Appears in
Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

By Darra Goldstein

Published 2015

  • About

cake is a sweet food, most often baked, that usually contains flour, sugar, eggs, and frequently butter or another fat. It comes in various flavors, shapes, and sizes and is often chemically leavened with baking powder or baking soda. Derived from the Old Norse kaka, the word “cake” entered Middle English spelled as it is today, though it was probably first pronounced KAH-keh.