The strawberries will need about 3-4 hours to sit in the fridge and make juice, so plan ahead. In a large bowl, mix together the cut strawberries and sugar. You can add more sugar as you'd like. Cover and place in the fridge.
Make the shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x9" baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and shortening. Cut the ingredients together to make coarse crumbs.
Add the milk and egg to the crumbs, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix or the shortcake will be tough. It will be very thick.
Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Set aside.
In a small bowl, use two forks or a pastry cutter to cut together the flour, sugar and butter. This mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle it on top of the shortcake batter.
Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
To serve, top pieces of cake with strawberries, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Video
Notes
*Use aluminum free baking powder to prevent a metallic taste.**You can use cold butter instead of shortening if you'd like. It will change the flavor and texture slightly, but it works well.Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake with strawberries on top. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**