Where Did Strawberry Shortcake Originate From?

Shortcake is basically a European pastry that is similar to a biscuit or scone. It is crusty on the outside but light and tender on the inside. Its origin dates back to the latter part of the 1500s, although strawberries weren't added until later. 

Shortcake got its name from the baking procedure wherein butter or shortening is added to flour to create dough that is light and airy. The tradition of referring to fat or lard as a type of shortening stems from the 15th century term, “to shorten” which means “easily crumbled.” Its tender texture comes from its flaky mixture as opposed to the tougher breads.    

No one knows exactly when the first strawberry shortcake was made so there isn't one definitive answer to the question of where did strawberry shortcake originate from. Records do show, however, that its creation goes back as far as 1850.

Early Use of Strawberries

Strawberries were commonly consumed fruits during the Roman era. Strawberries were primarily used by the Romans as beauty products. However, they were also served as dessert during the Shakespearean period and were mentioned in the play, “The Merry Wives of Windsor."

In ancient times, the fruits were commonly processed into jams in order to preserve them, but fresh whole strawberries were a staple during the summertime.  However, they weren't used in shortcakes. 

In 1594, a European recipe book had a recipe for shortcakes, and this may be part of the answer of where did strawberry shortcake originate from?

Early Shortcakes

The crumbly and tender shortcakes found in early recipes, which resembled scones, became round in shape when the usually triangular shaped pastry kept crumbling to pieces. The round ones held their shape better, making this a practical choice for bakers.

Putting strawberries and shortcake together is more of an American tradition. Strawberry shortcake parties became very popular in America around 1850. It was a tradition to celebrate the coming of the season of summer. Strawberries were perhaps the most popular and abundant type of berry during that time and Americans even talked of a "strawberry fever."

The Expansion of Shortcakes

This popularity of strawberry shortcakes could also have also been brought about when railroads turned transcontinental and the fruits were easily shipped from one location to another just by being packed in ice to prolong their freshness. Articles and advertisements featuring the strawberry shortcake increased the demand for it all the more during this time.

During the 1930s, the popularity of the dessert came into its own when women were encouraged to bake with a particular flour brand. Shortcake very much suited this new technique in cooking and thus, became more popular than ever.

During the Depression, flour millers from Minneapolis needed to increase the sales of their flour. Older Betty Crocker cookbooks illustrate how General Mills encouraged homemakers to use their products for cooking and baking. Bisquick was the quickest way to go. It combined fat and flour, making it more convenient for bakers. General Mills used celebrities to endorse Bisquick, which made the product more irresistible to women. The cookbooks showed photos of glamorous celebrities choosing dishes such as strawberry shortcake. 

Modern Shortcakes

The traditional strawberry shortcake recipe has successfully stood the test of time. It is a dessert that is not as rich and calorie laden like other desserts but is just as tasty and more importantly, easy to make.

A typical recipe for strawberry shortcake calls for basic ingredients such as butter, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, flour, sugar, egg, baking powder, salt, and of course, fresh strawberries.

Nowadays, though, many people will just use a sponge cake instead of the traditional shortcake when preparing dessert. To make it more decadent, strawberry shortcake may be served with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For health conscious dessert enthusiasts, lighter recipe versions have been made available. Angel food cake, which makes use of just whipped egg whites and sugar, creates a fat-free substitute for the shortcake or sponge cake. Artificial sweeteners can also be used to sweeten the strawberries and instead of using all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour is a better option. The whole grains and the fiber content of such flour makes it healthier and because it is a pastry flour, it will still give you a dessert that is light in texture since it has lower gluten.