Peach Shortcake

By Natasha MinochaUpdated May 2, 2024 Jump to recipe

This peach shortcake is made with buttery, flaky biscuits, juicy summer peaches, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. Its a simple old-fashioned dessert that's easy to make and perfect for peach season!

A shortcake split in half and filled with peaches and whipped cream on a plate.

The peaches are tossed with a little sugar until they are juicy and syrupy, making the perfect topping for tender shortcakes. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream, and you'll have a beautiful summer dessert that's always a crowd pleaser.

If you are baking with peaches this summer, don't miss my peach and mozzarella salad, peach cobbler cake, and peach cheesecake.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Peach shortcakes are the perfect summer dessert and a wonderful way to use fresh summer peaches.
This old-fashioned peach shortcake recipe is easy to make and gives the prettiest result. Making the biscuits is so simple, and you likely have almost everything you need in your kitchen right now.
The recipe is also versatile. You can make fruit shortcakes with any seasonal stone fruit you have in hand.
Peach shortcakes are great for entertaining. You can prep everything in advance and assemble just before serving.

Recipe Ingredients

Peaches are the star of the recipe. Make sure they are ripe, flavorful, and bursting with juices. I leave them unpeeled, but you can peel them if you prefer. Macerating them in sugar will soften their texture and draw out the natural juices. The juices create a light peach syrup that's deleicious spooned over the shortcakes.

Flour: All-purpose flour works very well, but I also add a cup of whole wheat flour to give the biscuits a hearty texture and nutty flavor. You may want to use just all-purpose or just whole wheat (the shortcake will be denser if you do).

Baking powder: This is what gives the shortcakes their rise and makes them light and tender.

Butter: I used salted cold butter. Cold butter is the secret to a flaky, tender shortcakes.

Sugar: Regular, granulated sugar does a fine job of sweetening the peaches and drawing their juices out. We also use it to sweeten the biscuit dough and sprinkle it on top before baking.

Milk: Whole milk gives the biscuits richness, but almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk work well too.

Whipping cream or heavy cream: Use either for making homemade sweetened whipped cream.

Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.

Variations

Fruits: You can use any fruit in place of peaches. Strawberries are an obvious choice, but you can also use plums, nectarines, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

You can try grilling the peaches before assembling for a delicious caramelized flavor.

I also love to spike the peaches with a splash of bourbon or spiced rum if I make them for a dinner party.

Cream: You can swap it for sweetened Greek yogurt or mascarpone cream to make the peach shortcake extra indulgent.

How To Make Peach Shortcakes

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 220 C / 425 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 2: Combine the sliced peaches and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

Sliced peaches tossed with sugar in a bowl.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and sugar.

Step 4: Add the cubed butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

Step 5: Pour in the milk. Mix until just incorporated.

Step 6: Turn it out onto a floured surface and gently bring it together in a ball. Don't overwork the dough.

Step 7: Flour your hands and pat the dough into a 1" thick circle. Use a 2.5" round cookie cutter and cut out 10-12 discs.

Step 8: Place the rounds on the prepared tray. Brush with milk and sprinkle some granulated sugar on top.

Step 9: Bake at 220 C / 425 F for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Allow the biscuits to cool completely.

Step 10: Once the shortcakes are cooled, split them in half. Add a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream to the bottom half. Spoon the peach mixture with the juices on top. Cover with the second half of the shortcake. Serve immediately

A shortcake with peaches and cream on a small plate.

Top Tips

Make sure your butter and milk are cold, because that’s what gives the peach shortcake the tender, flaky layers.
If your dough has clumps of butter in it, don’t worry. They create tiny, airy pockets in the dough and help it rise better.
Please don't knead the dough, just use your hands to bring it together. Avoid overworking the dough as that can result in dense biscuits.
Macerating tenderizes the peaches just a touch and helps draw out the juices. Think of it as a sweet, peach-flavored syrup to soak into your biscuits.

How To Serve Peach Shortcakes

Assemble the shortcakes just before serving so the biscuits stay crisp around the edges while soaking up all the peach juices.

You can also serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade chocolate ice cream.

No peaches left? Enjoy the biscuits with butter or strawberry jam slathered on top.

2 plates with shortcakes, peaches, and cream with a napkin on the side.

Recipe FAQs

What are shortcakes?

A shortcake is actually more biscuit than cake. In baking, short refers to a dough where fat is cut into the flour. That's why you'll also hear of shortbread cookies. Both rely on butter to create that delicate, wonderfully crumbly texture.

What is the difference between a biscuit and a shortcake?

Shortcakes are also a little different from biscuits. They sit somewhere between a scone and the American biscuit. They're richer (and more dessert-like). Think of them as a buttery, lightly sweetened biscuit that's crisp at the edges and wonderfully tender inside.

How to check if peaches are ripe enough?

For this peach shortcake recipe, choose peaches that are fragrant and just ripe. They should give slightly when pressed but shouldn't feel mushy.

How to store leftover shortcakes?

Store the peaches, cream, and biscuits separately. Keep the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warm slightly before serving. The peaches will last a day in a refrigerator. They'll continue releasing delicious juices as they sit. Store the whipped cream in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Give it a gentle whisk if needed before serving.

Can you freeze a peach shortcake?

You can freeze the unbaked dough rounds for up to a month and bake them fresh whenever the craving hits. Bake, macerate the fruit, and assemble the dessert right before you want to serve. You can bake the biscuits a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.