Preheat your oven to 350°F. Whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl. Cut 1/2 cup cold butter into small cubes and add to the dry mix. Use a pastry cutter or fork to work the butter in until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs — this step is key for fluffy biscuits. Don't overwork it or they'll get tough.

Crack 2 large eggs into a separate bowl and beat them together with 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla powder. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mix and stir until everything just comes together. Don't beat it — lumpy batter is actually what you want here.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You'll get roughly 8 biscuits depending on your scoop size. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

While the biscuits bake, prep your strawberry shortcake toppings. Slice 2 cups fresh strawberries and toss them with a couple tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Let them sit for 10 minutes so they release their juices — this is what makes the filling taste amazing instead of just tasting like plain berries.

Once the biscuits cool for about 5 minutes, grab your mixer and whip together 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, and 1 tsp lemon zest until soft peaks form. This takes maybe 2 minutes, so keep an eye on it. I learned the hard way that overbeating turns it into butter (not the end of the world, but not what we're going for here).

Split a cooled biscuit in half horizontally. Spoon some whipped cream on the bottom half, then add a generous handful of the strawberries and their juice on top. Pop the other biscuit half on there and finish with a dollop more cream and a few extra berries on top.

Serve immediately or assemble up to 2 hours ahead. The biscuits stay soft and the cream won't melt if you keep them at room temperature. This is honestly one of my favorite make-ahead moves for a summer entertaining situation.