Strawberry Shortcake Parfait

This easy strawberry shortcake parfait in a jar is so delicious! It’s made of layers of fluffy shortcake, sweet, juicy berries, whipped cream, and then topped with more berries. An easy dessert ready in only a few minutes!

Strawberry shortcake in a jar

The only thing better than classic strawberry shortcake is a strawberry shortcake parfait with a multitude of textures and layers.

This easy dessert combines dense and crumbly vanilla pound cake cubes, succulent strawberry slices, and velvety whipped cream. This combination of flavors is incredibly refreshing and delicious.

If you’re looking for an effortless, no-bake dessert, these strawberry shortcake jars are seriously the best! The recipe is simple to make and layers so easily.

But before you think it will take more than an hour to put together, yet you want it now, this strawberry dessert is quick, easy, and ready in just a few minutes.

It’s perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to fire up the oven. And since the easy parfaits travel well, you can take the jars to a picnic, BBQ, or potluck.

I can never have enough strawberries in my life! Some of my other favorites include Bisquick strawberry cobbler, strawberry blondies, strawberry lemonade pound cake, and strawberry spoon cake. You need to try these next!

Still hungry? Try this simple and delicious recipe for strawberries and cream!

Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these strawberry shortcake parfaits look pretty and taste absolutely scrumptious. You’ll be impressed with how easy the recipe is and how good they taste. Please refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities.

• Vanilla pound cake: To make the cake layer, cube up a few slices of homemade pound cake or grab one from a bakery. You can also find a 15-minute vanilla cake recipe in the recipe card below.
• Strawberries: Fresh, sun-ripened strawberries are best! Wash, hull, and dry your berries, then cut them into slices.
• Strawberry jam: Combines with the strawberries and creates a lovely strawberry sauce in minutes without cooking. Use homemade strawberry jam or your favorite store-bought product.
• Heavy cream: Make sure your heavy cream is very cold so it whips up soft and fluffy. I usually don’t add anything to my whipped cream. Still, feel free to sweeten yours with a little powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Equipment

• Jars: Grab mason jars, dessert glasses, or glass tumblers that can hold 6 to 8 oz. You can also Weck tulip jars like I used for my pumpkin mousse parfaits.
• Colander + tea towel to rinse and dry the strawberries.
• Cutting board + paring knife to slice the strawberries and cut the cake.
• 2 mixing bowls and an electric mixer with beaters to macerate the strawberries and whip the cream.

How to make strawberry shortcake parfait

Simple ingredients lead to a simple strawberry shortcake parfait! Every layer in this lovely dessert creates an amazing taste and texture of smooth cream, juicy berry, and soft cake. A total party in your mouth.

#1: Macerate strawberries

• Rinse the strawberries and gently pat dry with a kitchen towel. Hull and cut the berries into slices.
• In a medium mixing bowl, gently stir together the strawberry slices and strawberry jam until the berries are fully coated in the jam. Set aside as you prepare the cake.

#2: Cut cake

• Cut each slice of pound cake into 0.5 inch / 1.5 cm cubes.

#3: Beat heavy cream

• Pour the heavy cream into a cold mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• If desired, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

#4: Assemble the parfaits

• Divide half of the cake cubes evenly among the bottom of 4 jars. Top with half of the strawberries and half of the whipped cream.
• Repeat the layers of cake and strawberry slices.

#5: Garnish

• Top each parfait with a generous swirl of whipped cream, a drizzle of strawberry sauce, and a fresh strawberry on top.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips for success

• Make sure your cream is very cold. Warm cream won’t whip well, so be sure to refrigerate the heavy cream for a couple of hours in advance. I also like to place my mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge so they are cold as well.
• Serving container: Instead of glass jars, you can also use a large mug, cup, dessert bowls, or ramekins.
• More servings: The recipe yields 4 servings. If you need to feed more people, simply double or triple the ingredient amounts to create more parfaits.

