You’re standing in a bakery in the Marais. The smell of butter is basically an assault on your senses. You want that round, spongey thing behind the glass, but suddenly your brain freezes. You know the word gâteau. Everyone knows that. But if you just point and say "gâteau," the baker might give you a look that says you’re clearly not from around here.
Learning how do you say cake in French isn't just about a one-to-one translation. It’s about context. It’s about understanding the deep-seated cultural obsession the French have with flour and sugar.
French isn't a language that likes to keep things simple. While English uses "cake" for everything from a massive wedding tier to a dense fruit loaf, the French have a specific taxonomy for their sweets.
The big one: Un Gâteau
If you want the most direct answer to how do you say cake in French, it is un gâteau.
This is your catch-all. It’s the word for a birthday cake (un gâteau d'anniversaire). It’s the word for a chocolate cake (un gâteau au chocolat). But here is where it gets tricky. In France, a gâteau usually implies something larger. It’s a multi-portion affair. You wouldn't typically call a tiny, individual pastry a gâteau unless you were being very general.
Think of it as the umbrella term. If you’re at a friend’s house and they bring out a circular confection they baked in a tin, call it a gâteau. You’ll be safe. Honestly, nobody is going to get offended, but you might miss out on the nuance that makes the language so rich.
Why "Le Cake" is actually a thing (and it’s confusing)
Wait. Did you know the French literally use the English word "cake"?
Yes. Le cake.
But don't get excited; it doesn’t mean what you think it means. If you ask for le cake in a French boulangerie, you aren't getting a fluffy sponge with frosting. In French, le cake refers specifically to a loaf-shaped cake. Think pound cake, fruit cake, or even a savory bread with ham and olives (un cake salé).
It’s a "travel cake." It’s dense. It’s sliced. It’s the kind of thing you’d have with tea at 4:00 PM (the famous goûter). If you show up to a party and say you brought a cake, and you pull out a round layer cake with sprinkles, people will be confused. They were expecting a loaf.
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The world of Patisserie
How do you say cake in French when it’s fancy? You don't. You call it a pâtisserie.
When you see those beautiful, individual works of art in a shop window—the ones with mirrors of glaze, delicate mousses, and tiny gold leaf accents—those aren't gâteaux in the eyes of a local. Those are pâtisseries.
- Une Tarte: This is technically a tart, but often fills the "cake" role.
- Un Éclair: You know this one. Long, choux pastry, cream-filled.
- Un Mille-feuille: The "thousand layers" of puff pastry and custard.
If you are talking about the art of making these things, you are talking about la pâtisserie. It is both the object and the craft. If someone asks, "Do you like cake?" in a broad sense, you might actually say, "J'aime les pâtisseries."
Regional heavyweights and specific names
Sometimes, "cake" disappears entirely in favor of a proper name. You can't just group everything together. France is regional.
Take the Madeleine. Is it a cake? A cookie? A sponge? According to the dictionary, it's a small sponge cake. But you would never, ever call it un petit gâteau in conversation. It’s a Madeleine. Period.
Then there is the Galette des Rois. This is the King’s Cake eaten in January. It’s puff pastry filled with frangipane. It’s a "cake" in English, but "galette" in French. If you call it a gâteau, you’ll get a polite correction about the religious and cultural history of the Epiphany.
What about Le Fondant?
This is that gooey, lava-style chocolate cake. If you see Fondant au chocolat on a menu, it’s a specific texture. It’s not just "melted cake." It’s a technical descriptor.
The "How do you say cake in French" cheat sheet
Since we've established that the French language is a minefield of sugar-based terminology, let's look at the specific words for specific moments.
Un quatre-quarts This is the French version of a Pound Cake. The name literally means "four-quarters." Equal parts flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. It’s the ultimate homemade comfort food.
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Une Génoise This is a sponge cake. It’s light, airy, and usually the base for more complex creations. If you’re baking and need a base, this is what you’re making.
Un Moelleux The word moelleux means soft or mellow. A moelleux au chocolat is a soft chocolate cake, slightly less runny than a fondant but still very tender.
Un Biscuit Be careful here. In French, un biscuit can be a cookie (like a digestive or a shortbread), but in high-end baking, it also refers to a specific type of sponge layer, like a biscuit Joconde used in an Opera cake.
Cultural etiquette: When do you eat it?
Knowing the word isn't enough. You have to know the vibe.
In the U.S. or the UK, we might eat cake anytime. In France, "cake time" is traditionally le goûter. This happens around 4:00 PM. It’s mostly for kids, but adults definitely participate. If you’re invited over for le goûter, expect le cake (the loaf) or some biscuits.
Dessert after dinner is different. Usually, if you’re at a formal dinner, the host has gone to the pâtisserie and bought individual pâtisseries or one large, professional gâteau. Making a cake from a box mix at home to serve at a dinner party is... well, it's not really done if you’re trying to impress.
Don't forget the Savory Side
How do you say cake in French when it has cheese in it?
Still un cake.
As mentioned before, le cake salé is a staple of French "apéro" culture (pre-dinner drinks). If you go to a house party, there will almost certainly be a savory loaf cake sitting on the counter, filled with things like:
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- Feta and sun-dried tomatoes
- Ham and olives
- Goat cheese and zucchini
It’s weird for English speakers to call this "cake," but for the French, it’s perfectly natural because of the loaf shape.
Misconceptions about the word "Petit Four"
A lot of people think petit four means a specific kind of cake. Actually, it just means "small oven." It refers to any bite-sized sweet or savory snack. Some petits fours are tiny cakes, but some are tiny meringues or macarons.
How to actually order without sounding like a tourist
If you walk into a shop, don't just say "Je veux le gâteau." (I want the cake).
Use "Je voudrais..." (I would like...).
If you aren't sure of the name, point and ask, "Qu'est-ce que c'est, celui-ci?" (What is this one?). The baker will likely give you a name like un Paris-Brest or un Saint-Honoré. These aren't just "cakes." They are legendary recipes with specific histories. A Paris-Brest, for example, is shaped like a bicycle wheel to commemorate a bike race. Calling it a "cake" is like calling a Ferrari a "car." It’s true, but it misses the point.
Practical steps for your next trip
To truly master how do you say cake in French, you need to practice the phonetics.
- Gâteau: GAH-TOE. The "â" is deep.
- Pâtisserie: PA-TEE-SREE. Don't over-pronounce the "e" in the middle.
- Cake: KEK. Just like the English word, but with a shorter vowel.
Next time you're in a French-speaking environment, pay attention to the shape. If it's a loaf, it's le cake. If it's a big round thing for a party, it's le gâteau. If it's a piece of art that looks too beautiful to eat, it's une pâtisserie.
Go to a local boulangerie (the bread shop) or pâtisserie (the cake shop) and look at the labels. You’ll see that the word gâteau is actually used much less frequently than you’d expect. The French prefer to call things by their "given names."
If you want to bake one yourself, look up a recipe for Gâteau au Yaourt. It’s the simplest French cake, usually the first thing French children learn to bake. You use the yogurt cup as your measuring tool. It’s humble, it’s delicious, and it’s the most authentic way to experience French "cake" culture at home.
Pick up a tin of Fleur de Sel and some high-quality European butter (at least 82% fat) to get the flavor right. The secret to French baking isn't just the words; it's the fat content.
Once you've got the terminology down, you're ready to navigate any menu from Paris to Montreal. Just remember: the shape of the pan usually dictates the name of the game.