June 4, 2022

Strawberry Shortcake with an Amazing Citrusy Flourish

citrus strawberry shortcake on a plate with a fork

This vintage Strawberry Shortcake delivers on the classic with a fantastic level up using the tantalizing citrus flavors of orange and lemon.

citrus strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and a fork resting on the plate

It is no doubt that Strawberry Shortcake is very solidly a summertime dessert classic. There is just something so comforting and nostalgic about a slightly salty/slightly sweet buttery biscuit smothered in syrupy strawberries and mounds of whipped cream. This dessert is definitely in my top ten favorites!

So, when I picked three bucketsful of strawberries at a local farm with the intent of making a bunch of wartime strawberry recipes, Strawberry Shortcake was definitely on the list.

What I wasn’t expecting was to find a shortcake recipe with the unassuming name of “Special Strawberry Shortcake” in my May 1943 copy of Health-for-Victory Meal Planning Guide.

vintage cover for the health for victory meal planning guide from may 1943
recipe for special strawberry shortcake
Health-for-Victory Club Meal Planning Guide, May 1943

What piqued my interest was that it used orange juice for the liquid in the shortcakes instead of milk. Plus, it used lemon extract! I’ve never tried a shortcake recipe with this flavor profile before, so this sounded exciting!

This recipe is indeed very special, and has now become one of my favorite versions. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to plain Jane shortcakes after this!

One tip: You’ll want to double this recipe. Even if you run out of strawberries for the shortcake, these biscuits would taste amazing with butter and strawberry jam!

strawberry shortcake on a china plate

Things you might need to make Citrusy Strawberry Shortcake

fresh strawberries

Ingredients

flour mixture in a sieve sitting atop a glass bowl

How to make Citrus Strawberry Shortcake

  1. Sift together the pre-sifted flour (Yes, I know! More sifting!), baking powder, salt, and sugar.
flour mixture with a pastry cutter in a glass bowl

2. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.

glass bowl with flour mixture, glass measuring cup with orange juice, and ceramic bowl with whisked egg and a fork

3. Beat 1 egg plus the egg yolk of the other egg and combine with the orange juice and lemon extract. Reserve the egg white for brushing the tops of the shortcakes later. The egg yolk/OJ mixture will be a lovely sunny yellow color.

flour mixture with yellow egg mixture in a glass bowl and wooden spoon

4. Add the egg yolk/orange juice mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

shortcake dough in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon

5. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead for 10 – 20 strokes until the dough comes together.

shortcake dough, rolling pin, and a biscuit cutter on a table surface

6. Roll the dough out to 1/2″ thickness and cut using a large biscuit cutter. There should be enough dough to make 6 biscuits.

shortcake dough being sprinkled with white sugar

7. Brush the tops with the egg white and sprinkle them with white sugar. Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes or until the tops are just starting to turn golden on the edges. These smell amazing while they’re baking, by the way!

three shortcakes stacked on top of each other

8. To serve the vintage way, split hot biscuits in half and spread with a thin layer of butter. After that, fill with sweetened strawberries, replace the top of the shortcake, and layer on more sweetened strawberries. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

citrus strawberry shortcake on a plate with a fork

Citrus Strawberry Shortcake

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

This vintage Strawberry Shortcake delivers on the classic with a fantastic level up using the tantalizing citrus flavors of orange and lemon.

Ingredients

  • 2 c. sifted, all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c. orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon extract
  • Sliced, sweetened strawberries

Instructions

  1. Sift together the pre-sifted flour (Yes, I know! More sifting!), baking powder, salt, and sugar.
  2. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Beat 1 egg plus the egg yolk of the other egg and combine with the orange juice and lemon extract. Reserve the egg white for brushing the tops of the shortcakes later. The egg yolk/OJ mixture will be a lovely sunny yellow color.
  4. Add the egg yolk/orange juice mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead for 10 - 20 strokes until the dough comes together.
  6. Roll the dough out to 1/2" thickness and cut using a large biscuit cutter. There should be enough dough to make 6 biscuits.
  7. Brush the tops with the egg white and sprinkle them with white sugar. Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes or until the tops are just starting to turn golden on the edges. These smell amazing while they're baking, by the way!
  8. To serve the vintage way, split hot biscuits in half and spread with a thin layer of butter. After that, fill with sweetened strawberries, replace the top of the shortcake, and layer on more sweetened strawberries. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Notes

You'll want to double this recipe. Even if you run out of strawberries for the shortcake, these biscuits would taste amazing with butter and strawberry jam!

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