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)
Original recipe here
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.
Moist Strawberry Shortcake (for a Large Group)
Ingredients
Instructions
Does shortcake freeze well? My daughter wants strawberry shortcake at her wedding reception I will have to freeze and transport them across country.
Thank you.
Hey Anne! I can’t say for sure because I haven’t frozen this particular cake, but I believe that this would freeze pretty well if prepped/stored right. It’s a very moist cake, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it drying out. I’d just recommend doing a trial run (with just a 9×13 pan version) ahead of time to make sure there are no surprises!
Gorgeous berries and a lovely dessert to feed a group. … stopping by from Food on Friday!
Thank you! I’m so happy that it’s finally strawberry season and I can have this all the time!
I work on a show called Merrily We Roll Along in NYC on Broadway. We have a birthday club. I was in charge of a birthday request for Strawberry Shortcake that could feed 50.
From the actors to the orchestra, to the crew – the entire building is STILL telling me how much they loved this shortcake. To say it was a hit is a gross understatement. I made two and baked them in the aluminum jelly roll style pan lined with parchment paper, giving me a nice thin base of ‘cake’. The day before the birthday I transported the two cakes to the theatre.
The day of, I took the juicy strawberries that had been in the fridge, along with the whipped cream, and assembled everything at the theatre.
I am sending everyone to your website because they keep telling me how good it was!
Congratulations – you’re a hit on Broadway!
Hi Sandy…wow, thanks for the lovely note! I’m so glad this cake was such a hit (I’ll take a Broadway hit!), it’s become a fast family favorite for us as well. Cheers!
Can I bake the shortcake 2 days ahead of assembling the dessert? If so, does it need to be refrigerated? Thank you!
Hi Mica! I haven’t tried it, but don’t see why not…my mom has kept leftovers for 2-3 days before without any issues. She usually keeps hers in the 9×13 glass pan on the counter, with a lid on it (or something airtight, like plastic wrap). You definitely could refrigerate it if you have the space, and if your house tends to be warm and humid I would recommend that just because the cake is really moist and could start to get a bit ferment-y if in a warm, humid environment for a long time.