Cake is a form of sweet food made from flour, sugar, and other
ingredients, that is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were
modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations
that can be simple or elaborate, and that share features with other
desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards, and pies.
Cake is often served as a celebratory dish on ceremonial occasions, such
as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. There are countless cake
recipes; some are bread-like, some are rich and elaborate, and many are
centuries old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure; while at
one time considerable labor went into cake making (particularly the
whisking of egg foams), baking equipment and directions have been
simplified so that even the most amateur of cooks may bake a cake.