Step 1: Prep the strawberries
Place your sliced strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, add the lemon juice if using, and toss to coat. Let them sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This pulls out the juices and makes that syrupy magic happen.

Step 2: Make the shortcakes
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the cream and vanilla just until the dough comes together—don’t overmix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a ¾-inch thick round. Use a biscuit cutter or glass to cut out 6 shortcakes. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden and puffed. Let cool slightly.

Step 3: Whip the cream
In a cold bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Don’t overbeat—you want cloudlike, not butter.

Step 4: Assemble the shortcakes
Split each biscuit in half horizontally. Spoon a generous amount of strawberries and their syrup onto the bottom half, add a big dollop of whipped cream, then top with the other biscuit half. Serve right away before someone else steals your portion.