Shortcake is a sweet biscuit (in the American sense: that is, a crumbly, baking soda- or baking powder-leavened bread), and a dessert made with that biscuit.

Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in and mixed (or "creamed") until the incorporation resembles cornmeal. The liquid ingredients are then mixed in to make a wet batter. The batter is then dropped in spoonfuls onto a baking sheet or poured into a cake form, and baked until set.

The most famous dessert made with shortcake is Strawberry Shortcake. Cut strawberries are mixed with sugar and allowed to sit an hour or so, until the strawberries have surrendered a great deal of their juices. The shortcakes are split and the bottoms are covered with strawberries, juice, and whipped cream, typically flavored with sugar and vanilla. The top is replaced, and more strawberries and whipped cream are spooned over the top.

Though strawberry is the most widely known shortcake dessert, peach shortcake, blueberry shortcake, and other similar desserts are also made along similar lines. It is also common to see recipes where the shortcake itself is flavored; coconut is a common addition.