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    Home > Recipes > Cakes + Cupcakes

    Easy Lemon Strawberry Shortcake For Two

    Published: May 8, 2014 | Updated: Aug 12, 2022

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    This easy Lemon Strawberry Shortcake for Two has a tender, moist lemon shortcake and is the perfect way to highlight fresh strawberries! The lemon adds a bit of tartness and augments the strawberry flavor. Pair with my Lemon Whipped Cream for the perfect end to a Summer meal!

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    Strawberry Shortcake for Two blue china plates

    I love the combination of tart lemons and sweet strawberries in this refreshing twist on a classic summer dessert!

    Strawberry Shortcake for Two cut open

    Honestly, when I see the first strawberries arriving in the market I get giddy just thinking about strawberry shortcake!

    Strawberry Shortcake for Two Sauce drizzle on antique spoon

    I really wanted a nice zip from the lemon so there is fresh lemon zest in the shortcakes, and lemon juice mixed with the strawberries and my favorite lemon whipped cream on top! Even though it sounds overwhelming, it just a nice complimentary note in the background.

    Strawberry Shortcake for Two messy plate

    The best part about this shortcake? It’s easy and fast. You can have dessert on the table in 30 minutes, and that is if you dilly-dally. If you don’t bother to cut out the shortcakes into individual portions it will be even faster!

    Perfectly portioned for two...or for one, two days in a row! 😉

    Strawberry Shortcake for Two ready to assemble

    Fresh, fast and incredibly delicious! The perfect way to highlight Spring’s favorite fruit! In fact the recipe is so easy, you could probably just memorize it.

    Traditional recipes such as this one call for macerating the strawberries but I promised you a fast and easy version, so I smashed half of the berries to facilitate the release of their sweet, fruity juice! The longer they sit, the better they taste but sometimes a girl’s gotta have strawberry shortcake NOW.

    Strawberry Shortcake for Two stacked with whipped cream

    Easy Lemon Strawberry Shortcake For Two

    Chef Lindsey
    This easy Lemon Strawberry Shortcake for Two has a tender, moist lemon shortcake and is the perfect way to highlight fresh strawberries! The lemon adds a bit of tartness and augments the strawberry flavor. Pair with my Lemon Whipped Cream for the perfect end to a Summer meal!
    Prevent screen from sleeping
    PRINT Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Chill Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 616 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    For the Lemon Shortcake:

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 5 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)
    • Zest from 1 lemon ({be very careful to only remove the dark yellow!})
    • ¼ cup milk
    • 1 tablespoon heavy cream (for brushing shortcakes, optional)
    • turbinado sugar (for sprinkling on top, optional)

    For the Strawberries:

    • 2 cups strawberries (cored and quartered)
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or more to taste – taste your strawberries first!)
    • ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

    Lemon Whipped Cream

      US Customary - Metric

      Instructions
       

      To Make the Shortcakes:

      • Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
      • In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry knife or rubbing the butter into the flour using your hands. I cut the flour in with a pastry knife and then rubbed it in until the mixture held its shape when I squeezed it (it easy crumbled back apart).
      • Mix in the lemon zest until evenly distributed.
      • Slowly add the milk to the mixture and toss with a fork. Continue to add milk until the mixture just comes together in a cohesive ball. I accidentally added too much milk and it turned out just fine.
      • Divide dough into four equal portions, or pat into one larger circle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
        Strawberry shortcake dough chilled and quartered
      • Press each piece of dough into a circle approximately ¾ inch thick. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
        Strawberry shortcake dough topped with heavy cream and sugar on baking sheet
      • Bake shortcakes for approximately 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and the tops are just beginning to brown.
        Strawberry shortcakes baked on black pan
      • While your shortcakes cook, make your strawberry topping and whipped cream.

      To make the Strawberry Lemon Filling:

      • Wash, dry, and hull the berries. I use the pointy end of a vegetable peeler to do this as efficiently as possible with minimal waste. Quarter the berries and smash half of them in a bowl using a fork or whatever device you find easiest. They don’t have to be perfectly mashed, we just want to get the process going!
      • Add the remaining berries to the bowl, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice and stir. Let sit on the counter while you make the whipped cream [LINK] and the shortcakes finish baking.

      Assembling the Shortcakes:

      • Strain the excess juice from the berries and reserve the juice. If you are serving them right away and you don’t care about the presentation, then you can absolutely skip this step.
      • As you can see in my pictures I like to place one shortcake on the bottom, top it with strawberries and whipped cream and then repeat the process with another shortcake. I actually cut each shortcake in half and made 4 small portions.
      • Drizzle with the reserved strawberry lemon juice.
      Keyword easy dessert recipe, fourth of july cake, July 4th dessert, Spring, Summer
      Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr
      Lemon Strawberry Shortcake

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      Recipe Rating




      Comments

      1. Shikha @ Shikha la mode says

        May 20, 2014 at 2:18 am

        Mmmm love that double decker dessert action!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 20, 2014 at 7:02 pm

          Lol! The more the merrier!

