Made from scratch shortcake loaded with fresh berries and whipped cream. This Mixed Berry Shortcake recipe is the ultimate summer dessert!
Nothing says summer like these old fashioned Mixed Berry Shortcakes. I’ve updated the method for this lovely, nostalgic dessert making it an easy choice for any warm summer evening.
First and foremost, you don’t need a special occasion. The next time you see fresh ripe berries at a good price, grab them and give this recipe a try.
Table of contents
How to Make Mixed Berry Shortcake
I enlisted the help of my trusty food processor to streamline the process of making homemade shortcake.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your food processor (see the recipe card below for precise amounts.) Pulse a few times to combine then add the butter pats. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, beat an egg and heavy cream with a fork and mix in some buttermilk. Turn the food processor on and pour the cream mixture through the feed tube and mix until the dough holds together well.
- Roll the dough out into a 9- x 5-inch rectangle about 3/4- to 1-inch thick, squaring up the edges with your hands. With a sharp knife, cut down the center of the rectangle, length-wise, dividing the dough in half and then make two cuts across the width to create 6 shortcakes. Don’t be too fussy here. Some pieces can be larger than others. This is a rustic dessert!
- Transfer the shortcakes to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of dough with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Bake the shortcakes for 15 to 18 minutes. Watch them closely towards the end of baking time and pull them out of oven when lightly browned.
Preparing the Berries
- Allow the shortcakes to cool on a wire rack.
- Place the rinsed and sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow the berries to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This is plenty of time to create flavorful berries while still retaining their nice texture.
Adding a little sugar to fresh berries and allowing them to rest helps to enhance their natural sweetness. This process of macerating berries allows them to soften and release some of their juices, becoming even more flavorful.
Assembling the Berry Shortcakes
- After the shortcakes have cooled slightly, slice them in half and fill them with berries and whipped cream.
Optional Ingredients
I love to put out some fun ingredients and let everyone build their own customized shortcake. If you’ve got kiddos in the house, they’ll love this!
- vanilla ice cream
- chocolate sauce
- sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
- sliced almonds
- anything goes – get creative!
More Classic Summer Dessert Recipes
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
- Fresh Cherry Cobbler
- Peach Frozen Yogurt
- Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
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Mixed Berry Shortcakes
Ingredients
Shortcake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced into 8 pieces
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup heavy cream, plus additional as needed
- ¼ cup buttermilk
Filling
- 4 cups fresh mixed berries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a mixture of any type of berries you prefer
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup prepared whipped cream, or whipped topping
Optional Toppings
- vanilla ice cream
- chocolate sauce
- sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse it a few times to combine. Add the pieces of butter and pulse, mixing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk. Turn the food processor on and pour the mixture through the feed tube into the flour mixture. Continue mixing until it is thoroughly incorporated and holds together well. If the dough seems to dry, add in more cream in increments of 1 teaspoon until moist enough to hold together.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 9- x 5-inch rectangle, squaring up the edges with your hands. Dough should be at least 3/4- to 1-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut down the center of the rectangle, length-wise, dividing the dough in half and then make two cuts across the width. You will have 6 shortcakes.
- Transfer shortcakes to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the dough with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Watch closely towards the end of the baking time and pull them out of oven when lightly browned.
Prepare the Berries
- While shortcakes are baking rinse and slice the strawberries and mix them together with rinsed raspberries and blueberries in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and mix well. Allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Assemble the Shortcakes
- After shortcakes have cooled slightly, slice them in half and fill with berries and whipped cream or set out optional ingredients and allow everyone to build their own customized shortcake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This recipe was originally published on September 5, 2011 and has been updated with new text and images.
More Fruit Dessserts
Made this for dessert for a family dinner today. They all LOVED it!! My daughter said she needed the recipe and my daughter-in-law said she “needs more of those sugar biscuits in her life!”. With the berries and homemade whipped cream, this is a delicious summer dessert that is destined to become a family favorite!
This is so great to hear! So happy the recipe was such a hit. Thanks, Renee. 🙂