Strawberry Shortcake the Official Dessert of Summer - Doodlewash and watercolor of strawberries and cream on a plate
By Charlie

Strawberry Shortcake – Official Dessert of Summer

Written by Charlie O'Shields

This dish is famed for being one of the most popular summer desserts here in the States, but I just couldn’t wait that long. It’s a sunny, beautiful day here and it made me think of that classic dessert known as strawberry shortcake. I say classic, because although nobody seems to know when the first one was made, this delicious combination dates back to around 1850 in the United States. Around this time, it quickly became popular to have strawberry shortcake parties to celebrate the coming of summer. Later, this strawberry fever would lead to a wonderful line from Harpers Magazine in 1893, “They give you good eating, strawberries and short-cake- Ohh My!” Yep. That about sums it up.

When I was a kid, the strawberry shortcakes didn’t look like the one I’ve shown here. No, the ones I remember were made with Bisquick™ biscuits, strawberries, and Cool Whip™, which only contains one ingredient that Philippe would ever allow me to eat today. Mostly because this fast food American version is loaded with enough trans fats and high fructose corn syrup to kill laboratory mice on contact. But no child ever worries about these worrisome risks, or even adults at the time. We just knew that you could have a glorious dessert in under 15 minutes. No need to wait for the Cool Whip to thaw completely, because then it was like getting a little ice cream as well!

Looking back, it’s atrocious to think about taking something as wonderful as a strawberry and subjecting it to so many artificial chemicals at once, but the memories still make me smile. Mostly because I remember this dish at large family picnics where cousins, aunts, and uncles were all gathered together, laughing and joking. And we don’t have those picnics anymore. Cousins grew up and moved away and even my parents moved to a different state. Yeah, they left home when I was 18, but that’s another story entirely. But that’s what I love about food. It has a way of preserving memories like nothing else can. And though times just keep changing, I’ll never forgot those lazy summer days, surrounded by family, with my little plate of strawberry shortcake.

You’re all invited to a Doodlewash Dinner Party during the month of May! Just tag your food or drink image #doodlewashdinner and I’ll feature you and your culinary creations in a delicious Doodlewash Gallery at the end of the month! 

About the Doodlewash

M. Graham watercolors: Pyrrol Red, Gamboge, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pens with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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66 thoughts on “Strawberry Shortcake – Official Dessert of Summer”

  2. My lips and tongue are smacking and I am saying ohhh!!! That is one awesome looking doodlewash Charlie! I remember making homemade biscuits, real whip cream and garden fresh strawberries for my Dad. Angel food cake was a close second favourite with whipped cream and strawberries. Sadly none of the above are on the diet these days. Just as well I am sure. 🙂 Strawberries and yogurt aren’t bad. Hahaha!!

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  6. Oh my – it’s times like this when I ponder on the sheltered life I’m living as I don’t think I’ve ever though to put these wonders together and try this. Outrageous! The doodlewash looks absolutely sensational Charlie – it’s going to be a month of daily cravings, as I suspected!

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  7. such a good point – we sure do take wonderful, perfectly delicious fruit and turn it into…. well…. extra yumminess! LOL! Gorgeous doodlewash! Certainly an extraordinary shortcake! Is Philippe busy cleaning up from your healthy dinner while you are painting this decadence?! 🙂

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    1. Haha!! Thanks Jodi! 💕😃 Glad ya liked this one! I do my doodlewash at the kitchen counter while Philippe is cooking right after we get home from work. It’s a race to the finish as I have to complete it before he makes a plate. Hehe… He doesn’t have to cook AND clean, that would be terribly unfair! 😊Lol I do all the cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner and then serve the espresso. 😉

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    1. Awww thanks so much Margaret! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this one! Definitely a fun summer treat! and yes, I’ve been trying to include my colors this year with each doodlewash. Made me realize out of my little 18 colors palette I’m only using about 10 of the colors. Hehe

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  12. True, it is the ultimate summer dessert and a favorite in this house as well. We have an added bonus now because the farm my son works at grow strawberries so he can bring them home fresh picked (and discounted 50%)! We just had them on shortcakes for Sunday dessert only we made them with those spongey little individual cakes that probably contain no real food just like the cool whip! Yummy painting!

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  13. Triple-decker strawberry shortcake? Yum, yum! Glad we know a lot more about what we eat nowadays so we can make healthier choices, but those chemicals sure were tasty back in the day 🙂

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  14. Wow! Charlie! You make painting food look like a piece of cake! 💕🍰 Shortcake that is… 😍 Hehe! And I agree so many wonderful memories are attached to good food and friends! 🍷 Cheers friend!

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  18. you have outdone yourself! gorgeous!
    and I’d love some.. What magic in your story! I loved it Charlie. You said it exactly as it was; and how it now is for so many of us. We long for those days!
    And Thank YOU, your strawberry shortcake certainly made us remember 🙂

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  20. I love this post and the thought of strawberry short cake. My family’s version was angel food cake, vanilla ice cream and strawberries. Your doodlewash is so enticing.

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  21. Charlie! I may have to ban myself from your site this month! Wow so lifelike! I really do hope you wind up illustrating a cookbook. Maybe you and P could get together and use his original recipes? WOWZA! Beautiful stuff! (PS I loved the line about subjecting wonderful fruits to all those chemicals. I used to love cool whip but holy goodness the GMOs and junk in it! Wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole now but it is beautiful in your painting!). 💜💜💜💜💜

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    1. Awww thanks Laura! 💕😃 But NO… you can’t hide from me because I will track you down! LOL I’ve actually found it hard to do these as it’s making me hungry all the time. I need you beside me to get through this month, sis! hehe 😊 I keep floating the idea of a cookbook to P, but he hasn’t taken me up on it yet. I guess people would want photos though in the end to see if they did it right. Hehe… as for chemicals and junk, yeah it’s amazing how jacked up our food got by corporate greed. We were in Paris and found whipped cream in a can that just had whipped cream in it. Turns out, you don’t have to destroy food to make it easier to eat!

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  22. Mmmm, so yummy, this reminds me of summer days strawberry picking, one for the pot, one for the mouth…and so it went on, lol until we felt sick, and did not want to see a strawberry again ( well just until that evening) I remember one ‘ pick your own’ used to weigh people before they went into the fields of red gold, funny really, it never made a difference really, I think it made us want to eat more.

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