Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake
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This sourdough strawberry shortcake is made in a cast-iron skillet for the best classic shortcake with a crumbly, buttery texture inside and a golden, perfectly crisp texture on the outside. This is a great way to use up your extra sourdough discard, or active, bubbly starter, for a fun spin on this classic cake! Top with macerated strawberries and a homemade whipped cream topping.
It’s hard to list all the reasons I love this skillet strawberry shortcake so much, but I’ve got to say that the ease of making it tops the list.
No need to make many small shortcakes. Simply pour the batter into your cast-iron skillet, bake it, slice it up, and top with whipped cream and strawberries!
It’s the perfect cake to make when strawberries are abundant in the summer. The macerated strawberries are a cinch to make and do their job while the cake bakes. My family absolutely loved this recipe. If you try it, I’d love to know what you think!
This sourdough recipe is one of many on my website, so if you’re interested in other sourdough discard recipes, here are a few of my favorites:
- Chocolate Sourdough Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread
- Vanilla Sourdough Cake
- Baked Sourdough Doughnuts
- Sourdough Pop Tarts
Ingredient Notes
- cold butter – I use salted butter. I like the juxtaposition of the salty flavor with the sweet strawberries and whipped cream. The recipe calls for salted butter and thus, only adds 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cake. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead. You can cube the butter or grate it with a cheese grater (I find the latter way more manageable).
- lemon – I used one lemon for this recipe. I zested it first to add it to the granulated sugar. I then squeezed the juice into the quartered strawberries. You may do it either way first, but you’ll only need one medium-sized lemon.
- sourdough discard – sourdough discard is inactive sourdough starter. I usually keep some in the fridge for up to a week to use for recipes. If your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, you may use that as well. Regardless, you will still need the baking powder and baking soda, as that is what makes the cake rise.
Use *cold* ingredients. Cold butter, cold heavy cream, cold sourdough discard if you can. This cake is meant to be crumbly and coarse with a buttery, flaky texture.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step One: Add the quartered strawberries to a bowl and toss with granulated sugar and lemon juice.
Set aside to macerate while you prepare and bake the shortcake—this helps the berries release their juices and develop flavor.
Step Two: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture is fragrant and slightly moist.
Step Three: Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
Step Four: In another large bowl, whisk together the cold heavy cream, sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step Five: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together into a thick batter.
Step Six: Transfer the batter into the prepared skillet and spread it evenly. Top with the sliced strawberries.
Bake on the center rack for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step Seven: Allow the cake to cool in the skillet for about 10 minutes while you prepare the whipped cream.
Step Eight: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form—this takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
Slice the shortcake into wedges and top each piece with a generous spoonful of macerated strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet – I LOVE my Lodge cast iron skillet and use it daily to make meals and desserts. They last forever!
- Mixing bowls – You’ll need a few mixing bowls to combine the wet ingredients, dry ingredients, macerated strawberries, and whipped cream.
- Rubber spatula and whisk
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Tips for Making This Strawberry Shortcake the Best!
- Use COLD ingredients. Usually, I’m always talking about the importance of using room temperature ingredients when making cakes, but not when it comes to shortcake. We want that classic crumbly, buttery texture. So, make sure the heavy cream and butter are cold.
- Grease your skillet. I like to use butter. This will help prevent the cake from sticking to the pan (though cast irons are usually notorious for not sticking if it’s well-seasoned, it can still happen).
- Use a cheese grater to grate your butter. This is the easiest way to incorporate it into a crumbly texture. Alternatively, you can use cubed butter, but I always prefer grating it. I also always use my hands to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients. Using a fork or pastry cutter never seems to do the job as well.
- Watch your cake as it bakes! Every oven is unique. The bake time is *around* 35 minutes, but start keeping an eye on yours around the 30-minute mark. You’re looking for a nice golden brown top, but a fully baked middle. To do that, stick a toothpick in the center. If wet batter sticks to it, it needs to bake longer.
Storage
Strawberry shortcake is best enjoyed the same day it is baked. Store any leftover shortcake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
The whipped cream and strawberries are best used the same day. You can store any leftovers in the fridge overnight but should use them up the next day! Keep the toppings separate from the cake to avoid the cake getting soggy.
Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls including one chilled in the freezer for the whipped topping
Ingredients
Macerated Strawberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest from one lemon
- 4 cups fresh strawberries quartered
Strawberry Shortcake
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice juice from one lemon
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons salted butter cold, cubed or grated (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries sliced
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Macerate the Strawberries:
- In a bowl, toss quartered strawberries with granulated sugar and lemon juice. Let sit while you prepare the cake batter and bake the cake.
Prepare the Shortcake Dough:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, rub together the ½ cup sugar and lemon zest with your fingertips until fragrant.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Mix Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together cold heavy cream, sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix all the ingredients together. The batter will be thick.
Bake:
- Bake on the center rack for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool about 10 minutes while you make the whipped cream topping.
Make the Whipped Topping:
- In a chilled bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
Serve:
- Slice shortcake into wedges. Top with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. Enjoy!
This is such a lovely summertime dessert recipe. If you make it, let me know what you think!