When it comes to flavors and styles of cake out there, one of our personal favorites has to be all the different kinds of strawberry shortcakes.
Something about that distinct shortcrust/scone-like texture, coupled with all the sweet and creamy extras and toppings that you would expect from a great cake recipe.
There’s nothing quite like it!
And with a recipe as unique as this, it’s only a matter of time before we see a ton of different chefs try and adds their own to it, with mixed results.
For us, one of the best recipes to come out of this has to be Paula Deen’s take on this cake dish (for many reasons that we will soon cover in more detail).
And, of course, creativity inspires more creativity, so an amazing version like Deen’s is going to inspire a wave of other shortcake recipes.
That’s what this guide is here to cover. A ton of amazing strawberry shortcake recipes inspired by the chef of the hour herself, Paula Deen.
Not only will we cover recipes that follow Deen’s own down to the tiniest details, but also the other recipes that take her original recipe, and add their twist to it.
Change is the spice of life, and cooking, after all!
If we’re taking a look at the best versions of Paula Deen’s strawberry shortcake, we should probably try and find a good benchmark for what exactly these recipes should be tasting like.
So, where better to start than with the recipe that spawned a thousand other shortcake dishes?
As you can see from reading the ingredient list for this dish, one of the unique things about Paula Deen’s shortcake recipe specifically is just how smooth it is.
Compared to the often biscuit or shortbread-like texture that you may find in other versions out there, this is almost 100% made of the smooth and creamier ingredients of a classic shortcake, from the cream cheese to the whipped frosted toppings.
Just about the only solids in this shortcake recipe are the angel cake pieces that you’ll find sprinkled throughout the dish and the fresh strawberries that you’ll be chopping up and adding.
This lends itself to an incredibly unique take on the shortcake recipe, making this recipe a little more like a trifle than anything you would present on a plate with a knife.
The fact that it’s even in a glass is only further proof of it.
All in all, it’s a very distinct kind of dessert, among a family of recipes that are already pretty different from any other cake recipe out there. And we love it!
So, how exactly do the copycats and other inspired recipes stand up to the original? Let’s take a look at this, our first imitation recipe for Paula Deen’s strawberry shortcake.
As you can see, this recipe follows the steps that were outlined in Paula Deen’s shortcake recipe, including the ingredients.
Once again, the angel cake and the strawberries are the solids, while they are suspended in a sweet, creamy filling that melts in your mouth with every spoonful.
The jelly and cornstarch also add an extra layer of texture to it all and help this little treat keep its shaping, turning it into a bona fide dessert that everyone can enjoy.
So long as they have a glass or some other object to hold it, of course!
Overall, it’s a great recipe, and proof that replicating Paula Deen’s dish is far from impossible. If anything, it’s a simple 7-step process, as shown here!
Of course, with so many ways to take a good strawberry shortcake, an experienced chef like Paula Deen probably wasn’t going to stop with just one recipe.
And, as this shortcake recipe shows us, the same is true with this strawberry-themed list that we have here!
Paula Deen’s second take on a strawberry shortcake recipe is a little more like a classic cake that we would recognize. However, even here, it’s a little more like a deconstructed cake, than a typical shortcake.
Paula Deen loves her different spins on classic recipes, it seems!
If you’re looking for something that looks a little more like the shortcake recipe that you recognize, while still following Paula Deen’s original smooth and creamy recipe, this is a dish for you!
Using a basic round-pound cake base, which you can either buy or bake yourself if you have the time, the filling that we see in Paula Deen’s recipe is put to good use in this dish.
You get your classic fluffy cake base, plus the delightful combination of vanilla pudding mix and sweetened condensed milk.
Add to that a container of cool whip, and you have a dish that is bound to go a treat at any table for dessert.
And, of course, you mustn’t forget about the strawberries! Make sure that they are thoroughly rinsed and clean before you start decorating your easy shortcake recipe with them!
Plus, if you have the pound cake handy, or plan on buying the cake beforehand, this recipe takes next to no time to make, you can have this dessert ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes!
Going back to Paula Dean’s original recipe, we have this great little glass-sized dessert for you to share with your dinner table.
We particularly love how simple this recipe makes creating this dessert. Strawberry shortcakes can often feel a little intimidating to tackle.
But this dish, with just a few instructions, makes you an amazing treat, with enough servings to pass around a crowded table of 12 people.
Plus, this might be one of the quickest recipes that we’ve covered in this guide so far. If you’re on the ball, you can make this dish in just 5 minutes flat! How’s that for a speedy recipe?
The custard/creamy filling of a good strawberry shortcake is one of the core ingredients that everyone loves in this dessert recipe.
So, what if we took that part of a strawberry shortcake, and turned it into its recipe?
Well, you’d get something like this!
This recipe fully embraces that side of this kind of recipe, being a dish that layers itself much more like a trifle than just a shortcake as we have seen with some of the other recipes here.
The key to this recipe is getting those layers right.
The angle cake or whatever you choose to add here will be the buffer between the strawberries and cream mixes that you’ll be adding on top of them.
The strawberries should be added as part of the jello mix if you want to keep that smoother texture that blends well with the whipped topping mix that you’ll be making.
Once again, we can’t help but notice the similarities between these shortcake recipes and a good trifle dish. So, we’re happy to see another dish that recognizes that commonality here!
By covering the bottom of the baking tray with the sliced-up pound cake or angel cake that you’re using, you have a solid base to start adding all your ingredients on top of it.
One thing that we love about this recipe is the calorie count. At just 137 calories per serving, this is a surprisingly light dessert to eat at the end of a meal or as a snack.
Especially when you consider the ingredient that goes into it!
If you’re looking for a light version of a Strawberry shortcake recipe (if such a thing exists), this is the recipe for you!
Now, if you’re looking for a strawberry shortcake that is the ‘genuine article’, for lack of a better term, this is a recipe that you should go with.
It has all the hallmarks of shortcake as you may recognize it at a party, while also utilizing a lot of the same ingredients and instructions that Paula Deen uses in her original recipe.
This recipe, unlike many of the others that we have covered, actually comes with instructions to help you make the base fluffy cake that you’ll be making this dish with.
Whether you choose to follow this recipe to the T, or try and dice up your cake afterward as Paula Dean does, is entirely up to you!
It’s the perfect recipe if you’re looking to make something that is truly showstopping for your friends and family. Instead of confining this cake to a glass, you’ll get a full shortcake out of this one, multiple layers and all.
Final Notes
As you can see, plenty of people are admirers of Paula Deen’s amazing work with these classic recipes, (see also: 10 Amazing Paula Deen Slow Cooker Recipes To Try Today)turning them into dishes that anyone can make for themselves.
And, in turn, these recipes, that either stay the same or try something else new, will often inspire plenty of other people to pick up a spoon and start making their strawberry shortcakes.
And it all start’s with Paula Deen. She may not have invented this delicious dessert, but we can’t get enough of what she did with it!
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
