plural cakes
1
: a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients (such as eggs and butter)
I made/baked three cakes for the party.
He blew out the candles on his birthday cake.
a wedding cake
a slice/piece of chocolate cake
—often used before another noun(US) a cake pan = (Brit) a cake tin
cake mix [=a combination of all the dry ingredients needed to make a cake]
2
: a mixture of food that has been shaped into a ball or a flat round shape and baked or fried
crab/clam/rice cakes
potato cakes
3
: something that is shaped like a rectangular block
a cake of soap = a soap cake
4
US, informal
: something that is very easy to do
That test was cake.
cakes; caked; caking
1
: to cover something with an outer layer that becomes hard as it dries
—usually used as (be) caked
Mud was caked all over the sides of his truck. = The sides of his truck were caked [=covered] in/with mud.
2
: to become dry and hard
The mud had caked on his boots.
Cite this Entry
“Cake.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/cake. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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