Looking for a simple, no-fuss strawberry shortcake recipe? Try Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes. Unlike more complicated biscuit-style shortcakes, these use a simple cake batter to make light, tender little cakes. These are naturally egg-free. Top the cakes with berries and fresh whipped cream!
When the weather gets hot, it’s important to prioritize time in the kitchen. I’ve been making lots of dinners that we can throw on the grill and serve with something straight from the fridge (see Pesto Pasta Salad and its Asian-inspired counterpart Sesame Noodle Salad) and putting my kitchen time towards more enjoyable pursuits. Like strawberry shortcake.
Shortcakes usually fall into two categories – biscuit-style and cake-style. This super simple, weeknight-friendly version falls firmly in the cake category. These are tender muffin-shaped cakes that hold well up to juicy strawberries.
One little cake with whipped cream and strawberries is enough to satisfy, but they’re light enough that you can easily have two. Best of all, these are almost as good a day or three after baking, so you can make them ahead. Just follow the steps below to reheat and serve. Here’s all you need to make them!
Ingredients for Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcake
- All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, White Sugar, Pure Vanilla Extract – You’ll need these pantry staples / baking ingredients for the cakes.
- Milk – We tested these with regular 2% milk, but they should work with any variety of milk, including non-dairy milk.
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt – This recipe will work with any type of nonfat plain or Greek yogurt. It will also work with flavored yogurt. Full fat Greek yogurt is a bit too thick for this recipe, but can be used with an additional 1 Tbsp (15 mL) milk added to the recipe.
- Vegetable Oil – This recipe will work fine with any neutral-flavored oil like vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado oil.
- White Vinegar – This may seem like an unusual ingredient in the recipe list, but the vinegar reacts with the baking powder to create air bubbles in the batter. This helps the shortcakes to rise high and have a light and fluffy texture.
- Demerara Sugar – There’s no need to go out of your way to buy it just for this recipe, but if you keep a raw sugar like demerara in your pantry, sprinkle a tiny bit over the shortcakes before baking. It will give the tops of the cakes a bit of sweet crunch! Turbinado sugar will work too.
How to Make Macerated Strawberries
Macerated strawberries are simply strawberries that have been combined with sugar which causes the fruit to release liquid. The result is tender strawberries in a sweet syrup. This is great for serving over yogurt, ice cream, or desserts like angel food cake and strawberry shortcake.
The longer the strawberries sit, the more liquid they will release. You can combine the strawberries and sugar anywhere from 30 minutes to a day before you’re ready to use them. (Store them in the refrigerator if making them more than 30 minutes ahead.)
Make Strawberry Shortcakes Ahead
All of the components for strawberry shortcakes can be made ahead. Store the strawberries and whipped cream in the refrigerator. Store the shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. To serve, slice the shortcakes in half and lightly toast them in a toaster oven or for a few minutes in a 350°F / 177°C oven.
Other Summer Desserts
- Semolina Yogurt Cake
- DIY Ice Cream Drumsticks
- Frozen Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie
- No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
Favorite Tools
Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Muffin Pan
Ingredients
Shortcakes
- 1 ½ cups (188g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- Pinch Salt
- ½ cup (100g) White Sugar
- ½ cup (118mL) Milk
- ½ cup (188mL) Nonfat Greek Yogurt (see note)
- ¼ cup (94mL) Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Demerara Sugar, for topping (optional)
Strawberries
- 1 lb Strawberries, chopped
- 2 Tbsp White Sugar
Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup Whipping / Heavy Cream, very cold
- 1 Tbsp White Sugar
- ½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Prepare Strawberries:
- At least 30 minutes, and up to 1 day before serving, remove and discard stems from strawberries. Chop strawberries. Combine with 2 Tbsp sugar. If making these right before serving, you can leave the strawberries at room temperature. If making them ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator. (The sugar will help the strawberries to soften and release juice.)
Make Shortcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
- Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use muffin liners).
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar, milk, yogurt, vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla, and vinegar until evenly combined.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until no dry spots remain (do not overmix).
- Spray a cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray (this will prevent the batter from sticking). Scoop up batter and divide it between spaces in the prepared muffin tin, filling each space about halfway. Sprinkle each shortcake with Demerara sugar (if using).
- Bake until a tester inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.
- Allow cakes to cool in the muffin tin. Serve immediately or store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Make Whipped Cream:
- Combine whipping cream, 1 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp vanilla. Use a standing mixer or hand mixer to beat on high until the cream is thick and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve:
- To serve, slice each muffin in half and fill with whipped cream and strawberries.
Notes
Nutrition
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