panqué
/panˈke/Mexico, Venezuela, masculine
The English phrase pound cake is translated into Spanish as panqué. Wiktionary also lists queque and ponqué.
Meaning: dense yellow cake made from equal quantities of butter, eggs, flour and sugar (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| panqué | /panˈke/ | Mexico, Venezuela, masculine |
| queque | /ˈkeke/ | Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, masculine |
| ponqué | /ponˈke/ | Colombia, masculine |
This term refers to a dense yellow cake made from equal quantities of butter, eggs, flour and sugar.
Which one should you use?
While panqué is the default, other terms are used depending on the specific country or level of formality.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Venezuela, use panqué. In Chile, Costa Rica and El Salvador, use queque. In Colombia, use ponqué. In Peru and Costa Rica, you may also hear the informal Queque de libra.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/panˈke/
Did you know?
- The word queque is a 'doublet' of the English word 'cake', meaning they both come from the same Old Norse root kaka but arrived in Spanish through different paths.
- In some Latin American countries, ponqué is specifically associated with celebration cakes and birthdays, moving beyond the simple definition of a dense pound cake.
- Despite the name, a panqué in a Spanish-speaking bakery is not necessarily measured by the weight of its ingredients as the English 'pound cake' implies.
Examples in context
- El panqué de mantequilla está muy rico.The butter pound cake is very delicious.
- Compré un panqué para la merienda.I bought a pound cake for snack time.
- ¿Quieres un trozo de este panqué?Do you want a piece of this pound cake?
Example conversation
Javier is visiting María's house for afternoon tea.
- MaríaHola Javier, ¿quieres probar este panqué?Hi Javier, do you want to try this pound cake?
- JavierSí, gracias María, se ve delicioso.Yes, thanks María, it looks delicious.
- MaríaEs un panqué casero muy suave.It is a very soft homemade pound cake.
- JavierTienes razón, el sabor es excelente.You are right, the flavor is excellent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pound cake” translations and entries panqué, queque, ponqué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries panqué, queque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
