Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and refrigerate it. For taller layers, freeze the cubes for 15 minutes.

Rinse the berries, pat them fully dry, then hull and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Freeze the whipping bowl and beaters for 15 minutes.

Mash 1 cup of the sliced berries with the 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice, then stir in the rest. Rest 30 minutes, until ruby syrup pools in the bowl.

Whisk the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until evenly pale with no clumps.

Press the cold butter flat between your fingertips, or use a pastry cutter, until pieces range from peas to small almonds. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs with butter flecks.

Pour in 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold cream and stir with a fork about 15 strokes, until shaggy clumps form that hold together when pinched.

Turn the dough onto a floured counter, knead 4 or 5 times, and pat into a 7x9-inch rectangle. Fold in half once and pat to about 3/4 inch thick, until the surface looks smooth with a few butter streaks.

Dip the cutter in flour, press straight down without twisting, and cut 6 rounds. Gather the scraps once and cut 2 more. Set all 8 on the baking sheet 1 inch apart, with clean, straight sides.

Brush the tops with 1 tablespoon cream and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake on the center rack at 425°F for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheet after 8 minutes if your oven runs hot in back, until the tops are deep golden and the sides look dry.

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, until the shortcakes feel warm rather than hot and the tops spring back when pressed.

Beat the 1 1/2 cups cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, until peaks stand up with the tips curling slightly. Stop as soon as the cream holds its shape.

Split each shortcake with a serrated knife and spoon about 1/4 cup berries and syrup onto each bottom half. Add 1/3 cup whipped cream and the top, then a few more berries, until the cream sits in a defined dollop with syrup glistening on the cut edges.