          Reply
      2. Judit + Corina @WineDineDaily says

        May 10, 2014 at 4:14 pm

        These strawberry shortcakes looks so adorable and with all the fresh strawberries it is perfect for a summer treat!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 10, 2014 at 4:15 pm

          Thanks Judit & Corina!

          Reply
      3. Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says

        May 09, 2014 at 10:35 pm

        Lindsey, this shortcake looks so delicious! I love strawberries and lemons, and the combination of these flavors is wonderful!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 10, 2014 at 9:23 am

          Thanks, Julia! {I have missed you, btw}

          This shortcake is delicious! The lemon adds a touch of the unexpected!

          Reply
      4. Liz says

        May 09, 2014 at 9:27 pm

        One of our favorite springtime desserts! I love the lemon added to your recipe...making a mental note 🙂

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 10, 2014 at 9:19 am

          I think you'll love the addition of lemon!

          Reply
      5. How to Philosophize with Cake says

        May 09, 2014 at 6:01 pm

        Mmm I could really go for one of those right now. I can't wait until fresh strawberries are available at the farmer's market.

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 8:26 pm

          Sometimes waiting for them to come in season makes them all the sweeter!! {And sometimes I really want them yesterday, not next week!}

          Reply
      6. dina says

        May 09, 2014 at 10:16 am

        it looks delicious!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 10:26 am

          Thanks, dina!

          Reply
      7. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

        May 09, 2014 at 10:11 am

        Drooling over here! These strawberry shortcakes look like little stacks of bliss! Perfect springtime dessert for two. I love it!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 10:14 am

          Thanks, Georgia! I couldn't agree more!

          Reply
      8. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says

        May 09, 2014 at 10:08 am

        This is super gorgeous! I have a similar (but different) recipe next month - love the combo of lemon and strawberries!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 10:15 am

          I can't wait to try your recipe!! Why are lemons and strawberries SO good together?! Magical pairing.

          Reply
      9. Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says

        May 09, 2014 at 9:02 am

        Ha! You totally had me laughing when you said you whipped up a perfectly portioned strawberry shortcake and then I saw the next photo with the shortcake tower. 🙂 But for two, that does look perfect! I love the addition of lemon- I bet that really brightens up the flavors.

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 10:02 am

          Lol! Oh that tower was for one! 😉 Since Hubs was out of town I figured, "why the heck not!?" The lemon was a great addition!

          Reply
      10. Miss Kim @ behgopa says

        May 09, 2014 at 2:29 am

        I love strawberry shortcakes. I love strawberries. The ones my boss gets is so yum. Oh yeah, there is an upcoming annual strawberry festival coming up soon in cali. I haven't ever been there. I was going to go last year, but missed it. It's a strawberry lover's paradise, I hear. Maybe I can make it this year.

        Ohhh....did you love Strawberry Shortcake (the doll) too growing up? lol I used to love the way she smelled.

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 10:00 am

          I love strawberries too! I wish there were a strawberry fest around here...I think I would have to drive to Plant City, FL for the nearest big one. You should totally go - I can't wait to be jealous looking at the pics on IG!

          I did have a Strawberry Shortcake doll and I almost mentioned it in the post! She wasn't my favorite but I do still remember the way she smelled! Crazy!

          Reply
      11. Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says

        May 08, 2014 at 8:41 pm

        Beautiful shortcake Lindsey! Love that you flavored the shortcake with lemon and why have I never tried lemon whipped cream? Going to have to fix that pronto! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 09, 2014 at 9:58 am

          Thanks! Lemon whipped cream is divine! The shortcakes may be all gone but I still have some whipped cream in the fridge that I have been eating all by itself! You have a wonderful weekend too!

          Reply
      12. Kate says

        May 08, 2014 at 3:20 pm

        This looks SO GOOD! Can't wait for strawberry season- just around the corner!!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 08, 2014 at 4:34 pm

          Thanks, Kate! Yay for strawberry season!

          Reply
      13. Linz @ Itz Linz says

        May 08, 2014 at 1:49 pm

        wow this does look a lot easier than i anticipated!! and i have all the ingredients on hand - bonus!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 08, 2014 at 2:05 pm

          Woo hoo! It's one of those fabulous desserts that only looks like you slaved all day in the kitchen, but that can be our little secret! 🙂

          Reply
      14. Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen says

        May 08, 2014 at 1:15 pm

        MMMM I just love strawberry shortcake, and a touch of lemon sounds really delish!

        Reply
        • Lindsey says

          May 08, 2014 at 1:48 pm

          Thanks, Kristi! It absolutely is! I've been on a lemon kick recently - someone help!

          Reply

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      Hi, I'm Lindsey! I am the baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Chef Lindsey Farr. I believe in delicious homemade food and the power of dessert! 

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