magdalena
/maɡdaˈlena/Spain, feminine
The English phrase 'cupcake' can be translated into Spanish using several terms, most commonly magdalena. Wiktionary also lists ponqué and panqué.
Meaning: small cake (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| magdalena | /maɡdaˈlena/ /madaˈlena/ |
Spain, feminine |
| ponqué | /ponˈke/ | Venezuela, masculine |
| panqué | /panˈke/ | Mexico, masculine |
| quequito | /keˈkito/ | Peru, masculine |
| pastel de taza | /pastel de taθa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pastel de tasa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
The term refers to a small cake.
Which one should you use?
magdalena is a feminine noun, while ponqué, panqué, quequito and pastel de taza are masculine.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the most common word for a cupcake or muffin is magdalena. In Mexico, the word panqué is commonly used to refer to small cakes or cupcakes. In Venezuela, the term ponqué is used for small cakes or cupcakes. In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Venezuela, the term quequito is used colloquially to refer to a cupcake. In Costa Rica, the term queque is commonly used for cupcakes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of magdalena is magdalenas, the plural of panqué is panqués and the plural of quequito is quequitos.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɡdaˈlena/
Did you know?
- While magdalena refers to a small cake, the name is shared with Mary Magdalene, the biblical figure.
- In Marcel Proust's famous novel In Search of Lost Time, the magdalena is used as a symbol for how a smell or taste can trigger a flood of forgotten memories.
- The term ponqué sounds like a Spanish word, but it is actually a phonetic adaptation of the English 'pound cake'.
Examples in context
- El sabor de esta magdalena me evoca recuerdos de mi infancia.The way this cupcake tastes brings back memories of my childhood.This sentence is useful for describing how the taste of a magdalena can trigger childhood memories.Tatoeba #951329 by hundo, translation #9814496 by DJ_Saidez
- Me gustaría probar una magdalena de chocolateI would like to try a chocolate cupcake
- ¿Puedo comprar un pastelito de vainilla?Can I buy a vanilla cupcake?
- Vamos a tener bizcochitos para el postreWe are going to have cupcakes for dessert
- Me encanta comer un cupcake de fresaI love eating a strawberry cupcake
- Voy a cocinar unos quequitos para el cumpleaños de mi hermanaI'm going to bake some cupcakes for my sister's birthday
- Compré una magdalena de chocolate.I bought a chocolate cupcake.
- Esa magdalena tiene mucha nata.That cupcake has a lot of cream.
Example conversation
A cafe in Spain where Daniel and María are having dessert.
- Daniel¿Quieres probar mi magdalena?Do you want to try my cupcake?
- MaríaNo, gracias, prefiero el pastel.No, thanks, I prefer the cake.
- DanielEsta magdalena está muy dulce.This cupcake is very sweet.
- MaríaParece que te gusta mucho.It seems like you like it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cupcake” translations and entries magdalena, ponqué, panqué, quequito, 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 magdalena, ponqué, quequito, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
