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cakes
/keɪks/
Primarily evokes feelings of celebration, indulgence, and domestic comfort. In its most common sense, it is the centerpiece of birthdays and weddings, carrying a strong positive connotation of reward or treat. When used to describe non-food items (like soap), the word shifts from 'sweet' to 'structural,' implying a solid, compressed block that maintains its shape. In slang or metaphorical contexts regarding money, it suggests a substantial, 'sliceable' portion of wealth, often implying a shared or divisible resource.
Countable when referring to individual whole desserts ('I baked three cakes') or solid blocks like soap. Uncountable when referring to the substance of cake as a food type ('Would you like some cake?').
💬Conversación Casual
DAVID SHOULD I GET THE MINI CAKES OR THE BIG ONE???
Just grab the minis. We need to keep it lean for the kids' diet.
Meanings
Collocations & Compounds
birthday cake
A cake traditionally eaten as part of a birthday celebration.
We sang 'Happy Birthday' around the birthday cake.
wedding cake
A ceremonial cake served at wedding receptions.
The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together.
fruit cake
A cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices.
My grandmother always made a dense fruit cake for Christmas.
sponge cake
A light cake made from eggs, sugar, and flour.
Victoria sponge cake is a classic.
chocolate cake
A cake flavored with melted chocolate or cocoa powder.
She requested a rich chocolate cake for her party.
Idioms & Sayings
a piece of cake
Something very easy to do.
Don't worry about the test, it'll be a piece of cake.
have your cake and eat it too
To have or enjoy two desirable things that are incompatible.
You can't have your cake and eat it too; you must choose.
sell like hot cakes
To sell very quickly and in large quantities.
The new video game is selling like hot cakes.
the icing on the cake
An additional benefit or desirable thing that makes something even better.
Getting a bonus was the icing on the cake.
the cake is a lie
A phrase indicating that a promised reward or goal is unattainable or deceptive.
He realized the cake is a lie when the project was canceled.
Etymology
The word 'cake' entered Middle English from Old Norse 'kaka' in the 13th century. Its precise origins before Old Norse are unclear, but it is thought to be related to Proto-Germanic roots. The word's form and meaning have remained remarkably consistent over the centuries, referring to a baked, often sweet, confection. Unlike bread, which was typically leavened and baked in loaves, cakes were historically denser, flatter, and often made with coarser grains or enriched with ingredients like honey and spices. The evolution of baking technology, particularly the development of ovens and refined ingredients like white flour and granulated sugar, allowed for the more elaborate and lighter cakes we know today. The term also extended metaphorically to other compressed or formed masses, such as 'a cake of soap' or, more colloquially, 'a cake' for a large sum of money, reflecting the idea of a substantial, consolidated entity.