Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and cut the cold cream cheese into ½-inch cubes—keeping both cold is essential for creating those tender, flaky scones. Hull and chop the strawberries into ¼-inch pieces, then sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps. I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour and Kerrygold butter because they give me the most consistent, delicious results.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. This distributes the leavening evenly throughout the dough, ensuring your scones rise uniformly. Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
Add the cold butter cubes and cream cheese cubes to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, work the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. This creates pockets of fat that steam during baking, giving you those desired flaky layers. Don't overmix—stop as soon as you reach the crumbly texture.
In a small bowl, whisk together one of the eggs, the cream, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture into the crumbly dry ingredients and gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the dough comes together—don't overmix or your scones will be tough. The dough should be slightly shaggy but hold together when pressed.
Gently fold the chopped strawberries into the dough using a few careful strokes—just enough to distribute them evenly without breaking them apart or overworking the dough. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a circle about ¾-inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges like a pizza, then place each wedge on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Brush the top of each scone lightly with cream for a golden, beautiful finish. Bake for 15-16 minutes, until the scones are light golden brown on top. I like to rotate the sheet halfway through baking to ensure even browning across all the scones.
While the scones cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. Drizzle or pour the glaze generously over the warm scones, allowing it to pool slightly in the crevices. Let the scones sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the glaze to set slightly before serving.