Nothing says summertime like making gluten free strawberry shortcake! Using strawberries picked at the peak of strawberry season makes the most flavorful strawberry filling. Sandwiched between gluten free buttery shortcakes, it's perfection. Don't forget to add a dollop of whipped cream!
The best part of this strawberry shortcake recipe is using fresh strawberry freezer jam or less sugar strawberry freezer jam in the filling. It creates layers of fresh strawberry flavor that cannot be missed. Plus, it is absolutely beautiful.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Layered strawberry shortcake creates a stunning display
- Gluten free flour creates a tender gluten free shortcake
Featured Ingredients
- Gluten Free Flour - I love Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend in the blue bag. Whatever blend you use, make sure it has xanthan gum listed in the ingredients.
- Baking Powder - This is what makes the cake rise.
- Salt - Use a standard iodized table salt.
- Sugar - Plain white granulated sugar.
- Butter - Use salted butter.
- Egg - Just one lonely egg to hold everything together.
- Milk - Use whole, 2%, or 1% milk. Feel free to sub in your favorite dairy free or lactose free version. Unsweetened milk will work great if needed.
- Ripe Strawberries - Fresh strawberries are best. You could use frozen if that is all you have.
- Strawberry Jam - I love my homemade strawberry freezer jam.
- Whipped Cream - Make homemade whipped cream and skip the cool whip. It contains high fructose corn syrup listed as one of the ingredients.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and stir with a fork to combine.
Step 2: Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles crumbly sand.
Step 3: In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk until combined.
Step 4: Slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the flour mixture. Stir well with a fork.
Step 5: When the dough is pressed together and needs additional moisture, add cold water, one teaspoon at a time, until all the ingredients are damp enough to hold together. I used four teaspoons of water to pull the dough together.
Using your hands, press the ingredients together to form a ball. Cut the ball in half.
Step 6: Place each ball into a buttered cake pan. Press in the dough until evenly pressed into a thin layer.
Bake the cake batter until they are golden brown in color. Do not overbake.
Step 7: Place the jam in a small saucepan. Gently warm over low heat.
Slice the fresh berries. Set aside.
Step 8: When the cakes are done, remove one from the baking pan immediately and spread the tops of the hot cakes with room-temperature butter.
Step 9: Place the buttered tender cake on a cake stand. Pour the warmed jam over the cake. Place half of the sliced strawberries on top of the jam. Pack them in as tightly as you can. It will help support your top cake layer when it is cut.
By its nature, strawberry shortcake will crumble and fall apart. Just add some more strawberries and whipped cream on top!
Step 10: Remove the second cake from the pan. Flip it right side up using a wire rack or a cake stand. Then, top the cake with room-temperature butter again.
Serve with strawberry shortcake with extra sliced berries and fresh vanilla whipped cream.
Tips and Tricks
Skip using the Kitchen-Aid mixer to make the shortcakes. It is too easy to overwork the dough.
Serve a slice of strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream.
Want to make individual gluten free strawberry cakes? Make these gluten free, low FODMAP biscuits. Slice in half and spoon the filling over each biscuit. Top with whipped cream and serve.
Ingredient Swaps
- Jam Options: Instead of homemade strawberry jam use a seedless raspberry jam.
Variations
- Triple-Berry Shortcake: Add blueberries and raspberries to the sliced strawberries. It is another option for a delicious summer dessert!
- Brownie Strawberry Shortcake: Make brownies - instead of a gluten free cake, use a gluten-free brownie mix. I love the budget-friendly option from Aldi!
Storing
Store: If you have any leftover strawberry shortcake, keep it covered the best you can. If your cake stand has no cover, use a large upside-down bowl. Or use plastic wrap, whatever it takes. For best results store it in the refrigerator.
FAQs
Yes! There is the vintage version of the strawberry shortcake I watched as a little girl, and then there is a more modern version my daughter watched as a little girl. Strawberry Shortcake, the cartoon, is just as timeless as the dessert itself.
Yes absolutely! If you do not need a gluten-free version of strawberry shortcake, swapping out all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour with the exact measurements will work.
Yes. However, instead of slicing the berries, I would mash them instead of trying to slice whole frozen strawberries. The strawberry puree will still taste delicious, but it might have a bit of a different texture. It won't have sliced berries on the side for serving.
Meal Planning
Serve a slice of this cake for dessert after a quintessential summer meal of grilled stuffed peppers, oven-roasted vegetables, and sweet corn on the cob. The colors of that meal alone will be stunning, not to mention delicious.
Additional Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Sorbet
- Strawberry Pie
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
- Gluten Free Fruit Pizza with Strawberries
Love This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating + comment. It helps so much, and we love hearing from everyone! Thank You -Venessa
Recipe
Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- 2 9- Inch Cake Pans
- Pastry Blender
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:
- 3 quarts fresh strawberries
- 1 cup strawberry freezer jam
Shortcake Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten free flour
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup cold butter
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon room temperature butter
- cold water if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, wash and remove the strawberry stems and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Grease two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix.
- With a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Do this until the flour mixture resembles crumbs.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and the milk together. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the flour mixture. Use a fork to stir until the mixture is moistened all the way through. If there are still dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl, add one teaspoon of cold water at a time to help incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. I used four teaspoons of cold water to help bring the dough together.
- Turn the shortcake mixture out into a lightly floured board. Flour your hands if needed and press the mixture into a large ball. Cut the ball in half.
- Place each ball into the cake pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan into a thin layer.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown. Do not overbake..
- While the cake is baking, pour the strawberry jam into the saucepan and gently heat it with low heat.
- Slice the berries and set aside.
- Once the cakes are done, use a wire rack and cake plate to turn out the cake with the right side up on your cake stand.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter over the hot cake.
- Pour the warm jam over the cake. It is ok if some of the jam runs over the side. It makes the strawberry cake beautiful!
- Add a layer of sliced strawberries. Adjust any berries to make them flat on the cake to form a compact single layer. It will make the cake easier to cut.
- Remove the second cake, using the same method to get the cake out of the pan, right side up, with wire racks and a cutting board.
- Place your second cake over the strawberry sauce. Lightly butter the top of this cake too.
- Cut the cake into eight pieces and serve immediately with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and extra berries. Top with additional jam, too!
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