The Best Peaches and Cream Shortcakes: Your Ultimate Summer Dessert Recipe
Get ready to discover your new favorite summer peach dessert! These Peaches and Cream Shortcakes are an absolute dream. Imagine perfectly tender, slightly sweet biscuits piled high with an abundance of juicy, macerated fresh peaches and crowned with either a generous scoop of luscious vanilla ice cream or a cloud of homemade whipped cream. They are, quite simply, delightful and utterly irresistible.
Why should strawberries get all the shortcake glory? While classic strawberry shortcakes hold a special place in our hearts, the glorious peak of summer peach season offers an equally, if not more, incredible experience. We crave the vibrant combination of fresh fruit, fluffy cream, and a soft, cake-like base throughout the warmest months, and we’re here to declare that using sweet, fragrant summer peaches delivers a sensation that is every bit as amazing.
One of the brilliant hacks that makes this peach shortcake recipe truly special (and significantly quicker to prepare) is the option to use softened vanilla ice cream instead of traditional whipped cream. This ingenious idea, inspired by culinary icon Ina Garten’s approach to easy entertaining, where she uses melted vanilla ice cream in place of a homemade custard sauce, streamlines the process beautifully. There’s no need to wait for the ice cream to completely melt here; just let it soften slightly to achieve a wonderfully creamy texture that melts into the warm shortcakes. These Peaches and Cream Shortcakes are truly designed for effortless summer enjoyment!
Table of Contents
- Why Your Summer Needs These Peaches and Cream Shortcakes
- Essential Ingredients for Peach Shortcakes
- Easy Step-by-Step Instructions
- Expert Tips and FAQs
- Peaches and Cream Shortcakes Full Recipe
- More Delicious Peach Recipes
Why Your Summer Needs These Peaches and Cream Shortcakes
If you’ve never experienced the magic of peach shortcake, you are in for an unforgettable treat! This recipe is a delightful departure from the norm, offering a symphony of textures and flavors that epitomizes summer. You’ll absolutely adore how the sweet, juicy peaches release their vibrant nectar, which then delightfully soaks into the soft, tender, and slightly sweet biscuit base. This creates a moist, flavorful foundation that complements the fruit perfectly.
The addition of melty vanilla ice cream is truly a game-changer, infusing each bite with a rich, creamy vanilla flavor in a fun, unexpected, and incredibly satisfying way. Not only is using ice cream fantastically delicious, but it also makes this dessert significantly faster and easier to prepare, cutting down on precious summer kitchen time. However, if you prefer a more traditional approach, feel free to use classic homemade whipped cream – it’s equally amazing! Whichever “cream” you choose, this combination is an undeniable winner. While strawberry shortcakes are undeniably wonderful, we daresay this fresh peach shortcakes recipe might just steal your heart this summer.
Essential Ingredients for Peach Shortcakes
Crafting the perfect Peaches and Cream Shortcakes requires a handful of simple, high-quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need, along with a few notes on why each component is crucial:
- All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and a touch of sugar form the dry foundation for our tender, cake-like shortcakes. The leavening agents (baking soda and powder) ensure a beautiful rise and light texture.
- Salted butter is key for achieving that wonderfully tender and flaky texture characteristic of a great biscuit. Make sure it’s very cold and cut into cubes for best results, as this prevents it from melting too quickly into the flour.
- Buttermilk brings the shortcake dough together, adding a subtle tang and contributing to the biscuits’ moistness and tenderness. Its acidity also reacts with the baking soda to aid in leavening.
- Cinnamon sugar is an optional but highly recommended topping for the shortcakes, adding a fragrant, warm spice note and a lovely sweet crunch to the biscuit tops.
- Fresh summer peaches are, naturally, the absolute star of this show! Choose ripe, fragrant freestone peaches for the best flavor and ease of preparation. Their natural sweetness and juiciness are unparalleled.
- Vanilla extract (or luxurious vanilla bean paste) and a little sugar are used to delicately flavor and macerate the peaches, enhancing their natural sweetness and creating a delicious syrup.
- Quality vanilla ice cream is our recommended easy “cream” topping. A good quality ice cream will offer a rich, creamy texture and a robust vanilla flavor that perfectly complements the warm peaches and biscuits. (Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla is a personal favorite for its rich flavor and creamy consistency – truly not sponsored, just a genuine fan recommendation!).
Each ingredient plays a vital role in creating this irresistible summer dessert, ensuring a harmonious balance of sweet, tender, and creamy.
Easy Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these Peaches and Cream Shortcakes is simpler than you might think! Follow these steps for a perfect summer treat:
- Prepare the Sweet Biscuit Shortcakes. Just like many classic biscuit recipes, this one begins with combining cold, cubed butter into the dry ingredients. This can be done with a pastry blender, two knives, or even your fingertips, ensuring the butter bits remain distinct, which creates a flaky texture. Once the butter is incorporated to pea-sized crumbs, gradually add cold buttermilk to bring the dough together into a cohesive, shaggy mass. Be careful not to overmix!
Preparing the dough is the first step to creating perfect shortcakes. - Bake the Shortcakes. Once your biscuits are cut (we recommend a rectangular shape for modern appeal and less waste, typically 3 tall by 4 wide for 12 shortcakes), arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Baking them relatively close together encourages a softer side, while still achieving a golden-brown top and bottom. Bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until they are beautifully golden and puffed up.
Baked to golden perfection, these shortcakes are ready for their juicy topping. - Get the Peaches Super Juicy. While your biscuits are baking, it’s time to prepare the star fruit. Slice your fresh peaches and gently toss them in a bowl with a hint of vanilla extract and a little sugar. Let this mixture sit for 10-20 minutes. This crucial “macerating” step allows the sugar to draw out the natural juices and sweetness from the peaches, creating a wonderfully flavorful and syrupy topping that will soak into your shortcakes beautifully.
Macerating the peaches creates an intensely juicy and flavorful topping. - Soften the Ice Cream (or Make Whipped Cream). If you’re using vanilla ice cream, take it out of the freezer a little while before assembling. You want it to be soft enough to scoop easily and have a slightly melty, luxurious texture, but not completely liquid. If opting for homemade whipped cream, prepare it according to your preferred method just before serving.
- Assemble Your Shortcakes. Allow the baked biscuits to cool mostly or completely. Then, carefully split each shortcake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in a bowl, add a generous spoonful (or two!) of the juicy sliced peaches and their syrup, and top with a big scoop of your softened vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. You can either assemble these for your guests or create a fun buffet line where everyone can build their own perfect shortcake.
The final assembly: juicy peaches and creamy ice cream piled high on tender shortcakes. - Enjoy Every Bite! Make sure to get a bit of tender shortcake, sweet peach, and creamy melted ice cream (or whipped cream) in each glorious bite. The combination of flavors and textures is simply divine, and you’re going to absolutely love it!
Expert Tips and FAQs
To ensure your Peaches and Cream Shortcakes are nothing short of perfect, here are some invaluable tips and answers to common questions:
- How to Choose the Best Peaches: Look for “freestone” peaches, which have flesh that easily separates from the pit – this makes slicing much simpler. Avoid “clingstone” varieties. A good peach should be fragrant, smell sweet, and yield slightly when gently squeezed, but shouldn’t be mushy or have excessive soft spots. Firm-ripe peaches are ideal as they hold their shape better when sliced.
- Don’t Skip the Peach Maceration Step! This is absolutely crucial for the juiciest, most flavorful peaches. Allowing the sliced peaches to sit with sugar and vanilla for 10-20 minutes draws out their natural juices and enhances their sweetness. This creates a delicious, natural syrup that is key to the overall flavor of the shortcakes.
- Ice Cream OR Whipped Cream – The Choice is Yours: There’s truly no wrong option here, just a matter of preference and convenience. Using quality vanilla ice cream is the quick, easy, and incredibly delicious solution, offering a unique melty creaminess. However, if you prefer the classic elegance and lighter texture, homemade whipped cream is always a fantastic choice. Both will create a memorable dessert.
- Making These Shortcakes Ahead of Time: For the freshest and most delicious shortcakes, we recommend baking the biscuits on the day you plan to serve. However, you can prep the shortcake dough in advance. Freeze unbaked, cut shortcakes on a parchment-lined sheet pan, wrapped tightly in plastic, for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, simply bake them directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time. Prep your peaches and soften your ice cream just before assembly. This method makes entertaining a breeze!
