I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Strawberry Shortcake Recipes and There Was One Clear Winner

Backyard summer suppers just got their ultimate upgrade.

Strawberry shortcake was a favorite summer dessert at my house when I was a kid. My mom typically bought those sponge-y premade shortcakes instead of making her own because she was, as she reminded us often, “not a baker.” So growing up, that’s all I knew.

Boy was I surprised when I had my first homemade strawberry shortcake. It was nothing like the store-bought version. The shortcake was more like a biscuit than a cake and it lent itself perfectly to being topped with juicy summer strawberries and whipped cream.

While I still love that sponge-y premade shortcake of my childhood, there’s really nothing more special than a homemade shortcake made from scratch. Which is why I went in search of the ultimate strawberry shortcake recipe, testing the most popular recipes on Allrecipes.com.

What Makes the Best Strawberry Shortcake?

For me, a perfect strawberry shortcake recipe comes down to three things. First, is it easy to make? If it takes several steps with lots of labor, I’m not interested. Second, is there a sufficient cake-to-strawberries ratio? I love the shortcake, but I love the strawberries more, so there should be ample strawberries with just enough shortcake to soak up all of their lovely juices. Third, and most importantly, are its flavors in balance? The cake should be buttery and just salty enough to compliment the sweet strawberries. And that also means there should be some whipped cream on top, because that smooth creamy topping is the perfect finishing touch.

Which Strawberry Shortcake Recipes Did I Test?

I tested the five most popular recipes on Allrecipes. There was one that used a drop-biscuit method, one that saved time with a grocery-store hack, one that added butter during assembly, one that created personal shortcakes, and one that I loved the most. Here’s what I found.

Best Biscuit-style Shortcake: Strawberry Shortcake

• Fast facts: Developed by Denyse, has 431 reviews with a 4.3-star rating

If you love a biscuit-style base in your shortcake, then this recipe is for you. The shortcake is made using the same method as drop biscuits, which creates a craggy top perfect for holding all of those strawberries and their juices and, of course, the whipped cream. Flavor-wise, the shortcake didn’t offer much in the way of taste on its own, but paired with sugar-soaked strawberries and fresh whipped cream, it was perfect.

Speaking of strawberries, the ratio of berries to sugar in this recipe is fantastic–just the right amount to coax all of those delicious juices from the berries.

One note: The shortcake dough is a bit stiff, so you may have some trouble spreading it in your pan. I had success using a spatula sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. But don’t flatten it too much; you want that craggy top, remember?

Get the recipe: Strawberry Shortcake

Simplest and Fastest: Easy Strawberry Shortcake

• Fast facts: Developed by Amy Trombley, has 18 reviews with a 4.9-star rating

This is it, the strawberry shortcake of my childhood. It’s just as I remembered; all of the familiar flavors and memories came flooding back after just one bite. Ironically, this was my daughter’s favorite of all the recipes tested. “There’s something about those little (sponge) cakes,” she said. I could only smile.

The recipe lives up to its name: It really is the easiest of all the recipes listed here to make. The base is premade, single-serve sponge cakes, which you can buy at the grocery store, and topping is simply a matter of tossing the strawberries with some sugar and adding a dollop of whipped cream (also from the grocery store). The whole dessert comes together in 30 minutes!

While I love the ease of this recipe, I must confess I’m not as big of a fan of those little sponge cakes anymore. While convenient, they don’t offer the same flavor as some of the other shortcakes on our list. On the positive side, the sugar-to-berry ratio was just right and using store-bought whipped cream was an additional time saver.

Get the recipe: Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Most Cake-like Shortcake: Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

• Fast facts: Developed by MALIA2, has 75 reviews with a 4.5-star rating

If you want a softer, lighter shortcake, then this is your go-to. The end result is more cake-like than biscuit and creates  a pillowy base for fresh strawberries.

Like other recipes here, shortening is used in the shortcake batter. Unfortunately shortening doesn’t offer much in the way of flavor. Perhaps that’s why the creator adds a layer of softened butter to the split shortcake, which I think is a fantastic call. Unfortunately, the butter flavor got lost with most bites because the strawberries are tossed with an overabundance of granulated sugar, which made them cloyingly sweet.

If I were to make this recipe again, I would decrease the sugar to ¼ cup and swap some of the shortening for butter. But I loved how easy this was to make and how quickly it came together. It would be a perfect dessert for a dinner party.

Get the recipe: Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Best Single-Serving Style: Chef John’s Classic Strawberry Shortcake

• Fast facts: Developed by Chef John, has 48 reviews with a 4.9-star rating

I have a real love of single-serving desserts. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t like slicing things or if I just want my own little version of something. Regardless, I love that this recipe creates individual shortcakes.

The recipe was easy to follow and I felt relatively confident in what I was doing. Even making the individual cakes wasn’t intimidating. And while the recipe calls for self-rising flour, the “Chef’s Notes” section explains how to make it from pantry ingredients if you don’t have this step-saving ingredient on hand–a helpful touch.

Not only was this recipe easy to make, it was delicious. And creating individual shortcakes was fun. Especially since doing so allowed my tasters to customize their dessert to their preferences. I’ll be making this one again.

Get the recipe: Chef John’s Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Best Overall: Skillet Strawberry Shortcake

• Fast facts: Developed by Darcy Lenz, has 9 reviews with a 4.8-star rating

I’m a huge proponent of using a cast iron skillet to cook anything and (mostly) everything. So when this recipe made the list, I was excited. The 4.8-star rating is spot on, because this shortcake recipe is delicious. In fact, it was the favorite of ALL of my tasters!

While a little more work and a bit more time are required for making this recipe, the results are worth it. The shortcake had a biscuit texture, and the unique addition of sliced strawberries as a topping before baking added a surprising extra bite of sweetness. The sugar to berry ratio was just right, and  freshly whipped cream made the perfect topping to this fantastic summer treat.

Get the recipe: Skillet Strawberry Shortcake