This sourdough strawberry shortcake recipe is the perfect summer dessert—light, fluffy, and bursting with sweet berries and tangy sourdough flavor.

sourdough strawberry shortcake pinterest image

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One of my favorite desserts my mom made when I was younger was strawberry shortcake. My mom became crunchy before it was cool and was ever evolving in her scratch cooking, crunchy ways.

My earliest memories of strawberry shortcake include little, round dessert shells from a package topped with sliced strawberries and a big dollop of cool whip. But as the years went on, mom graduated to homemade whipped cream and shortcake.

And with this recipe, I take mom’s journey one more step by adding some trusty sourdough starter into a classic angel food cake recipe for a light, airy, from-scratch, guilt free, classic springtime dessert.

Planning on trying these sourdough shortcakes this strawberry season? Get the full recipe below. I hope you end up with the most delicious sourdough strawberry shortcakes!

sourdough angel food cake with whipped cream on top

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is made with everyday pantry staples – you probably have everything you need on hand, including extra sourdough discard that needs to be used up.
This is the perfect summer dessert and can be made with whatever fresh berries you have on hand and need to use.
Light and fluffy: This angel food cake is not dense at all! It’s got an airy, cloud-like consistency just like you’d expect from angel food cake so you don’t lose anything by adding in sourdough starter.

Sourdough can be used in so many ways – it’s not just for baking artisan bread. Check out my favorite sourdough recipes.

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS:

Sourdough angel food cake ingredients:

1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup flour (for an even lighter, airier texture, use sifted cake flour)
½ cup sourdough discard, stirred down
12 egg whites, room temperature
¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
4 cups diced ripe strawberries

Whipped cream ingredients

¼ cup powdered sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

ingredients for making strawberry shortcake

TOOLS:

Medium-sized bowl
Large bowl
Fine mesh sieve or flour sifter
Electric mixer, hand mixer, or stand mixer with whisk attachment

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients, specifically 1 cup of powdered sugar with flour and salt, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Whisk egg whites, water, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar on low for a minute, then sift in the remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar and whisk at medium speed until medium peaks form.

Slowly sift and fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased loaf or tube pan.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour before turning out and serving.

FAQ

What kind of sourdough starter works best?

This recipe calls for stirred-down sourdough discard. You want it to be smooth and runny, not super thick or overly bubbly. It adds a subtle tang and moisture without affecting the rise. If you only have active starter, you can use it too, just make sure it’s stirred down and not too thick or bubbly, otherwise it could throw off the texture. Avoid discard that’s been sitting in the fridge too long and smells sharp or vinegary. Fresher is better for this light, delicate cake.

Can I switch things up or make substitutions?

Absolutely. If you don’t have cake flour, you can sub in sifted all-purpose flour. You can also swap out the fresh strawberries for other fresh fruit like blueberries, peaches, or raspberries. I recommend keeping the base ingredients the same so the cake keeps its airy texture.

Can I use this sourdough shortcake recipe to make sweet sourdough biscuits instead?

Not this one. This sourdough shortcake recipe is built on a light, airy angel food cake base using whipped egg whites and sourdough discard. It’s completely different from sourdough biscuit-style shortcake, which is denser and buttery.

If it’s flaky sourdough biscuits you are after, you’ll want a separate sourdough biscuit recipe with cold butter and a sharp biscuit cutter to get those flaky layers, which I have the perfect sourdough biscuit recipe for! This version is more cake than biscuit, and it’s perfect for when you’re craving a soft, cloud-like sweet treat.

Tips:

The pan must be ungreased when baking angel food cake. If a greased pan is used, the cake won’t be able to cling to the sides and rise properly. The egg whites in the cake will cause it to unstick from the sides once it has cooled.
Be sure to use runny, stirred-down, sourdough discard so the cake won’t be chewy.
Use fresh berries: You want fresh strawberry flavors, right?

Storage:

Once the sourdough shortcake cake has fully cooled, store it at room temperature for up to two days. Make sure it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or kept in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. Angel food cake has no added fat and can go stale pretty quickly if left uncovered.

For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to four days, but it might lose a little of that soft, airy texture. Let it sit at room temp for a bit before serving to help restore some of the bounce.

If you want to freeze it, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then foil, or tuck it into a freezer-safe container. It’ll keep well for up to a month.

Thaw on the counter when you’re ready to use it. Don’t store this sweet shortcake with strawberries or whipped cream already on top, as those toppings will make it soggy. It’s best to keep the components separate until just before serving for the best texture and flavor.

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