with fresh, juicy strawberries.
- It’s the perfect dessert for spring and summer.
Skillet Strawberry Shortcake Tips
You’ll be making everything from scratch, so I have a few tips here to help ensure that you make this recipe the best it can possibly be.
- Return your butter to the refrigerator after you slice it to ensure that it’s as cold as possible when you cut it into the flour.
- Hit every part of the inside of the skillet when greasing it to ensure nothing sticks. It can be easy to miss a spot, so check carefully.
- Place your strawberries on a paper towel after slicing them to keep your biscuit dough from getting too wet.
Skillet Strawberry Shortcake FAQ
If you have questions about this tasty dessert, then read on. The following FAQ answers the most commonly asked questions about it.
How do you bake with cast iron?
For most baked goods, place the empty, ungreased cast iron skillet into the cold oven and let it warm up as the oven preheats. Cast iron holds its heat because it’s a poor conductor, however, that also means it takes a long time to heat up. It’s not required for this recipe, but in most cases, it’s recommended.
What’s the difference between shortcake and cake?
At first, they both look relatively similar, but they aren’t. Shortcake tends to be crumbly and crisp, while cake is moist, rich, light, and airy in most cases.
Why is it called shortcake?
The name is derived from an old English cooking definition of short. It referred to something made crisp with the addition of fat. It’s the perfect name for this dessert as the base is crumbly and buttery.
How to Store Skillet Strawberry Shortcake
The individual ingredients will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. It’s best to put the shortcake together right before serving so that the biscuit base doesn’t get soggy.
Skillet Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
As from scratch recipes go, this one has a very short, easy ingredient list. You’ll have most of them in your kitchen already.
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Large egg yolk
- Vanilla
- COLD butter
- Fresh strawberries
- Lemon
- Lemon juice
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla
How to Make Skillet Strawberry Shortcake
Making this recipe isn’t as hard as you might think. It only takes a few steps, and they’re all very easy to do. Even beginners can make this recipe.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly great a 10-inch cast iron skillet and line the bottom with parchment paper. Slice strawberries for topping the shortcake batter before baking.
Step 2: Make the Strawberry Topping
Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir to mix, cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to top the shortcake.
Step 3: Combine the Wet Ingredients
Whisk the buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined.
Step 4: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Then, cut the butter slices into the flour with a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs are formed.
Step 5: Make the Dough
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 6: Bake the Shortcake
Spread the dough evenly into the skillet and top it with sliced strawberries. Then, bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Make the Whipped Cream
While the cake cooks, combine heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
Step 8: Serve
After the shortcake has cooled completely, spread the whipped cream over the top, and then top with the prepared strawberries. Enjoy!
Try This Delicious Skillet Strawberry Shortcake Today
This skillet strawberry shortcake is so delicious and so easy. Even though it’s a from-scratch recipe, it comes together quickly and bakes up to perfection every time. From a weeknight dessert to a birthday treat or just because, this delicious dessert is one of the tastiest and easiest you’ll find. Once you try it, I know you’ll find yourself making it again and again.
More Delicious Strawberry Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Stuffed Strawberries – A super quick, no bake dessert that is made with fresh strawberries that are stuffed with homemade whipped cream.
Mini Strawberry Cheesecake – A no bake cheesecake recipe made with a graham cracker crust, a layer of chocolate, and a cheesecake layer on top.
The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler – A delicious cobbler recipe made with rhubarb and fresh strawberries, topped with a cobbler topping and baked to a bubbly and golden brown perfection.
And, here is a Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Poke Cake from Great Grub, Delicious Treats that you might enjoy as well.
Skillet Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
For the Skillet Cake
- 3 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup COLD butter, cubed (1½ sticks)
- ½ cup strawberries, sliced
For the Strawberry Topping
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablepoon lemon juice
- 1 tablepoon lemon zest
For the Whippped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet, line bottom with parchment paper.
For the Skillet Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add butter slices to the flour mixture and cut into flour mixture using a pastry cutter.
- Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir until combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet. Spread evenly.
- Press sliced strawberries gently into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.
For the Strawberry Topping
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir to mix well, cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Whippped Cream
- In a medium bowl, add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla.
- Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread whipped cream over the top of the cake and add prepared strawberries.
Notes
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