You can make the shortcake and keep it covered at room temperature. The strawberries and whipped cream need to be refrigerated. Assemble a few hours before serving. With that said I have made assembled this cake the night before, covered it tightly, and refrigerated it until ready to serve the next day. It does not get soggy. You can also make the shortcake, slice it into individual servings, slice each serving horizontally, top it with strawberries, and whipped cream, and repeat.