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

Add the wine pairing for an extra few bucks, ending with strawberry rhubarb shortcake and Moscato. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026

Start your garden prep with this pair of raspberry shortcake shrubs. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 5 Mar. 2026

Whether Stewart is sharing her hosting tips or simple, effective beauty routine, her impeccable taste has never steered me wrong (not to mention her 10/10 strawberry shortcake cookie recipe has become a family favorite). —Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 8 Feb. 2026

Senior Producer Ivy Odom’s twist on classic strawberry shortcake will become your new go-to way to make the springtime staple. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026

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