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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: My Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake recipe is a new twist on an old classic — tender shortcakes get a chocolatey makeover and then filled with whipped cream and juicy strawberries.
How can you make a favorite dessert even better? Add chocolate.
My chocolate strawberry shortcakes are perfect for fans of the iconic summertime treat, Strawberry Shortcakes, but with a big, chocolaty twist. Instead of traditionally flavored shortcakes, these tender, crumbly sweet biscuits are made with cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate!
Homemade strawberry chocolate shortcakes have a perfect bite every single time. The bitter chocolate is the ideal companion for the sweet strawberries and whipped cream — and you cannot beat the feeling of crumbly shortcakes with cool, creamy whipped cream, and juicy, softened macerated strawberries.
Try this with Homemade Whipped Cream, or go big and bold and use my Strawberry Whipped Cream recipe. And, if you’re feeling extra chocolately, drizzle it with some Homemade Chocolate Ganache!
What Is A Shortcake? Biscuits VS Shortcakes
This recipe starts with handmade shortcakes, which are made with a layered dough that bakes up to be perfectly pillowy and crumbly. They are a lot like the pastry dough used to make biscuits, but they have a more pronounced sweetness than your typical dinner biscuit.
My shortcake recipe calls for cold butter. As this butter melts while baking, it releases steam, which gives the pastry its light and flakey texture.
When it is fully baked, you should have a sweet crust outside, but the inside will be tender and chewy. This texture works great with the fresh whipped cream and juicy berries, and it will hold up to all that liquid.
To make the shortcakes have a delicious chocolate flavor, I add cocoa powder and finely chopped semisweet chocolate. I also like to dip the biscuits into a bit of sugar before baking them off to give them a little extra crunch on top!
What Type Of Cocoa Powder To Use For Chocolate Shortcakes?
For this recipe, I use unsweetened cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder is pure chocolate with most of the cocoa butter removed, which gives it an intense chocolate taste. It is also what I typically use on a day-to-day basis.
Stay away from Dutch process cocoa powder for this shortcake recipe. Dutch process cocoa powder is sometimes labeled as “European-Style. Dutch process cocoa powder is treated with an alkalizing agent to give it its darker, redder color and a milder chocolate taste. This also means it won’t react to the baking soda used in this recipe, which helps the biscuits rise.
Do not use hot chocolate powder in place of cocoa powder. It is not the same!
As always, go for the highest quality cocoa powder you can find for the best result!
Learn more about chocolate in my Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate.
Tools You Need To Make Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mix (or jar!) for whipping your cream
- Baking sheets
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake
- Shortcakes are a type of pastry. For pastries, it is always best for all ingredients to be cold for the most tender results.
- If you are not planning to serve these after a meal, you can make them bigger by dividing the dough into 6 equal portions.
- Try serving these with Strawberry Whipped Cream! If you do this, reduce the sugar in the macerated strawberries by half since the whipped cream will also be sweet. Or go more classic and use regular Homemade Whipped Cream.
- Extra unfilled shortcakes can be frozen in an airtight container. To use, defrost at room temperature and then reheat in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Instead of strawberries, try cherries or raspberries for other classic fruit and chocolate pairings.
More Shortcake Recipes
Try These Recipes!
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Chocolate Shortcakes
- 1½ cups (7½ oz/213 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) plus ¼ cup (2 oz/57 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (1 oz/28 g) cocoa powder
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter, cold and diced
- ⅓ cup (2 oz/57 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 large egg yolks, cold
- ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) heavy cream, cold
Filling
- 5 cups (25 oz/710 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- ¼ cup (2 oz/57 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the Shortcakes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is crumbly, then toss in the chopped chocolate.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cream together, then combine with the dry ingredients just until the mixture forms a dough.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions. Quickly roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into a 1-inch-(2½-cm)-tall disc.
- Place the remaining ¼ cup (2 oz/57 g) sugar in a small dish and dip each disc of dough in the sugar.
- Put the shortcakes, sugared-side up, on the prepared baking sheet evenly spaced apart and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until they feel firm when tapped. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Remove 1 cup of the strawberries and blend in a blender until pureed. Mix this back into the remaining strawberries and let macerate at room temperature for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- With a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer and a medium bowl, whip the cream on medium-high speed to soft peaks. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
- Once the shortcakes are completely cool, you are ready to assemble: Cut the shortcakes in half and place the bottom halves on 8 serving plates. Top the shortcakes with a generous amount of whipped cream, followed by the macerated strawberries. Sandwich the filling with the top halves of the shortcakes and serve immediately.
