Fresh Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits (Printable)

Fluffy shortcake cubes layered with macerated strawberries and whipped cream served in mason jars.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Shortcake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 2/3 cup whole milk
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Strawberries

08 - 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
09 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Whipped Cream

11 - 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
12 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fingers, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - Stir in milk and vanilla until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheet to form 6-8 shortcakes.
04 - Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
05 - While shortcakes bake, combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss well and let sit for at least 15 minutes until juices are released.
06 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
07 - Layer shortcake cubes, strawberries with juice, and whipped cream in mason jars. Repeat layers as desired, finishing with whipped cream and strawberry slices on top.
08 - Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything bakes in one batch, and you can prep the components while the shortcakes cool, making this feel less chaotic than it actually is.
  • These jars travel beautifully to picnics, potlucks, or deck parties—no plating required, and everyone gets their own little gift wrapped up and ready to eat.
  • The strawberry juices soak into the cake layers as they sit, creating this secret syrupy center that only reveals itself when you dig in.
02 -
  • Room-temperature butter in the shortcake dough produces a dense, cake-like texture instead of the light crumbly texture you want—cold butter is non-negotiable.
  • Overmixing the dough after adding milk is the fastest way to ruin the shortcake's tender crumb, so mix just until you see no dry flour and then stop immediately.
  • Heavy cream whips best when the bowl and beaters are cold; take 5 minutes to chill them in the freezer before starting if your kitchen is warm.
03 -
  • Make the shortcakes and refrigerate them for up to a day ahead, then assemble the parfaits just before serving for maximum freshness and texture contrast.
  • If you're short on time, use high-quality store-bought pound cake or angel food cake instead of baking shortcakes from scratch—nobody needs to know, and the result is still delicious and impressive.
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