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!