American Shortcake Biscuits {Better Than Scones!}
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Most shortcake biscuits are basically just dry, floury rounds that go soggy the second they touch a strawberry. These are different! I’ve loaded mine with double cream, a whole egg, and vanilla, which gives them this almost cake-like crumb that soaks up the strawberry juices without falling apart. If you want to build out your dessert table, my Chocolate Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter goes really well alongside this shortcake biscuit recipe.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: American Shortcake Biscuits {Better Than Scones!}
- 🕦 Ready in: 33 minutes
- 🤝 Serves: 9
- 🍴 Calories: 384kcal
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: plain flour, salted butter, double cream, vanilla extract
- ✨ Summary: These shortcake biscuits are better than anything you’d find in a supermarket – double cream & vanilla baked right in, ready in 33 minutes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
I’ve tested a lot of versions of these shortcake biscuits to get the texture just right, and here’s what makes this recipe worth making:
- Amazing flavour: Double cream and a whole egg together create this almost custard-like depth that you just don’t get from a standard sweet biscuit recipe.
- Consistent results: A lot of recipes online use cups, which makes it really hard to nail that exact soft dough consistency. Measuring in grams takes the guesswork out completely.
- Great for making ahead: These stay tender for a couple of days and freeze so well, so they’re ideal if you’re making dessert in advance for guests. This Easy Nutella Puff Pastry is another great option! You can also adjust the caster sugar depending on how sweet you like them.
If you’ve got extra double cream, try using it in Marry Me Chicken Recipe (In under 30 minutes!), Creamy Rice with Garlic & Parmesan {Risotto Style}, and Homemade Butter.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Here are three ingredients that really make a difference in this shortcake biscuit:
- Double cream: The high fat content is what gives these sweet biscuits their soft crumb. Half-and-half or single cream won’t do the same job here, and if you’ve ever made a sweet biscuit that came out dense and heavy, this is usually why.
- Caster sugar: The finer crystals dissolve straight into the butter, so you get an even sweetness all the way through rather than any grainy patches. I use it for the same reason in my Delicious Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe.
- Salted butter: My favourite shortcut for balancing out the richness of the cream and vanilla without measuring out extra salt separately. It gives you that slightly savoury-sweet edge that makes the strawberries really stand out.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
There are a few easy ways to make this shortcake biscuit recipe your own:
- Dairy-free shortcake biscuits: Swap the butter for a plant-based block and use a high-fat coconut cream in place of the double cream. By the way – my Creamy Coconut Rice with Loaded Greens is one of my favourite plant-based recipes, if you haven’t tried it yet.
- Lemon and poppy seed: Add the zest of one lemon and a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients for a bright citrusy version of these dessert biscuits.
- Cinnamon sugar crust: Brush the tops with a little milk and scatter cinnamon sugar over before they go in the oven for a crunchy, spiced top that reminds me of my Healthy Apple Pie Porridge with Walnuts.
How to make American Shortcake Biscuits
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190°C fan, then combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and butter until the mixture resembles rough crumbs.
Step 2: Add the egg, cream, and vanilla to the crumb mixture, mixing everything together to form a soft, cohesive dough.
Step 3: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 3cm thick, cut into 7cm rounds, and place them onto a lined baking tray.
Step 4: Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, then leave them to cool before slicing in half to assemble with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
If you’ve got extra strawberries, Frozen Yogurt Bark with Berries, Healthy French Toast with Cinnamon, and Chocolate Swirl Custard Toast (Tiktok Recipe) are all great ways to use them up.
Tips for the best result
- Keep the butter and double cream in the fridge until the very last moment as cold fat is what helps these homemade shortcake biscuits rise high and keeps their texture light.
- When you cut the rounds, press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and stops them from rising properly.
- Biscuit shortcake freezes really well for up to 3 months and you can put them straight from frozen into a warm oven, which makes them a great last-minute dessert option.
- This recipe for shortcake biscuits asks for a food processor, but if you don’t have it, just rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips instead.
What is the Difference Between American Shortcake Biscuits and Scones?
They look nearly identical, but the key difference is how rich the dough is. A traditional British scone is quite lean – it’s designed to be a vehicle for clotted cream & jam on top. A short cake biscuit, on the other hand, has the cream and egg baked right into the dough itself, which makes it MUCH richer and more cake-like from the start.
That extra richness is actually what makes shortcake biscuits a better base for fruit. Because the crumb is sturdier, it absorbs the juices from the strawberries without going to mush, which means your dessert still holds together on the plate. If you want something that tastes amazing even before you add the toppings, this is the best shortcake biscuit recipe to make – trust me.
Serving Suggestions
Honestly, these shortcake biscuits are best eaten the same day with a mountain of whipped cream and strawberries – that’s the dream scenario. They also make a really impressive centrepiece for an afternoon tea table without requiring much effort at all.
Also try:
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
These easy shortcake biscuits keep really well, which makes them great for getting ahead if you’re hosting.
Refrigerator: Don’t store these in the fridge because the cold air dries the crumb out. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and they’ll be fine for up to 2 days.
Freezer: These freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag and are honestly one of the most freezer-friendly bakes I’ve made. Just pull them out when you need them.
Reheat: Warm them in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes or give them 20 seconds in the microwave and they taste freshly baked again.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this shortcake biscuit recipe uses 325g of plain flour with a full tablespoon of baking powder, which gives you a reliable, controlled rise without the unpredictability you can sometimes get from self-raising flour.
Keep the butter cold and don’t overwork the dough. Before you add the liquid ingredients, you want to see small visible flecks of butter in the crumb – that’s what creates the flaky layers as they bake.
Yes, I actually prefer it! The salt in the butter seasons the dough really well and balances the sweetness of the caster sugar without you needing to add anything extra.
A 7cm biscuit cutter is the right size for this biscuit shortcake recipe since it gives you enough surface area for a generous pile of strawberries and cream on top.
For more American recipes, Animal Style Fries at Home {In-N-Out Copycat Recipe!}, Simple Fluffy American Pancakes, and Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip (High Protein & Extra Creamy) are all worth a look.
If you tried this Shortcake Biscuit recipe, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
The Best Shortcake Biscuits
Ingredients
- 325 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 50 g caster sugar
- 150 g salted butter
- 1 large egg
- 150 ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk, if needed
To serve:
- Whipped cream and strawberries
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C fan, Gas 5. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter in a food processor and whizz until it forms crumbs (or rub together with your fingertips).
- Turn mixture into a large bowl and add the egg, cream and vanilla. Mix to a soft smooth dough, adding 1–2 tbsp milk if needed.
- Roll out on a lightly floured worktop to about 3cm thick, then cut into rounds using a 7cm biscuit cutter.
- Place on the baking tray and bake for 15–18 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool, then cut in half and fill with whipped cream and strawberries.
Notes
- Keep the butter and double cream in the fridge until the very last moment as cold fat is what helps the biscuits rise high and keeps their texture light.
- When you cut the rounds, press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and stops them from rising properly.
- Biscuit shortcake freezes really well for up to 3 months and you can put them straight from frozen into a warm oven.
- If you don’t have a food processor, just rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips instead.
Nutrition
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