1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

2 Tablespoons sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup unsalted butter (cold, cubed) 

1/2 cup buttermilk 

2 teaspoons coarse sugar (topping, optional) 

3 cups fresh, sliced strawberries

1 Tablespoon sugar

 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1: Slice the strawberries and place in a mixing bowl. Combine with sugar. Sit aside. 

1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2: In a small to medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients including flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter (or a food processor) until you have roughly pea-sized crumbles. 

3: Stir in the buttermilk. Your dough should be like biscuit dough, very thick and sticky. 

4: Drop the shortcake dough onto your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the shortcakes with coarse sugar, if desired (if you don’t have bakery style coarse sugar, use raw sugar granules or cane sugar.) 

5: Bake the shortcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until they start turning a light golden brown. 

6: Allow the shortcakes to cool to room temperature.

1: Beat the heavy cream on low speed until bubbles form, then increase to a medium speed until you have soft peaks.

2: Add vanilla extract and slowly start adding the confectioners sugar, beating at medium speed until all of the confectioners sugar has been incorporated and stiff peaks are formed.