How many calories are in a slice of strawberry shortcake?
One slice of strawberry shortcake weighs 175 g and carries 375 calories. Per 100 g the assembled dessert runs 214 calories, which makes it one of the lighter things on a bakery counter, because the berries and their juice dilute the crumb. Spoon the same dessert into a cup and you get 321.
You'd need to walk about 75 minutes to burn the 375 calories in one slice (175 g).
How long does it take to burn off 375 kcal of strawberry shortcake?
One slice (175 g) is 375 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 375 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 1 hr 15 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 47 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 54 min |
| Jogging | 44 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 1 hr 23 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (175 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Strawberry shortcake quick facts
- US servings, from one ounce to a full slice
- Bakery, frozen and bite-size versions
- The sodium hiding in a sweet dessert
- How does strawberry shortcake compare?
- Most popular strawberry shortcake brands
- FAQ
Strawberry shortcake quick facts
The number above comes from FNDDS 2707896, "Cake, strawberry shortcake", the USDA record for the finished dessert rather than for a boxed mix or a bare biscuit. That matters, because the thing on your plate is an assembly: cake or biscuit underneath, sweetened strawberries and their syrup on top. The record covers both builds most Americans make, the split biscuit and the round layer cake cut into wedges, since the ingredients are the same and only the shape changes.
Whipped cream is not in this record. If you pile it on, it is a separate item to count.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 slice (175 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 214 | 375 | — |
| Total fat | 4.73 g | 8.3 g | 11% |
| Saturated fat | 2.48 g | 4.3 g | 22% |
| Carbohydrate | 40.09 g | 70.2 g | 26% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.9 g | 1.6 g | 6% |
| Total sugars | 25.89 g | 45.3 g | — |
| Protein | 3.31 g | 5.8 g | 12% |
| Sodium | 313 mg | 548 mg | 24% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Two rows you will not find here: added sugars and trans fat. This edition of FNDDS does not publish either one for composite dishes, so the berry sugar and the cake sugar sit together in the total sugars line, and total sugars carry no Daily Value on the US label. Cholesterol comes to 109 mg a slice, 36% of the 300 mg Daily Value, from the egg and dairy in the cake. Potassium is 203 mg, 4%.
US servings, from one ounce to a full slice
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28 g | 61 kcal |
| One cup, spooned into a bowl | 150 g | 321 kcal |
| One slice or one split biscuit | 175 g | 375 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 214 kcal |
The slice and the cup are both USDA household measures on the record, which is unusual and useful: it means the 321 is not an estimate. The ounce is our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not a USDA serving, and it is mostly there for people weighing out a taste.
Here is the trap. A cup sounds like the restrained option next to a slice, so people log it as half a dessert. It is not. At 150 g against 175 g, the cup costs 321 calories to the slice's 375, a gap of 54, because the berries settle and the crumb packs down as you spoon it in. If you actually want a smaller number, cut the slice, do not switch containers.
Bakery, frozen and bite-size versions
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical piece | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic slice, homemade style | 214 kcal | 1 slice (175 g) | 375 kcal |
| A cup with berries | 214 kcal | 1 cup (150 g) | 321 kcal |
| Grocery bakery slice | 273 kcal | 1 slice (176 g) | 480 kcal |
| Frozen bakery slice | 274 kcal | 1 slice (190 g) | 521 kcal |
| Shortcake bites | 378 kcal | 2 pieces (74 g) | 280 kcal |
| Shortcake cupcake | 386 kcal | 1 cupcake (83 g) | 320 kcal |
The store version hits you twice. A Private Selection slice from the grocery bakery weighs 176 g, one gram more than the USDA slice, yet it lands at 480 calories instead of 375, because it is denser: 273 calories per 100 g against 214. Bakery cake carries more butter and more sugar in the crumb, and often a cream layer the homemade version skips. The frozen Original Cakerie slice is heavier again at 190 g and 521 calories, the biggest calorie count on this page.
Small packaged formats invert the picture. Shortcake bites are dense per 100 g at 378, and the cupcake denser still at 386, but the portions are tiny, so two bites cost 280 calories and one cupcake 320. Both come in under a homemade slice. Not every brand is heavy either: Dierbergs sells a strawberry shortcake at 200 calories per 100 g, lighter than the USDA record, though its 160 g serving still reaches 320.
The sodium hiding in a sweet dessert
Nobody scans a dessert for salt, which is why this row is worth a look. One 175 g slice carries 548 mg of sodium, 24% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value the FDA sets, or about a quarter teaspoon of table salt. That is a quarter of the day's allowance spent on cake. The baking powder and salt in the biscuit dough do it; the strawberries contribute almost nothing.
