Moist Strawberry Shortcake (for a Large Group)

Does this picture not just epitomize summer?

I was back home in Kansas a couple weekends ago with my family for a memorial service, which involved a LOT of people and a LOT of cooking. Friday night we had a smaller get-together (maybe 15 people?), and we needed to figure out a dessert to feed the masses.

Strawberry shortcake is my go-to summer dessert when I have people over.

It’s basically perfect—juicy strawberries, just a hint of sugar, fluffy cake, pillowy whipped cream. Healthy(ish). And the easiest thing to throw together for an impromptu get-together.

While angel food cake will do in a pinch, usually I try to go the extra mile and make traditional homemade shortcakes, kind of scone- or biscuit-like (or like this oat & brown sugar version).

They’re not hard to make, but they’re not good for big groups and are not as great when you make them ahead of time—like biscuits, they’re great fresh but get tougher and stale once cool.

When I started thinking about dessert for a bunch of people (plus getting dinner on the table), I knew that individual shortcakes would be too much trouble. I knew I wanted something that made a lot, and something that would stay moist so we could make it several hours ahead.

After quite a bit of digging, I discovered this recipe, and was quite pleased with the results.

It literally took less than five minutes to mix  the ingredients together and throw it in the oven, and it was super moist, not too sweet, and basically perfect for soaking up strawberry juices.

My brother-in-law gave it his stamp of approval, and finished off the leftovers the next day. While it’s not quite as pretty as the traditional shortcakes, it’s got great texture and is delicious!

See my healthier version of this recipe as well!

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Stir together the wet and dry ingredients to form a thick, almost whipped batter.

Spray a pan with non-stick spray and then spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and it’s golden on top and on the sides (which you can see if you use a glass pan). Let cool.

You can kind of do whatever you want for the berries.  I usually cut up strawberries into little pieces, add a little bit of granulated sugar (important, as it macerates the berries by pulling the juices out), and maybe add a splash of juice or water (depending on whether the berries are super juicy on their own).  If you want to get even a little fancier, throw in a splash of vanilla extract and a bit of lemon zest.

Shake it all around and refrigerate for a few hours—this gets the juices flowing nicely.

Serve and devour.  

Also, homemade whipped cream is your friend—so much better than the store-bought whipped topping and worth the extra five minutes!

Other summer desserts you’ll love:

• Almond Pavlova with Balsamic Berries & Whipped Cream (gluten-free)
• Bourbon Cherry Crisp with Brown Butter Streusel
• Almond Magic Cake
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream
• Oat Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcake
• Easy Summer-y Strawberry Cake (like an all-in-one strawberry shortcake)

Moist Strawberry Shortcake (for a Large Group)

Yield: 12-15 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This moist strawberry shortcake for a large group is easy and delicious, perfect for any summer gathering! Makes a 9x13 pan, 12 cupcakes, or one jellyroll pan.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup of melted unsalted butter
• 2 cups of buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
• Optional:  diced fresh strawberries, lemon zest and juice, sugar, vanilla; homemade whipped cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
3. Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract, and melted butter, then mix well. It's okay to have a few lumps, you don't want to over-stir.
4. Pour batter into a greased pan and spread evenly, then bake until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean (25-35 minutes for a 9x13 pan or cupcakes). For a jelly roll pan, just bake for about 5 minutes less.
5. You can kind of do whatever you want for the berries.  I usually cut up strawberries into little pieces, add a little bit of granulated sugar (important, as it macerates the berries by pulling the juices out), and maybe add a tiny splash of juice or water (depending on whether the berries are super juicy on their own).  If you want to get even a little fancier, throw in a splash of vanilla extract and a bit of lemon zest.  Shake it all around and refrigerate for a few hours---this gets the juices flowing nicely.  Serve with fresh whipped cream.

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