cake
♦ cake /k'eɪk/ (cakes)
1 [N-VAR]
A cake is a sweet food made by baking a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, and fat in an oven. Cakes may be large and cut into slices or small and intended for one person only.
...a piece of cake...
Would you like some chocolate cake?
...little cakes with white icing.
2 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
Food that is formed into flat round shapes before it is cooked can be referred to as cakes.
...fish cakes.
...home-made potato cakes.
3 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A cake of soap is a small block of it.
...a small cake of lime-scented soap.
4 [PHRASE] Vs inflect
If you think that someone wants the benefits of doing two things when it is only reasonable to expect the benefits of doing one, you can say that they want to have their cake and eat it.
What he wants is a switch to a market economy in a way which does not reduce people's standard of living. To many this sounds like wanting to have his cake and eat it.
5 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you think something is very easy to do, you can say it is a piece of cake. People often say this to stop someone feeling worried about doing something they have to do. (INFORMAL)
Just another surveillance job, old chap. Piece of cake to somebody like you.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the cake or that what they have done takes the cake, to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. (AM; in BRIT, use take the biscuit)
= take the biscuit
7
the icing on the cake: see icingcake mix (cake mixes)
[N-VAR]
Cake mix is a powder that you mix with eggs and water or milk to make a cake. You bake the mixture in the oven.cake pan (cake pans)
[N-COUNT]
A cake pan is a metal container that you bake a cake in. (AM; in BRIT, usually use cake tin)cake tin (cake tins)
[N-COUNT]
A cake tin is a metal container that you bake a cake in. (BRIT; in AM, usually use cake pan)Christ|mas cake (Christmas cakes)
[N-VAR]
A Christmas cake is a special cake that is eaten at Christmas in Britain and some other countries.fish cake (fish cakes)
also fishcake
[N-COUNT]
A fish cake is a mixture of fish and potato that is made into a flat round shape, covered in breadcrumbs, and fried.sponge cake (sponge cakes)
[N-VAR]
A sponge cake is a very light cake made from flour, eggs, and sometimes fat.wed|ding cake (wedding cakes)
[N-VAR]
A wedding cake is a large cake, usually decorated with icing, that is served at a wedding reception.
1 [N-VAR]
A cake is a sweet food made by baking a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, and fat in an oven. Cakes may be large and cut into slices or small and intended for one person only.
...a piece of cake...
Would you like some chocolate cake?
...little cakes with white icing.
2 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
Food that is formed into flat round shapes before it is cooked can be referred to as cakes.
...fish cakes.
...home-made potato cakes.
3 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A cake of soap is a small block of it.
...a small cake of lime-scented soap.
4 [PHRASE] Vs inflect
If you think that someone wants the benefits of doing two things when it is only reasonable to expect the benefits of doing one, you can say that they want to have their cake and eat it.
What he wants is a switch to a market economy in a way which does not reduce people's standard of living. To many this sounds like wanting to have his cake and eat it.
5 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you think something is very easy to do, you can say it is a piece of cake. People often say this to stop someone feeling worried about doing something they have to do. (INFORMAL)
Just another surveillance job, old chap. Piece of cake to somebody like you.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the cake or that what they have done takes the cake, to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. (AM; in BRIT, use take the biscuit)
= take the biscuit
7
the icing on the cake: see icingcake mix (cake mixes)
[N-VAR]
Cake mix is a powder that you mix with eggs and water or milk to make a cake. You bake the mixture in the oven.cake pan (cake pans)
[N-COUNT]
A cake pan is a metal container that you bake a cake in. (AM; in BRIT, usually use cake tin)cake tin (cake tins)
[N-COUNT]
A cake tin is a metal container that you bake a cake in. (BRIT; in AM, usually use cake pan)Christ|mas cake (Christmas cakes)
[N-VAR]
A Christmas cake is a special cake that is eaten at Christmas in Britain and some other countries.fish cake (fish cakes)
also fishcake
[N-COUNT]
A fish cake is a mixture of fish and potato that is made into a flat round shape, covered in breadcrumbs, and fried.sponge cake (sponge cakes)
[N-VAR]
A sponge cake is a very light cake made from flour, eggs, and sometimes fat.wed|ding cake (wedding cakes)
[N-VAR]
A wedding cake is a large cake, usually decorated with icing, that is served at a wedding reception.