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This Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake features a rich, tender sourdough vanilla butter cake base topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream—just like the classic dessert, but in a beautiful bundt cake form! Perfect for summer gatherings or a show-stopping brunch centerpiece.

Using Sourdough Discard in Summer Baking

I love using sourdough discard in baking, especially during the summer when my sourdough starter is super active and I end up with more discard than usual. Warmer temperatures help starters rise faster, and sourdough is always a plenty. Rather than toss that extra starter I’m not using for my leavened recipes, I’m always looking for creative ways to use it—especially in sweet baked recipes!

A couple years ago I made my all time favorite cake chocolate cake recipe into a fan favorite Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe. After that, it got me thinking, what other cake recipes can I add sourdough discard into that would make the recipe that much better? That’s when I started experimenting and I thought of other summer treat recipes like strawberry shortcake. This recipe is founded off of traditional Kentucky Butter Cake. Basically every single recipe for it is identical, like this one from House of Nash. I took a spin off of it to add sourdoughs starter (and tweaked the glaze), then confirmed it would work with an addition of sour cream or greek yogurt as well – all of which were a huge hit.

The sourdough discard adds an amazing, subtle depth of flavor. It’s also a fun way to stretch your starter a little further and give classic bakes a new twist!

For more approachable, delicious sourdough recipes, check out my Classic Sourdough Guidebook.

How do I get a sourdough starter?

Three ways you can get a sourdough starter:

1. Make your own (While I’ve done it, I actually never recommend, ha! It’s so tedious and takes 14+ consecutive days)
   
2. Get from a friend (it’s SO easy to share)
   
3. Buy some dried starter from my sourdough shop that activates in just 2 days with flour and water!

You can swap out the starter with greek yogurt or sour cream, but why not load it with the best stuff if you can?! Sourdough starter is loaded with a natural healthy bacteria called lactobacillus, which acts as a natural probiotic that encourages cell reproduction and stabilizes blood sugar levels. While this is a quick bake and loaded with other forms of sugar, I won’t pretend this is some magical vegetable, but it does contain an amazing powerhouse ingredient!

FAQs of Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake

Can I substitute the sourdough discard? Yes! If you don’t have sourdough discard on hand, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Both will give you a moist, tender crumb with a slight tang, similar to discard.

Do you recommend a certain bundt cake pan? Yes, I have a go-to bundt cake pan that I use for all my bundt cake recipes. I love the Nordicware brand and this traditional shape is a forever classic!

Can I bake this in different types of cake pans instead of a bundt pan? YES! Just know that different cake pan sizes will change the cooking time slightly.

• Round Cake Pan: You can divide the batter between two greased and parchment-lined 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This is a great option if you want to layer the cake with whipped cream and strawberries in between!
• Sheet Cake Pan: Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan (my favorite one here) and bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes. Once cooled, top the entire cake with whipped cream and sliced strawberries for an easy crowd-pleasing dessert.
• Cupcakes: Line a muffin tin (this one is my all time nonstick favorite) with cupcake liners and fill each about ¾ full. Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes. Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top and garnish with a fresh strawberry slice for a pretty presentation.

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh to top my cake? Fresh is best for topping, especially for presentation and texture. However, if you only have frozen strawberries, thaw and drain them well before using to prevent sogginess.

How should I store leftovers? Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze the cake? Yes, the unfrosted cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding toppings.

How to smoothly remove cake from a bundt pan

We’ve all had the bundt cake that sticks to the pan. It’s incredibly frustrating, so here’s some of my favorite tips of how to ensure a smooth, clean release.

1. Spray and flour. Before pouring in the batter, ensure you spray very well with a nonstick spray (or next level would be Baker’s Joy spray – nonstick spray with flour – found at most any grocery store). After a thoroughly spray, I dust all the creases with flour (for my chocolate cakes, I dust with cocoa powder to keep the dark look).
   
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes after oven. Once you remove from oven, do not try to take it out right away. Let it begin cooling for about 5 minutes, as it will begin to naturally release from the pan in the first few minutes of sitting.
   
3. Gentle flip. My go-to flip approach is to place a cooling rack on top of the bundt pan, then flip the whole thing together. This secures the cake instead of just flopping over and hoping you aimed correctly on the cooling rack.
   
4. Test flip THEN glaze. This recipe instructs you to poke holes in the base of the cake and pour a glaze over. I like flipping out my cake first, then flipping it back in the bundt pan to do the glaze method. This ensures it will release before adding the sticky syrup that will just encourage more sticking!
   
5. Blow dryer hack. If you are attempting to flip with the cooling rack and you can tell the cake is not releasing easily, STOP. Flip it back over and first run a toothpick or knife along all the edges, continue cooling for a couple minutes, and if it’s still prone to sticking, you can turn on a blow dryer to heat up the outside of the pan which can sometimes help release it again.

More Fan-Favorite Summer Desserts

• Berries & Cream White Chocolate Cake
• Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Berry Trifle
• Best Strawberry Pie
• Mango Peach Tart
• Biscoff Stuffed Cookie Bars
• Smore’s Cookie Bars

Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake

Lori Vaughn

Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake with a tender vanilla buttercake bundt base, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream—perfect for summer gatherings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Cool Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings 1 Bundt Cake

Ingredients

  

Shortcake

• 226 grams (1 cup) butter softened
• 400 grams (2 cups) sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 240 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 125 grams (~1/2 cup) sourdough starter See note for substitutions*

Sugar Syrup

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Strawberries

• 1 pt. strawberries, rinsed and sliced

Fresh Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 packet (.35 oz) whip it stabilizer optional; helpful when making ahead

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan.

  See notes in recipe page for how to easily release a bundt cake.

Make Cake Batter:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup of softened butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
• Add 4 large eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix at this point.
• Mix in vanilla extract and sourdough starter. Mix briefly again.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined— again, don’t over mix.

Bake:

• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before trying to release the cake from the pan.

Make Sugar Syrup:

• In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and water.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts about 5-6 minutes. Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer (don’t boil hard) for about 1-2 minutes to briefly thicken.
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Soak Cake:

• Once I fully release the bundt cake to ensure it's easily released, I flip it back in the pan. (Using your cooling rack as leverage to flip it over is helpful!)
• Poke lots of holes in the top of the cake, then pour slightly cooled syrup over the holes.

  *NOTE: If you add the sugar syrup right away without first doing a test release, sometimes the sugar syrup can stick in the hot pan and make it hard for the bundt to come out easily.
• Let it sit for another 5-10 minutes to let the syrup sink in, then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Fresh Whipped Cream
• Beat together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract for about 5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.

  Optional (very helpful if making ahead of time): add whip it stabilizer to the initial ingredients to help the whipped cream hold shape longer.

Serve:

• Garnish with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for the perfect summer dessert.

Notes

*If you don’t want to use sourdough starter, you can substitute for sour cream or plain greek yogurt.

**If you prefer, you can toss the strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar for traditional take on strawberry shortcake.