Saturated fat runs 4.3 g a slice, 22% of the day, close behind. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans keep saturated fat under 10% of calories, so a single slice uses a real share of that budget alongside the sodium. If you are watching either number, the cup or a couple of bites is the better pick on the same plate.
What the dessert does not give you is fiber. The strawberries look generous, but 1.6 g a slice is 6% of the 28 g Daily Value, since the berries are mostly water and the cake is refined flour. Eating the same fruit plain is a different food entirely.
How does strawberry shortcake compare?
| Dessert | Per 100 g | 1 oz (28 g) | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry shortcake | 214 kcal | 61 kcal | 3.31 g |
| Berry crisp | 228 kcal | 65 kcal | 3.41 g |
| Peach cobbler | 217 kcal | 62 kcal | 2.22 g |
| Custard pie | 210 kcal | 60 kcal | 5.5 g |
The ounce column is our own scaling from each USDA 100 g figure, used here only because it puts four different dessert shapes on one ruler.
Our take: within the fruit-dessert family these four are effectively the same food by weight, spread across 18 calories per 100 g, and custard pie is the only one of the three neighbors that comes in lighter than shortcake. So the choice is not really about which dessert you pick, it is about how big the piece is. Strawberry shortcake wins on fat, 4.73 g per 100 g against 8.66 for cobbler and 9.78 for berry crisp, and it loses on sugar, since a crumb topping is flour and butter where shortcake is syrupy fruit. For weight loss, take the cup at 321 or two bites at 280; for staying full, none of these will do it, and custard pie at 5.5 g protein per 100 g is the closest thing to a filling dessert on the list.
Most popular strawberry shortcake brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Dierbergs Strawberry Shortcake | 200 cal |
| Sister Schubert's Strawberry Shortcake Bites | 378 cal |
| Kimberley's Bakeshoppe Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes | 386 cal |
| Private Selection Strawberry Shortcake | 273 cal |
| The Original Cakerie Strawberry Shortcake | 274 cal |
| Simply Original Strawberry Shortcake | 274 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Strawberry shortcake FAQs
How many calories are in a slice of strawberry shortcake?
A 175 g slice carries 375 calories, at 214 calories per 100 g. That is the USDA record for the finished dessert: biscuit or sponge base, sweetened strawberries and their juice, no whipped cream on top. A grocery bakery slice of almost the same weight runs closer to 480.
How many calories are in a cup of strawberry shortcake?
One cup weighs 150 g and holds 321 calories, only 54 fewer than a full slice. Spooning it into a bowl feels like a smaller helping, but the berries settle and the cake crumbles, so a packed cup ends up nearly as heavy as the piece it came from.
How much sugar is in strawberry shortcake?
A 175 g slice holds 45.3 g of total sugars, from 25.89 g per 100 g. Total sugars carry no Daily Value on the US label, so no percentage applies. This USDA record does not publish added sugars separately, which means berry sugar and cake sugar are counted together in one line.
How many carbs are in strawberry shortcake?
One slice carries 70.2 g of carbohydrate, 26% of the 275 g Daily Value, with just 1.6 g of it as fiber. Per 100 g the dessert is 40.09 g. Carbohydrate dominates here: the same slice has only 8.3 g of fat and 5.8 g of protein.
How many calories in a bakery strawberry shortcake slice?
A Private Selection bakery slice is 480 calories for 176 g, 105 more than the 375-calorie USDA slice of nearly identical weight. The difference is density: 273 calories per 100 g against 214. A frozen Original Cakerie slice is heavier still, 190 g and 521 calories.
Does strawberry shortcake have a lot of sodium?
Yes, 548 mg in a 175 g slice, which is 24% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value and about a quarter teaspoon of table salt. Baking powder and salt in the biscuit dough account for it; the strawberries add almost none. Per 100 g the dessert holds 313 mg.
How much protein is in strawberry shortcake?
A slice gives 5.8 g of protein, 12% of the 50 g Daily Value, from 3.31 g per 100 g. That is dessert-level protein, coming from flour with a little egg and dairy. Custard pie, by comparison, holds 5.5 g per 100 g thanks to its egg filling.
Is strawberry shortcake a good dessert for weight loss?
At 375 calories a slice it fits a day you have planned for, and it is lighter per 100 g than berry crisp or peach cobbler. But 1.6 g of fiber and 5.8 g of protein mean it will not hold you long. A cup at 321, or two shortcake bites at 280, costs less.
Similar foods
- Fish Cake — 180 cal per cake or patty
- Shrimp Tempura Roll — 432 cal per roll, 8 pieces
- Bagel — 277 cal per bagel
- Sesame bagel — 277 cal per medium bagel
- Bread — 75 cal per medium slice
- French Bread — 174 cal per medium slice
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the shortcake for you, berries and all.
