7 Ways To Jazz Up Your Strawberry Shortcake

We've got seven easy ways to take strawberry shortcake to the next level.

Balsamic vinegar and strawberries has become an increasingly popular flavor combination over the past few years. Try adding a splash to your cut-up strawberries (along with some sugar) 30 minutes before you serve your shortcakes.

When you're baking your shortcakes, add a few tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme to the dough for a subtle herbaceous hint of flavor. Or, instead of baking herbs into the shortcake, try topping your dessert with a chiffonade of fresh basil.

Instead of whipped cream, try sandwiching some strawberry or vanilla ice cream in between the layers of shortcake for an equally sweet and creamy dessert. 

For a simple whipped cream upgrade, try grating some fresh orange zest into the cream as you whip it. It will add a very subtle flavor that complements the strawberries well.

We all know that salt brings out the flavor of any ingredient it's added to... so why aren't we topping our strawberry shortcake with a pinch of good, flaky salt?

Before you bake your shortcakes, brush the tops lightly with milk or cream and then sprinkle them with coarse sanding sugar. When they come out of the oven, they'll have a crisp, sugar-crusted top. 

If you've never used vanilla beans before, this is the perfect time to start; the simplicity of the strawberry shortcake really allows the vanilla flavor to shine. Just cut a slit along the center of the vanilla pod and open it up. Use the back of your knife to scrape out the seeds and then add them to the cream as you whip it.