Spanish word

pastel

Pronunciation

IPA/pasˈtel/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncake

Example

Voy a comprar un pastel para la fiesta.

I'm going to buy a cake for the party.

Illustration for pastel (cake)

More examples

¿Quieres un trozo de pastel de chocolate?

Do you want a slice of chocolate cake?

Core concept

A baked sweet dough served in slices as a celebratory dessert.

Common phrases

  • trozo de pastel

    slice of cake

  • porción de pastel

    portion of cake

  • pastel de cumpleaños

    birthday cake

Similar words

tarta: Thin, round cake often topped with fruit or cream and served in slices.
bizcocho: Light, airy sponge made by whipping eggs and flour and baked until risen.
torta: Round celebratory cake used in some regions for special occasions.
postre: Sweet dish or confection served at the end of a meal.

Definition in Spanish

Masa o mezcla dulce que se hornea y se sirve en porciones como postre o en celebraciones.

Word origin

The word comes from Latin pasta 'dough' via medieval Latin pastellus, whose diminutive sense leads it to name baked sweet pastries and cakes.

Usage tips

  • Some dishes called pastel are savory (for example pastel de carne), so it is useful to ask '¿Es dulce?' or '¿Es salado?'

Related words

  • pasteleropastry chefnoun
  • pasteleríapastry shopnoun
  • pastelitolittle cakenoun

Word lists with this word