May 10, 2015

It doesn't get more classic - or springtime perfect - than this 1930s strawberry shortcake recipe


My word, is this year barreling along quickly! We're nearly 5.5 months into it already and in just two months time (to the day), it will be my 31st birthday. Wow! Before then though, we get to savour what is arguably one of the most pleasant and appealing times of the year, late spring. Gone, for nearly all of us north of the equator, are the snowmen and parkas, and yet we haven't hit the point of needing to sleep with a fan mere inches from our faces yet either.

These days, brief, bold, fleeting, and undeniably beautiful bring with them an abundance of perks, very much including all of the awesome fresh produce that is hitting the farmer's market and grocery store shelves again. Our local farmer's market (which I blogged about here back in 2012) kicks off once more this month and I'm sure you'll spot Tony and I down there on many a Saturday morning in the coming months (when we're not out yard saling, that is! :)).

Today's featured vintage recipe calls on an ingredient that you can usually find being sold there, but which is farmed on far greater scale in the Lower Mainland (aka, Greater Vancouver Area) of our beautiful province, thanks to the lush climate, damp soil, and idea growing conditions for this beloved fruit in that neck of the urban woods: the humble, delicious strawberry.

Not only are strawberries one of my favourite fruits ever, they're also one of just a teeny, tiny handful of fruits and vegetables that (knock wood!) my various medical conditions that are strongly influenced by dietary factors has allowed me to continue to safely eat through thick and thin on the health front over the years. I love, love, love strawberries, so this is a very good thing and with locally and provincially grown options in the stores and market stalls again, I'm going to be chopping down on even more of them than usual during the balmy, sun-kissed days of the second half of spring.

The following vintage recipe, which dates back to 1939, is as classic as strawberries themselves. It's a snap to whip up and is quite budget-friendly, too, making it a great choice for a weekday dessert and/or if you need to feed a large crowd.



{Like lemonade, ice cream cones, and sweet tea, spring and summer just wouldn't be the same without strawberry shortcake and this great 1930s version is as classic as they come. It's ideal for Mother's Day, garden and tea parties, birthdays, picnics, BBQs, and everyday desserts alike. Vintage recipe image source. Click here for a larger, easier to read size of this vintage Spry shortening ad.}


Strawberry shortcake has to be, to my mind, one of the most springtime perfect desserts ever! It's also tasty as the day is long and generally adored by diners of all ages. For my fellow gluten-free folks, I would suggest making a GF white or yellow sheet cake either using your favourite mix or recipe and then employing a round cookie or biscuit cutter (or even a wide-mouthed drinking glass) to stamp out circles to use for the cake layers in this mouthwatering dessert.

If strawberries aren't your favourite, or you can't eat them for whatever reason, you can easily swap in another type of berry, such as raspberries, blackberries, red or white currents, boysenberries, huckleberries, or (my mom's favourite) blueberries. Peaches, nectarines, and apricots, especially when they're in season come July and August, are rather sublime here as well, and then as the weather gradually grows nippier again, I never say no to stewed or baked pears, apples, or plums used in towering shortcake stacks like this either.

As I always like to mention with vintage recipes that involve, as many of them (especially desserts) do, shortening, if it's not your first choice of cooking fat, by all means sub in butter, margarine, or a vegan margarine instead (you could even try using solid coconut oil, if desired).

Save for making them safe for me to eat, I don't usually alter my strawberry shortcake recipes much. I adore the classic combination of airy, soft cake, silken whipped cream, and juicy, plump berries precisely as they are. That said, if you'd not tried it before, I do recommend lighting toasting (a toaster oven or couple of minutes under the broiler work well there) your rounds of shortcake for a fabulously lovely twist every now and then. The subtle crunch that the cake takes on really adds an exciting layer to this timeless dessert.

And should you be so inclined, especially when the dog days of summer strike, even the most die-hard of strawberry shortcake purists will likely be on board if you'd like to add a bit of vanilla (or another flavour) of ice cream to the mix as well, either in lieu of, or along with, the whipped cream.

Strawberry season, like these near magically gorgeous days of May, won't be around forever, so while they're still here, why don't you join me in stocking up on fresh fruit and serving your family and friends plate after plate of lip-lickingly awesome strawberry shortcake this spring!

