Clean and slice the strawberries and mix with the 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°. Oven rack should be one level below the middle. Line a baking pan with a silicone mat or with parchment paper and then place the pan inside of a second baking pan of similar size. This will keep the bottoms of the shortcakes from browning too much.

Mix together 3/4 cup of almond milk with the apple cider vinegar (this is making “buttermilk”) and set aside.

In a large bowl using a pastry cutter or two forks to cut together the gluten-free flour and cold buttery spread until the buttery spread is in small pieces. Stir in the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Add in the almond milk mixture and stir until all of the flour mixture is combined with the milk.

Cutting the Shortcakes:

Place dough onto one side of the baking pan and pat into a large circle about 1-inch thick. Use a small glass, biscuit cutter, or small mason lid to cut shortcakes. Place them on the baking pan about and 1-2 inches apart. Pat left-over dough into another 1-inch thick disk and repeat. Any leftover dough can be patted into the last shortcake.

Bake for 20 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool.

Making the Icing:

While the shortcakes are baking mix the ingredients for the icing together with a hand mixer. Start with the 1 tablespoon of almond milk and see if you like the thickness. I used 2 tablespoons because I wanted it to be in between icing and a glaze so it would drizzle well.

To Assemble Shortcakes:

Slice the shortcakes in half horizontally and remove the top. Place the sweetened strawberries on top of the bottom half of the cake and then place the top half on top of the strawberries. Top this with strawberries and then drizzle icing over the top.

You can serve while the shortcakes are still warm or after they have cooled. These are best the day they are baked.