shortcake

noun

short·​cake ˈshȯrt-ˌkāk 

1

: a crisp and often unsweetened biscuit or cookie

2

a

: a dessert made typically of very short baking-powder-biscuit dough spread with sweetened fruit

b

: a dish consisting of a rich biscuit split and covered with a meat mixture

Examples of shortcake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other ways it could be used: with ice cream, yogurt, strawberry shortcake or a parfait. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

Grandpa is always requesting this strawberry shortcake at family gatherings and church potlucks. —Phoebe Evans, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2025

As a topping: Use them to finish a pound cake, angel food cake, or biscuits to make fried peach shortcakes. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 20 June 2025

Haim’s new album gives vivid shape to a hard-to-define phase. Recipes: Try our recipe for rye shortcakes with strawberry-mandarinquat compote and citrus labneh. Games: Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shortcake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache

Kids Definition

shortcake

noun

short·​cake -ˌkāk 

: a dessert made of rich biscuit dough baked and served with sweetened fruit

strawberry shortcake