National Cake Day

Categories:: Food & Beverage
Tags:: Baking Festivities Food
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every November 26
Holiday emoji:: 🎂

National Cake Day invites everyone to slice into their favorite confection every November 26. From decadent chocolate to fluffy vanilla, this day is a delicious excuse to celebrate with friends and family. Bake a new recipe, visit a local bakery, or host a cake-tasting party!

History
Timeline
FAQs
Importance
Celebrate
Related

History of National Cake Day

The term “cake” has a rather complicated history. The word itself is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse word “kaka.”

It’s All Greek to Me!

The ancient Greeks called cake “plakous,” which was derived from the word for “flat.” The simple ingredients include flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey. They also had a cake called “satura,” which was a flat heavy cake. During the Roman period, the name for cake became “placenta,” which was derived from the Greek term. A placenta was baked on a pastry base or inside a pastry case.

Baklava is considered an “O.G. Cake” by all Major Historians

(The name placenta is still used today on the island of Lesbos in Greece to describe a baklava-type dessert of layered pastry leaves containing crushed nuts that is baked and then covered in honey.)

When in Rome

The Greeks invented beer as a leavener, frying fritters in olive oil, and cheesecakes using goat’s milk. In ancient Rome the basic bread dough was sometimes enriched with butter, eggs, and honey, which produced a sweet and cake-like dessert.

Get Down(ton) With The Queen

Early cakes in England were also mainly bread. The most obvious differences between a “cake” and “bread” were the round, flat shape of the cakes, and the cooking method, which turned cakes over once while cooking, while bread was left upright throughout the baking process.

Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance.

National Cake Day timeline

1750

Eggs replace yeast

Bakers turn away from using yeast as a raising agent for cakes — turning instead to beaten eggs.

1930s

Cake in a box

The first cake in a box mix is introduced to cater to economically depressed Americans in the Great Depression.

1950s

The Great Cake Depression

Boxed cake sales plunge during the decade as consumers grow bored and turn their attention to decorating their cakes instead.

2019

Cannabis cake?

Police in Germany investigate an 18-year-old woman who baked a marijuana-laced cake that wound up being served to guests at a funeral.

National Cake Day FAQs

When is National Cake Day?

National Cake Day 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. It’s the perfect mid-week excuse to indulge in your favorite sweet treat.

How many types of cake are there?

While it’s impossible to count every variation, cakes are broadly categorized into butter cakes (like pound cake), foam cakes (like angel food), sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, and flourless cakes. Each category boasts countless flavors and regional specialties.

What is the most popular cake flavor?

Chocolate cake consistently ranks as one of the most popular cake flavors globally, beloved for its rich taste and versatility. Vanilla, red velvet, and carrot cake also frequently appear on top-ten lists, appealing to a wide range of palates.

Is National Cake Day a real holiday?

National Cake Day is a widely recognized unofficial holiday celebrated by dessert lovers across the United States. While not a federal holiday, it’s enthusiastically observed by individuals, bakeries, and food brands alike.

National Cake Day Activities

Bake a cake
The most obvious and fun way to celebrate National Cake Day is by putting on an apron (or not if you wish to get flour all over your clothes), and preheat your oven! You can make one from scratch or use a little help from little box at the store.
Invite your friends over for a cake decorating contest
You provide the base and they provide the creativity. Invite your friends over for a night full of frosting and laughs, and judge the cakes by the best, worst, and most creative designs.
Let them eat cake (at work)
Everyone loves a nice treat at work. Surprise your co-workers by bringing in a homemade or store-bought cake. When people ask what the occasion is, the answer is simple, "It's National Cake Day, duh!"

Why We Love National Cake Day

There are so many options
Cakes come in different shapes and sizes, and flavors! The options vary from chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, funfetti, and strawberry, to name a few. Not to mention the endless possibilities of frosting and filling!
They're so moist
Cakes are known for their fluffy, moist consistency. These traditional desserts deliver the perfect amount of sweetness (sugar), carbs, and butter— all the ingredients that make it so delicious.
Decorations
A cake is almost always covered in frosting and special decorations, which alone, is a cause for celebration. Any cake can have a traditional foundation that provides a canvas to get creative. There are even shows on TV which celebrate the art of cake decorating.