15-minute vanilla cake

If you don’t have pound cake or yellow cake at hand, you can make your own with a few pantry staples in about 15 minutes. You’ll need the following:

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp / 60 g / 2 oz salted butter
• 1/2 cup / 100 g / 3.5 oz granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 12 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Once you have your ingredients ready, follow these simple steps to bake the cake. It’s really important to use an 8-inch / 20 cm square baking pan. A larger pan would result in a thin, dry cake layer, and a small pan would take longer to bake.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Place the butter in an 8×8-inch / 20×20 cm square baking dish and put it in the oven to melt as it preheats.
2. Once melted, remove the butter from the oven and pour it into a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper.
3. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir until the batter is just combined and you no longer see pockets of flour.
4. Pour the batter back into the baking pan and smooth it out into an even layer using a spatula or spoon. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The cake is ready when the top looks golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Let cool, remove from the pan, and cut into 0.5 inch / 1.5 cm cubes. Continue with the recipe as directed.

Variations

Make your strawberry shortcake parfaits just the way you like them. You can try so many variations of cake, fruit, jam, and even toppings. The customizations are endless with this easy strawberry parfait recipe!

• Try a different cake: Vanilla cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, angel food cake, and even cheesecake are tasty options.
• Swap the berries: You can prepare this recipe with almost any berry and jam combo you like. Try blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or opt for a mix of different berries.
• Swap in Greek yogurt: For a lighter dessert, replace the whipped cream with Greek yogurt. Plain, vanilla, and honey-flavored would be delicious here.
• Chocolate chips: Sprinkle the layers with mini chocolate chips. White and semisweet chocolate chips are especially delicious.
• Make it zesty: Add a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest to the strawberry layer.
• Hot fudge sauce: When assembling your parfaits, drizzle a little hot fudge sauce between the layers and on top.
• Chocolate whipped cream: Ramp up the chocolate flavor and prepare this treat with chocolate whipped cream. Jamie from Drive Me Hungry has a yummy and easy chocolate whipped cream recipe!

Storage instructions

How to store strawberry shortcake parfait

Strawberry shortcake parfait is best enjoyed fresh. You can make them a few hours in advance and then grab them straight out of the fridge. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge and consume within 1 to 2 days.

Make strawberry shortcake jars ahead of time

You can make the components of this strawberry shortcake parfait ahead of time, but the whole dessert is best assembled right before eating, so the cream and strawberries are fresh. It might get soggy as it sits.

• Cake: Bake and cube the cake up to a day in advance. Be sure to store the cake cubes in an airtight container or Ziplock bag so they don’t dry out.
• Strawberries: You can also prep the strawberries and mix them with the jam the day before. Store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge.
• Whipped cream: The whipped cream is best freshly made. If you want to take the parfaits to a picnic or potluck, consider making stabilized whipped cream. It will hold up much better. Amy from Chew Out Loud has a fantastic recipe for stabilized whipped cream on her site.

Can you freeze strawberry shortcake parfait?

You can freeze the cake portion for 1 to 2 months. However, the strawberry filling and whipped cream don’t freeze well, so wait to make them until you’re ready to serve.

And since it only takes a few minutes to make this treat, making it fresh is easy even when you’re pinched for time.

Reasons to love strawberry shortcake parfait

• Lovely mix of textures: These strawberry shortcake parfaits are so delicious! It’s a wonderful harmony of cake, juicy fruits, and airy cream.
• Ready in 10 minutes: Perfect when you need a quick, effortless dessert.
• Versatile: Homemade strawberry parfait is the perfect dessert after a casual dinner, for holidays like Valentine’s Day, or to bring to a gathering.

More strawberry desserts

Strawberry treats are always in high demand at our house. That’s probably why we have so many strawberry desserts on our blog. Here are a few of our other favorite recipes that I think you and your family will love!

• Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake
• Pistachio Parfait with Strawberry Sauce
• Bisquick Strawberry Cobbler
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Spoon Cake
• Glazed Strawberry Blondies
• Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad