Strawberry Shortcake Cups

By Becky Hardin

Published Aug 27, 2021

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My strawberry shortcake cups are as beautiful as they are delicious. These tiny trifles are one of my favorite fun and tasty ways to enjoy summer! With a delicious mix of fresh strawberries, white chocolate, cream, and pound cake, they’re pint-sized perfection! I love to serve them at BBQs and pool parties!

This deconstructed version of classic strawberry shortcake is a must for parties! It’s one of my favorite 4th of July recipes, too! The secret ingredient? White chocolate. I dipped each piece of shortcake in white chocolate ganache, and I mixed the whipped cream filling with melted white chocolate. Decadent. Sinful. Made for spring and summer BBQs!

What’s in This Strawberry Shortcake Cups Recipe?

• Low-Fat Cream Cheese: Makes the cream layer rich, creamy, and tangy– like cheesecake!
• Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the cream layer, while granulated sugar sweetens the strawberry glaze.
• White Chocolate: Adds delicious white chocolate flavor to the cream layer and forms the base of the luxurious white chocolate ganache.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the cream layer.
• Frozen Whipped Topping: Makes the cream layer light and fluffy.
• Strawberries: Fresh strawberries add a beautiful texture and flavor. Frozen berries are too soggy for this recipe and the flavor isn’t nearly as good.
• Strawberry Glaze: Enhances the overall flavor of the strawberries.
• Heavy Cream: Makes the ganache smooth and silky.
• Pound Cake: I used store-bought to keep things easy. Most trifles use pound cake, but you can also use Angel food cake, yellow cake, or even shortbread cookies.

Tips for Success

• I layered my shortcake cups in 8-ounce glass jars, but wine glasses would also work well for an elegant touch. Plastic cups are great for parties for easy disposal.
• This recipe calls for macerating the strawberries. That simply means to slice the berries and let stand a few minutes for the juices to form a light sauce.
• Make sure to let the ganache cool to room temperature before using it.

How to Store

The pound cake in these strawberry shortcake cups will begin to turn soggy after just a few hours, so I recommend enjoying these on the day they are made. They will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator if needed.

Recipe Card

Strawberry Shortcake Cups Recipe

4.73 from 55 votes

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 shortcake cups

Author: Becky Hardin

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Strawberry shortcake cups are as beautiful as they are delicious. These tiny trifles are such a fun and tasty way to enjoy summer!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional)
• Hand Mixer

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 ounces low-fat cream cheese 170 grams, room temperature (¾ brick)
• ▢ 1½ cups powdered sugar 170 grams
• ▢ 4 ounces white chocolate 113 grams, melted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams (or 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
• ▢ 8 ounces frozen whipped topping 227 grams (1 tub), thawed, such as Cool Whip
• ▢ 2 pints fresh strawberries 907 grams, washed and sliced into small pieces
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• ▢ 4 ounces strawberry glaze 113 grams, sugar-free or regular, such as Marzetti
• ▢ 2 ounces heavy cream 57 grams
• ▢ 4 ounces white chocolate 113 grams, cut into small pieces
• ▢ 32 ounces pound cake 907 grams, cubed (from 2 (16-ounce) loaves)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

For the Filling

• Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.
  6 ounces low-fat cream cheese
• Add the powdered sugar, melted chocolate, and vanilla, and mix until combined.
  1½ cups powdered sugar, 4 ounces white chocolate, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• Fold in the whipped topping and set aside.
  8 ounces frozen whipped topping
  
• For the Glaze
• Macerate the strawberries by adding granulated sugar, stirring, and letting stand for at least 3-4 minutes.
  2 pints fresh strawberries, ½ cup granulated sugar
• Add the strawberry glaze and mix well; set aside.
  4 ounces strawberry glaze
  

For the Ganache

• Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat until simmering, about 5 minutes.
  2 ounces heavy cream
• Remove from the heat and pour over the chopped white chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted, about 1 minute.
  4 ounces white chocolate
• Allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Make sure it is cooled to room temperature before proceeding. If the mixture is too hot it will soak into the cake layer.
  

For Assembly

• Place a large spoonful of the filling into the bottom of a cup.
  
• Using a slotted spoon, top with a large spoonful of the strawberry glaze mixture.
  
• Dip 6-8 cubes of pound cake into the ganache and place on top of the strawberries. The ganache will keep the cake from getting soggy from the glaze mixture.
  32 ounces pound cake
  
• Top with another large spoonful of the filling.
  
• Finish the trifle with another heaping spoonful of the strawberry glaze mixture.
  
• Repeat with the remaining cups. Makes about 6 individual cups

Becky’s Tips

Storage: Store strawberry shortcake cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Serving: 1shortcake cupCalories: 1097kcalCarbohydrates: 197gProtein: 15gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 1114mgPotassium: 628mgFiber: 4gSugar: 148gVitamin A: 590IUVitamin C: 96mgCalcium: 283mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cups Step by Step

Whip the Filling: Using a hand mixer, beat 6 ounces (¾ brick) of low-fat cream cheese until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups of powdered sugar, 4 ounces of melted white chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and mix until combined.

Lighten the Filling: Fold in 8 ounces (1 tub) of thawed frozen whipped topping and set aside.

Make the Glaze: Macerate 2 pints of sliced strawberries by adding ½ cup of granulated sugar, stirring, and letting stand for at least 3-4 minutes. Add 4 ounces of strawberry glaze and mix well; set aside.

Make the Ganache: Heat 2 ounces of heavy cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat until simmering, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over 4 ounces of chopped white chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted, about 1 minute. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Make sure it is cooled to room temperature before proceeding. If the mixture is too hot it will soak into the cake layer.

Add the Flling: Place a large spoonful of the filling into the bottom of a cup.

Top with Glaze: Using a slotted spoon, top with a large spoonful of the strawberry glaze mixture.

Layer the Pound Cake: Dip 6-8 cubes of pound cake (from a 32-ounce cake) into the ganache and place on top of the strawberries. The ganache will keep the cake from getting soggy from the glaze mixture.

Add More Filling: Top with another large spoonful of the filling.

Top and Serve: Finish the trifle with another heaping spoonful of the strawberry glaze mixture. Repeat with the remaining cups.

More Strawberry Dessert Recipes to Try!

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling

Strawberry Cookies

Copycat McDonald’s Strawberry Cream Pie

Strawberry Jello Pie