43 comments:

  1. That looks absolutely scrumptious dear Jessica, but alas, I developed a severe allergic reaction to all things strawberry about 15 years ago. I usually substitute raspberries or blueberries for mine, but it still isn't quite the same as a good ole' strawberry. Hoping you are having a wonderful spring!

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    1. Oh dear, I'm truly sorry to hear about your strawberry allergy. It's amazing how common an allergy that is and how serious it can be for many affected by it. I'm really happy to hear that there are other fruits that you can safely eat in lieu of them. Do you like/can you eat peaches? I think peach shortcake is my second favourite version after strawberries. If you can get perfectly ripe, sun-kissed summer peaches, the combination of them with the fluffy, spongy cake is nothing short of sublime.

      Tons of hugs & happy springtime wishes to you as well!
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. I love it when you post these recipes!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Sylvie. I'm delighted to hear that. They're one of my very favourite types of posts as well. Finding and tucking away vintage recipes as I find them online has become such a fun element of the process for me, too.

      Big hugs & happy cooking,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Yum! This has been on my list of things I've wanted to try making forever, maybe in the coming months I'll give it a go.

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    1. I hope that you're able to give it a spin, sweet dear. If you're a fan of peaches, shortcake is simply amazing with that (other) summertime classic, too.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. I LOVE strawberries and I LOVE shortcake. I must pen down this recipe and make it soon! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet dear! I madly adore strawberries, too. They are unequivocally one of those foods that I could happily eat everyday for all of time and never tire of.

      Have a beautiful Sunday - big hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I love strawberries as well and here in Korea they have the best ones I have ever tasted. They have both Winter and Spring Strawberries. The Winter ones are the BEST but both are delicious. I have never had a strawberry like the ones you get here. I hope yours are just as good. The recipe is fabulous!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Gentle Hugs, Beverly

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    1. That's really cool! We get some really lovely strawberries around these parts that are grown a few hours south of our part of the province, and they're wonderful, but having never tried a Korean one, I can't say which would be better. I'm itching to try a winter strawberry now. Yum-yum! :)

      Thank you again very much for all of your splendid comments this weekend. It is always a sincere pleasure to hear from you, my dear friend.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Oh how I love strawberries, let me count the ways. Unfortunately, with my beau's newly diagnosed medical conditions, strawberries are no longer in out diet. I appreciate the suggestions for other fruits that could easily be substituted. Maybe I could make this lovely spring/summer time dish with some delicious peaches? Thank you for the lovely recipe and suggestions.

    She Knits in Pearls

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    1. Hi lovely Cherry, I fully understand (I'm not exaggerating when I say that between all of my different conditions that are affected by food, at least 95% of every food on the planet is off-limits to me). I'm sincerely sorry to hear that your honey's medical issues are putting some foods off limit for him as well. Thank you for sharing about his struggles with me.

      If peaches are still safe for him, they would be spectacular here! That was always one of my favourite shortcake versions, too. If he can eat apples and/or pears, they're great stewed and served with their juices over the cake + some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, come the end of summer and straight into the fall.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. This will have a prominent place in my upcoming baking. Do you have any vintage rhubarb recipes. I have a mountain of rhubarb from 3 plants I am tending..... Thanks

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    1. Hi there, you're very welcome! Rhubarb, that most classic of tart summer fruits, isn't one I've featured here often, as one doesn't seem to find all that many online vintage recipes for it. I will make a point to hunt for some though and share any that I may find here, mentioning in my post(s) that such was by request for a lovely blog reader.

      Thank you very much for your comment and question. I'm off to look for rhubarb recipes right now!

      Have a fantastic week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. mmmhhh! strawberry cake!
    we have to wait til june for local strawberries - but its worth waiting because that are the best! very sweet and tasty! and yesterday we bought 4 little strawberry plants which i planted in two big clay pots, stored up high on the board in the garden salon - slug secure :-)
    wish we could share a strawberry cake and coffee in said salon.......
    love!!!! xxxxxx

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  9. That's a great recipe for sure! Strawberries are my favourite so this recipe is a must try!

