Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce

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Enjoy Valentine’s Day with a boozy Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon and Cinnamon infused in every bite! A delicious strawberry sauce flows over a moist homemade shortcake topped with clouds of freshly made whipped topping. We reduce the amount of sugar ensuring the natural flavors are the star of this dessert! No fake sweetness or overly sweet strawberry syrup. Instead enjoy the warming notes of Bourbon and Cinnamon complimenting the natural sweetness of the strawberries! Read on for step by step instructions plus options for the cake and strawberry topping.

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce on a black plate with a mint leaf as garnish

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce Plated

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce Ingredients

When making Strawberry Shortcake there are several decisions to make. Are you baking a shortcake or are you purchasing it from the supermarket? Do you want a lighter shortcake or a heavier, dense biscuit? 

We start with a moist shortcake similar to a pound cake. Making the cake from scratch allows for the extra ingredients of cinnamon and homemade Bourbon Vanilla. Cinnamon is a warming spice and works well with fruits – perfect for this dessert. Fun fact: did you know Bourbon and cinnamon is used for a Hot Toddy? So why not add it to our dessert!

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce on a white plate topped with homemade whipped cream and mint leaves

Strawberry Shortcake Taste Test

We did a fun taste test to determine if there was a preference between a homemade shortcake or the store bought biscuits. The below pictures contain the same strawberry sauce and whipped topping. The picture on the left is my homemade shortcake where the picture on the right contains store bought biscuits. The taste testers declared the homemade shortcake their favorite since it was moist and sweet whereas the biscuit was heavy and did not absorb the sauce. You can see in the left picture that the strawberry sauce was absorbed into the shortcake. Luckily the homemade shortcake is easy to make so no more store bought biscuits!

  • Strawberry Shortcake with homemade cake
  • Strawberry Shortcake with a Biscuit

Making the Homemade Strawberry Sauce

Our next decision relates to the strawberries. Do you prefer strawberries right from the vine for the natural flavor and texture or a strawberry sauce? Both options are delicious and for this recipe a cooked strawberry sauce with a cinnamon stick and homemade Bourbon Vanilla is added. Rule of thumb start with a 1/2 to 1 cup of sliced strawberries per person, add a little water and a small amount of sugar to create the sauce. The cinnamon stick and Bourbon add a nice flavor and aroma while the sauce is simmering!! The below picture shows the plated Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce without making the strawberry sauce. The following pictures shows the strawberries cooking down to a delicious sauce.

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon without a strawberry sauce on a blue plate and black fork
Strawberry Shortcake
  • Strawberries simmering with cinnamon and bourbon
  • Strawberries cooked with cinnamon and bourbon

Homemade Whipped Cream

Lastly, we need a whipped cream topping to finish our Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce! A homemade whipped cream with a shot of Bourbon is the perfect topping! Start with a chilled glass or metal bowl, add heavy cream, a little sugar, and Bourbon. Using a hand mixer, blend at high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Use immediately storing any extra whipped cream in an airtight container. One cup of heavy cream makes about 2 cups of Whipped Cream. If you are not sure how much to make, start with a conservative amount of heavy cream as it is quick to make this whipped topping. The below pictures capture the different stages of mixing the heavy cream to a whipped topping.

  • Whipped Topping soft peaks
  • Whipped Topping Stiffer peaks
  • Whipped Topping Stiffed Peaks Ready

Plate the Dessert and Serve!

There are many options on how to assemble the Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce. A generous double layer using two slices of the shortcake. For a smaller double layer just cut a slice in half. Once the shortcake is assembled, shake some cinnamon sugar and add a piece of mint leaf for the finishing touches!

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Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce Plated

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce

Pin Recipe
A boozy Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon infused in every bite! A strawberry sauce flows over a moist homemade shortcake with clouds of whipped topping.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking, Dessert, Shortcake, Strawberries
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9
Calories: 394kcal
Author: Bernice

Equipment

  • Flour sifter
  • Small bowl
  • 8 1/2 by 4 ½ loaf pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing bowl and mixer (ie., stand up mixer or hand mixer)

Ingredients

Shortcake Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup Butter softened
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Bourbon Based, substitute 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp Bourbon
  • ⅔ cup Milk

Shortcake Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour sifted
  • ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon

Strawberry Bourbon Sauce Ingredients

  • 4 cups Fresh Strawberries sliced
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 tbsp Bourbon or Homemade Bourbon Vanilla
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Arrowroot optional

Bourbon Whipped Cream Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Bourbon

Topping Ingredients

  • Cinnamon Sugar optional
  • Mint Leaf optional

Instructions

Shortcake Preparation

  • Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Bake for about 40 to 45-minutes.
  • Prepare one 8 1/2 by 4 ½ loaf pan. Spray lightly and then line with parchment paper overlapping the sides for easy removal of the baked shortcake.
  • Sift together dry ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.
  • Using a mixer cream the butter.
  • Add sugar and blend with the butter.
  • Add eggs and blend.
  • Add the Bourbon Vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp Bourbon.
  • Slowly mix the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture.
  • Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out reasonably clean.
  • Let cool in the pan for 10-minutes. Removes easily from the pan using the parchment pan. Place on a cooling rack removing the parchment paper.

Strawberry Bourbon Sauce Preparation

  • To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan (except the Arrowroot).
  • Bring to a boil then simmer with a cover for about 15 minutes. This provides time for the strawberries to break down into a sauce and the flavors to blend together.
  • If you want a thicker sauce, remove some of the sauce into a small bowl. Add 1 to 2 tsp of Arrowroot and stir into the sauce using a fork. Then stir into the saucepan.
  • Let the strawberry sauce cooking for a few more minutes to thicken.
  • Remove from heat, cool, serve at room temperature.

Bourbon Whipped Cream Preparation

  • Add the ingredients to a chilled glass or metal bowl.
  • Using a hand mixer at high speed, mix until stiff peaks form.

Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Plating

  • Add a slice of Shortcake to a plate.
  • Top with some of the whipped cream and strawberry sauce.
  • Add another slice of Shortcake.
  • Top with whipped cream, strawberry sauce then add cinnamon sugar and a mint leaf if desired.

Recipe Notes

Calories are approximate based upon serving size and any modifications to the ingredients. 
Tips
  • When making Strawberry Shortcake there are several decisions to make.
    • Are you baking a shortcake or are you purchasing it from the supermarket?
    • Do you want a lighter shortcake or a heavier, dense biscuit?
  • Rule of thumb start with a 1/2 to 1 cup of sliced strawberries per person. 
  • You can make your own whipped cream topping. 
  • Time saving options: use a shortcake and whipped topping from the supermarket.
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon Sauce
Amount Per Serving (9 g)
Calories 394 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 101mg34%
Sodium 323mg14%
Potassium 213mg6%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 780IU16%
Vitamin C 37.8mg46%
Calcium 75mg8%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

About Bernice

My passion is bringing to you comforting recipes that are easy to make! But we know everyone has busy lives but still want to enjoy great meals. We provide budget friendly recipes, make ahead meals, 30-minute meals, and cooking tips.