- Preventing Overmixing Dough: When making the biscuit dough, mix only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense biscuits instead of tender, flaky ones. A slightly shaggy dough is perfectly fine!
Peaches and Cream Shortcakes Full Recipe
Classic Peaches and Cream Shortcakes
12
servings
30 minutes
20 minutes
50 minutes
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Ingredients
For the biscuit shortcakes:
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) salted butter , cold and cut into cubes
- 1 ¼ cup (310 grams) buttermilk , cold (plus additional for brushing the shortcakes)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the peaches:
- 1 lb (455 grams) fresh peaches , sliced (about 5-6 medium, ideally freestone)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, for an extra warm spice note)
To assemble:
- 1 quart (950 grams) quality vanilla ice cream (or homemade whipped cream, see Notes for recipe)
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Equipment
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a 9×13 inch quarter sheet pan and baking the shortcakes relatively close together helps them stay wonderfully soft.
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In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold, cubed salted butter into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
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Pour in 1 cup of the cold buttermilk and use a sturdy spoon or spatula to gently combine until just moistened. If the dough still appears very dry and crumbly, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk, a little at a time, until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix; overworking the dough will result in tough biscuits. Stop mixing as soon as all the dry bits are incorporated. For the final mix, you can gently knead it once or twice on a floured counter with your hands.
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On a lightly floured surface, gently pat the dough into a large rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 12 evenly sized biscuits (a common method is to cut 3 columns by 4 rows). Arrange the cut biscuits on your prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little extra buttermilk for a golden finish. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar with the ground cinnamon to create cinnamon sugar, then sprinkle this mixture generously over the tops of the brushed biscuits.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops and bottoms are golden brown and the biscuits are fully cooked through. Once baked, transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let them cool mostly or completely before assembling.
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While the shortcakes are cooling, slice your fresh peaches into uniform pieces. In a medium bowl, gently toss the sliced peaches with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste), and the optional ⅛ teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Let this mixture sit for 10-20 minutes at room temperature. This step allows the peaches to macerate, releasing their delicious juices and creating a flavorful syrup.
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Allow your vanilla ice cream to soften slightly for easier scooping and a creamier texture. To assemble, split each cooled biscuit shortcake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in a serving bowl, top with a generous portion of the juicy sliced peaches and their syrup, then add a scoop (about ⅓ cup size) of soft vanilla ice cream. Place the top half of the biscuit on top, or serve open-faced. Serve immediately to enjoy the contrast of warm biscuit, cool peaches, and melting ice cream.
Notes
- How to make this ahead of time: For the best flavor and texture, shortcakes are ideally baked and served on the same day. However, for convenient make-ahead prep, you can freeze unbaked shortcakes. Simply place them on a lined sheet pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, bake them directly from frozen, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time. Prepare the peaches and soften the ice cream just before serving.
- Ice Cream or Whipped Cream: This recipe is fantastic with either! To make homemade whipped cream, combine 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. You can find a full recipe for homemade whipped cream here.
Carbohydrates: 52g,
Protein: 7g,
Fat: 18g,
Saturated Fat: 11g,
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g,
Monounsaturated Fat: 5g,
Trans Fat: 0.3g,
Cholesterol: 58mg,
Sodium: 299mg,
Potassium: 374mg,
Fiber: 2g,
Sugar: 25g,
Vitamin A: 733IU,
Vitamin C: 2mg,
Calcium: 182mg,
Iron: 2mg
American
Dessert
Annalise Sandberg
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Note: This recipe was originally published in July 2014, with a previous version incorporating grilled peaches for an extra summer twist. To make this delightful dessert even simpler and more straightforward, the grilling step has been removed for this updated recipe, focusing on the fresh, juicy goodness of macerated peaches.
More Delicious Peach Recipes to Try
If you’re a fan of fresh peaches, there’s no shortage of incredible ways to enjoy them! Here are a few more peach-centric recipes from our collection that we think you’ll absolutely love, perfect for capturing the sweet essence of summer:
We hope you enjoy these fantastic peach recipes and make the most of the season’s bounty!