Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pastel | /pasˈtel/ | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Northeastern, Spain, masculine |
| bizcocho | /biθˈkot͡ʃo/ /bisˈkot͡ʃo/ |
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, masculine |
| cake | /ˈkeik/ | Cuba, Panama, masculine |
| ponqué | /ponˈke/ | Colombia, masculine |
| pudín | /puˈdin/ | masculine |
| queque | /ˈkeke/ | Costa Rica, masculine |
| tarta | /ˈtaɾta/ | feminine |
| torta | /ˈtoɾta/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, feminine |
| queik | /keik/ (from spelling rules) | Panama, masculine |
The term refers to a type of sweet dessert.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, tarta is the standard word for a sweet sponge cake, while pastel often refers to individual pastries. In the Southern Cone and Andean regions, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, torta is the common word for a sweet cake. In other regions, torta might instead refer to a sandwich or a savory dish. In Panama, you may see both the masculine cake and the masculine queik used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Caribbean, specifically the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, bizcocho is frequently used. In Colombia, ponqué is a common term. In Costa Rica, queque is common. In Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Northeastern Spain, pastel is used. In Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, torta is the standard feminine form. In Cuba and Panama, the masculine cake is used. In Tegucigalpa, the specific term enyucado is used to describe a cassava-based cake.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of pastel is pasteles, the plural of torta is tortas and the plural of tarta is tartas.
How do you pronounce it?
/pasˈtel/
Did you know?
- The term bizcocho literally means 'twice baked' because of its Latin roots.
- In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, bizcocho is the standard term for a cake, whereas in other countries it may only refer to the sponge base.
Examples in context
- Es una buena torta.It is a good cake.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of a torta.Tatoeba #1322970 by hayastan, translation #707874 by KasperNymand
- Tom probó la tarta.Tom tasted the cake.This sentence is useful for describing an action taken with a tarta.Tatoeba #12536542 by Shishir, translation #3422085 by CK
- Esta torta es dulce.This cake is sweet.This sentence is useful for describing the sweetness of a torta.Tatoeba #432131 by Leono, translation #61167 by CM
- En la boda, sirven una deliciosa torta de chocolate.At the wedding, they serve a delicious chocolate cake.
- Vamos a la fiesta de cumpleaños de Xiomara. Seguro habrá un delicioso queque.Let's go to Xiomara's birthday party. There will surely be a delicious cake.
- Mi abuela horneó unos ricos pastelitos para el té de la tarde.My grandmother baked some delicious cupcakes for afternoon tea.
- 323 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are preparing for a birthday party.
- SofíaMateo, ¿compraste el pastel para la fiesta?Mateo, did you buy the cake for the party?
- MateoSí, compré un pastel de chocolate.Yes, I bought a chocolate cake.
- Sofía¡Qué bueno! Me encanta ese pastel.That's great! I love that cake.
- MateoA ti también te gustará el pastel.You will like the cake too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cake” translations and entries pastel, bizcocho, cake, ponqué, pudín, queque, tarta, torta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bizcocho, cake, pastel, ponqué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
