Everyday Food Phrases Explained

A Piece of Cake

This is a popular expression used to describe something that is easy or a task that requires little effort. The phrase originated from the earlier expression “cakewalk,” a 19th-century African American tradition performed on plantations or get-togethers for freemen.

African American couples would walk in a procession or promenade around a cake, and the most graceful couple would win the cake as a prize. The contest was known to require a little skill, and the phrase was eventually adopted as boxing slang to connote an easily won match.

Cakewalks were later performed sardonically at minstrel shows by racist Caucasians, offensively imitating black culture.

If something is ridiculously easy, this expression would be used. For instance, “Compared to yesterday’s recipe, this fillet will be a piece of cake.” Another similar saying is “That was easy as pie,” which also connotes a task of simplicity.

The first recorded usage of the term occurred in 1936, in a piece of literature by poet Ogden Nash, who wrote in Primrose Path, "Her picture's in the papers now, And life's a piece of cake."

This term also appeared in the famous song, “A Spoonful of Sugar,” from the musical Mary Poppins. When you find the fun in a particular job, as the song says, “every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake.”