Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and orange zest in a large bowl. Add in the cream cheese and mash it with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in 1/3 cup of milk and form a dough.
Flour your hands and divide the dough into 8 balls. Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet or silpat.
Using a drinking glass, flatten the dough balls to 1/2 inch thickness, brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle a bit of sugar on top.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow them to cool down to room temperature.
For the Strawberries
Meanwhile, once you have cleaned and sliced the strawberries, take 1/3 of the strawberries and mash them with a potato masher.
Add in the rest of the strawberries and pour in the sugar. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
For the Whipped Cream
In the meantime, prepare the whipped cream by combining together the whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When chilled, beat the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
For the Shortcakes
Start assembling the shortcakes by cutting the biscuits in half, first.
Place a tablespoon of the strawberry mixture on the bottom half of the biscuit and top with whipped cream.
Cover with the top half of the biscuit, and top it with whipped cream and a few more strawberries.
Serve immediately, or put the cakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
For convenience, use pre-made biscuits from a bakery.
Cool biscuits completely before assembling to prevent the whipped cream from melting.
Experiment with various berries instead of just strawberries.
You could combine the dry ingredients and cream cheese in a food processor and process the mixture until coarse.
Store the shortcakes in the fridge in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.