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 |
All the terms listed below refer to a type of sweet dessert. Note that while pastel is a standard term for cake, it is not widely used in Puerto Rico.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, tarta is the standard word for a sweet cake, while pastel often refers to smaller sweets or individual pastries. In the Southern Cone and Andean regions, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Ecuador, torta is the common word for a cake, though in other regions torta might instead refer to a savory dish or a sandwich. In Panama, both cake and queik are used to refer to cake.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Bizcocho is frequently used for cake in the Caribbean, specifically in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Ponqué is a common way to say cake in Colombia, a term derived from the English 'pound cake'. Queque is common in Costa Rica. Pastel is used in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Northeastern Spain. In Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, torta is the standard term. In Cuba and Panama, cake is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun pastel becomes pasteles in the plural. The feminine noun tarta becomes tartas in the plural, and the feminine noun torta becomes tortas in the plural. All provided forms of cake are masculine except for tarta and torta, which are feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/pasˈtel/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Es una buena torta.It is a good cake.This sentence is useful for describing a good 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 involving tarta.Tatoeba #12536542 by Shishir, translation #3422085 by CK
- Esta torta es dulce.This cake is sweet.This sentence is useful for describing a sweet torta.Tatoeba #432131 by Leono, translation #61167 by CM
- Me gustaría encargar un bizcocho para la bodaI would like to order a cake for the wedding
- Vamos a compartir esta torticaLet's share this small cake
- 323 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are celebrating a birthday at a cafe.
- AlejandroEl pastel es para Elena.The cake is for Elena.
- Elena¡Gracias, Alejandro! Es muy grande.Thank you, Alejandro! It is very big.
- Alejandro¿Quieres un poco de pastel?Do you want some cake?
- ElenaSí, por favor, se ve delicioso.Yes, please, it looks delicious.
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.
