Do you like cake? Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, lemon, red velvet. There are numerous flavors and colors of cake. Cake can also come in many different shapes and sizes. Without the help from the people in Europe back in the 13th and 17th century, there might not be such a thing. 

The history of cake dates back to the 13th century in Europe. According to Sutori: foodtimeline.org, “The Oxford English Dictionary Traces the English word cakes back to the 13th century.” And, “Medieval Europeans often made fruitcakes and gingerbread.” Fruitcakes and gingerbread are also referred to as a type of cake. Also according to Food Timeline.org, “Modern cakes (round ones with icing) were first baked in the mid-17th century.” The first sign of cakes was in the thirteenth century then in the 17th century, cake with icing became popular. 

Did you know that there are two other cake-like desserts that some people may confuse with cake? Gateau and Kuchen are the other two types of cake-like desserts. The differences are very slim but perceptible. Gateau is made of the same ingredients and uses very similar baking times but looks slightly different. Gateau is topped with fresh fruits and whipping-cream based icing on top, with layers. With each layer comes a layer of whipping-cream based icing. The other difference is that Gateau is the French word for cake. Fun fact; according to Sunny Daes, “The cake stacking method was and is very probable, even when cakes were just beginning to be prevailing.”

The third cake-like dessert is Kuchen. Kuchen is the German word for cake. According to Farmersalminac.com, “ Traditional Kuchen is like a mashed-up cake and pie topped with creamy custard.” As you can see there are many similarities between cake, kuchen, and gateaux. After the cake became more prominent, they were eaten at ceremonies and special occasions. We’ve all had a birthday party or went to one, and what is a birthday party without the cake and desserts? Do you know why most birthday cakes are in the shape of circles? According to the Food timeline.org, “Round or circle like birthday cake or just normal cakes represent the circle of life.” 

In conclusion, the first sign of the word cakes dated all the way back to the 13th century and then actual cakes with icing became prevalent in the mid-17th century. Gingerbread and fruit cakes were also the first type of cakes that the Medieval Europeans desired. What would be your favorite dessert if cake was never a dessert? Do you even like cake?