coffee cake
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A cake or sweet bread, often containing fruit, nuts, or spices, that is typically served with coffee or tea. It is not necessarily coffee-flavored; the name refers to its traditional role as an accompaniment to a coffee break.
Usage
Coffee cake is a category of baked goods meant to be eaten alongside a beverage, not a specific recipe. It is often eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert.
Examples
- For breakfast, she had a slice of coffee cake and a cup of tea.
- The bakery sells several kinds of coffee cake, including one with cinnamon streusel topping.
- Would you like some coffee cake with your coffee?
Advanced Usage
- "A piece of coffee cake": This is the most common way to refer to a single serving.
- He took a piece of coffee cake from the platter.
- The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe the type of cake.
- She brought a coffee cake recipe that uses sour cream.
Variants and Related Words
- Coffee ring: A specific type of coffee cake shaped into a ring, often with a glaze.
- Crumb cake: A type of coffee cake with a thick, buttery crumb or streusel topping.
- Tea cake: A similar concept, a light cake or sweet bread served with tea.
Synonyms
- Sweet bread
- Breakfast cake
- Snacking cake
Notes on Meaning
The primary meaning is the baked good served with coffee. It is important to distinguish it from: * Coffee-flavored cake: A cake that has coffee as an ingredient for flavor (e.g., mocha cake). A coffee cake may or may not be coffee-flavored. * Dessert cake: A richer, often frosted cake served as dessert, not specifically with coffee.
Noun
- a cake or sweet bread usually served with coffee