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  10. Last year for a picnic, I made strawberry shortcakes with early strawberries that I roasted to bring out their flavors. It's such a simple dessert, and relatively portable if you use whipped cream in a can, or shake it in a jar to whip it and bring it on ice. It's my favorite summer dessert, too!

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    1. Yum! That sounds great! Aren't roasted strawberries fantastic? I'm a huge fan, too - likewise for grilled/barbequed, which my mom and I got hooked on a couple of years ago.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment, dear gal. Have a marvelous week!
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. I'm a cheater and usual pick up either the store made shortcake or an angel food cake if I'm cutting back on calories. No strawberries yet in my neck of the woods ( unless you count the ones from California) but rhubarb is coming on strong. Rhubarb crisp tonight!

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  12. strawberry short cake is just the perfect spring food
    retro rover

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    1. It truly is, sweet Kate, I couldn't agree more. Come summer, I'm wild about peach shortcake, too - or for an extra special treat, both fruits combined on the same plate. Yum!!!

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. My mouth is watering looking at that! Strawberry shortcake was my dad's favorite dessert when I was growing up, so I used to have it all the time, but it's been years. You've inspired me to make some, I think I'll have to have it this weekend!

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    1. Yay and yum! :) I'm really happy to know that I helped inspire your dessert making this month and hope that your version turns out splendidly.

      Buon appetito, as we say in our house! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I was just going over some silly 50s recipes from an old magazine today and it seems like the 30s had a better idea of what is a classic dish than the 50s. That strawberry shortcake sounds heavenly, unlike the frito jello I saw earlier! :P But honestly, I can't think of a more refreshing summer dish. I hope it isn't rude to mention that I now have a blog. I know that self advertising on a comment section can be annoying, but I figured that I would just put it out there that I had one and drop it. Thank you very much, as always, your post made me smile. :)

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    1. Now, I love unique food pairings, fusion cuisines, crazy combos and the like, but even I have to stop and give pause to the idea of Jell-o and Frito corn chips in the same dish. And yet, there's a part of me that now totally want to try that recipe! :)

      That's a really cool assessment of mid-century cuisine, thank you for sharing it with me. I think that there was this striking blend of old guard, so to speak, and modernity about 1930s cuisine, plus fewer ingredients to hand for most people than would follow in the post-WW2 years, so that kept things somewhat more traditional.

      I'm delighted to have brought a smile your way, lovely lady. Have a fabulous week!

      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Oopsy, I meant to connect my name with my new link before I wrote the comment. Well anyways, I have now. :P

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  16. I love it when you post vintage recipes:) Completely random I was going to send out the scarf for you this week but it looked sad just by itself I will wait a few more weeks and hopefully am able to pick up a few more items and make it more a vintage birthday surprise type of thing since your b-day will be here in no time, this year is just flying by!

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    1. That's super sweet of you, Daphne, thank you! It also makes sense to hold off, assuming the total height of the package exceeds Canada Post's miniscule 2 cm letter mail height limit, to get the most bang for one's shipping dollar, so to speak.

      True! Hard to believe another birthday is almost here. Last year's was one of my favourites ever - the perfect 30th, and hopefully this one will be a blast, too.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. (These days, brief, bold, fleeting, and undeniably beautiful bring with them an abundance of perks...)
    oh my, how perfect is that!? Your simple, free flowing eloquence about everyday life... so stunning and inspiring! As is this vintage cake. there's almost nothing i enjoy more than a nice, fresh, tasty dessert, so simple, never changing over the years, always tasting of sunshine.

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  18. Such perfect timing with this recipe! I've just finished my first batch of strawberries, which I included in a number of confections (including shortcake), and look forward to picking a few more baskets full (and giving this recipe a whirl) before the season ends.
    I'm so glad that you are able to enjoy strawberries, they are truly the taste of spring or early summer!

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    1. They really, truly are and I too am so grateful that I can eat them. I hope with every fiber of my being that that never disappears. I'd lose my main "safe fruit", and one of my largest sources of vitamin C, if they did. *Shudders at the thought*

      How awesome that you have an abundance of fresh berries when you live and that you've been putting them to work in the kitchen. I can just imagine how delicious everything you've been making lately must have been/is. I hope you're able to pick at least a few more baskets full while they're out in full seasonal force.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. I don't think I've ever had strawberry shortcake! Maybe it's just not as popular over here... I love the idea of a GF version though as I'm in complete agreement about loving strawberries! British strawberries have always been an absolute delicacy to me - not least if I get to pick my own (indeed, the first video I posted on my blog I was doing just that!). I can't wait for next month when it's strawberry picking season in full swing here! Hope you're having a lovely May so far x

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    1. Hi sweet dear, thank you very much for your wonderful comment. GF versions - to borrow one of my favourite terms from your lovely country - work a treat here and I've served them to many folks who were not GF and they said they enjoyed them bit as much.

      British and Irish berries of many sorts are fantastic! I'll never forget what a thrill it was to pick blackberries fresh from the brambles when living in Ireland. One can find wild blackberries (and other berries) in parts of Canada, but they're not nearly as common here and so that experience really stood out for (a food like) me when I look back on my time in the Emerald Isle.

      Thank you very much. Some of life's usual ups and downs, so far May is going pretty well and certainly proving to be a bit better than April, so I'm not complaining in the slightest. I hope that your month is progressing splendidly, too.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. What a beautiful vintage recipe!
    I too love strawberries, their scent puts me in a good mood. And then quite healthy, I like with lime, ginger and maple syrup; you see? are a bit 'Canadians! eheheheh
    In a few days near where I live there is the feast of strawberries, I want to go there and do indigestion!
    You're right, now you're good: sun and warm tunes, sweet in the morning and evening, and we can dress like we want! Hopefully it will last a little '!

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    1. That combination sounds absolutely, positively delicious! I am going to give it a try this summer for sure. Thank you so much for sharing it with me, dear gal. I always have maple syrup and ginger in the house, so I'll just need some limes. I know it's going to taste amazing and can hardly wait. Yum-yum!

      Big hugs & happy strawberry season wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that the recipe was "old-fashioned" in 1939! Gosh, how old is this recipe? This is a true evergreen, an oldie but goodie. I'm home alone, having my weekly day off, checking my suitcase and packing my jools. What to do when you want to bring them all? ;) We will travel very early tomorrow morning, and I'm very excited. I will post photos of our holiday on IG, which I know you follow. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. Me, too!!! I have always flat out adored it when things that are now vintage to us make reference to elements in their time already being considered antique, vintage, old-fashioned, or (and this was a common one back then for sure) "from grandmother's time".

      Have a safe, fun, fabulous time, my dear friend. I eagerly look forward to seeing all your travel snaps.

      Tons of hugs & wishes for a joyful vacation,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Goody!
    This looks way to delicious and sring-friendly.
    However, I lack the most important ingredient: SPRY. I suppose one can substitute that, right?!

    Marija

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    1. You most certainly can! Butter, shortening, or margarine could all easily be used here instead. Few of us cook with lard on a regular basis (if at all) any longer, and I've never once run into trouble with subbing it for a more 21st century cooking fat alternative.

      Big hugs & many thanks for both of your great blog comments yesterday,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. I have never had strawberry shortcake which is something I am going to have to alter. I did have a strawberry shortcake doll when I was younger with her green and white stripe tights and her pink and white cat. She smelt of strawberries which I loved. Did you have one?

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    1. Aww, what a wonderfully sweet memory. Part of me wants to say that I had a plush (think Raggedy Ann style) Strawberry Shortcake doll, but the (perceived) memory of such is so hazy, that I could be imagining it entirely or thinking of one that someone I knew may have had (I'll have to ask my mom and see what she recalls). I loved that character and her equally cute friends when I was little. They were stylish, had adorable pets, and all seemed like they would have been a lot of fun to hang out with.

      Good times, good time! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  24. I can remember as a girl going as a family to our local farmer's market before it closed and picking out fresh strawberries. Of course they had the cool whip/whipped cream in cases as well as short cake off to the side. It was one of my favorites growing up. Angel food cake is also a great short cake substitute! Mmmm!

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    1. Oooohh, me, too! (Ditto for peach shortcake or angel food cake.) This is beyond one of the most iconic foods of the season, IMO. Thank you for sharing your lovely childhood memory with me, honey.

      Bit hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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