layer cake

American

noun

a cake made in layers, with a cream, jelly, or other filling between them.

layer cake British

noun

a cake made in layers with a filling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of layer cake

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With Ghorman, the writers have the full layer cake of heartbreaking possibilities.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2025

“I was a layer cake of abandonment and hurt and fury, iced with a smile,” goes a typically curt, sardonic line in Manguso’s second novel, which chronicles the slow-motion collapse of a marriage.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

Kicking off with cake week, the fresh contestants were tasked with baking a vertical layer cake and a chocolate cake in the technical challenge, before a sponge showstopper.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2023

Modern LVP is more like a layer cake.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2023

Stella closed her eyes, thinking of the rich chocolate icing her mother whipped up and slathered on a warm layer cake.

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023