layer cake

American  

noun

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

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layer cake British  

noun

1. a cake made in layers with a filling

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Etymology

Origin of layer cake

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

layer cake

Think of it as a layer cake of meat and cheese, I said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

In the financial economy, leverage is high with a layer cake of debt at the investor, fund, instrument and underlying investment level.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

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

Each apartment in their building had its own floor, like a layer cake.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn