The Web Is Cake

Published on .

Or, more specifically, web pages are cake. Here’s why.

Think about a cake. Here’s a good one, for example. Your standard birthday cake is made up of three key layers: the cake itself, the frosting, and the extra decorations (sprinkles/jimmies/shots/whatever, frosted roses, etc.) on top.

A good cake incorporates these components in a particular proportion. The foundation of the cake (and the bulk of its volume) is the moist, spongy layer. Above that, a thick—but not too thick—helping of frosting (buttercream, whipped, lard-based… you name it). And finally, skillfully-applied decorations complete the cake.

Think of your web pages (websites, web thangs) as cakes. A solid foundation of HTML coated with a layer of style and topped with a touch of JavaScript to bring the whole thing to life. The proportions for each aren’t too disimilar either, right?

As you wouldn’t build a cake atop its sprinkles or frosted roses, nor should you build your web pages on a shaky layer of JavaScript. A solid foundation of markup, a tasteful (and tasty) layer of style, and an appropriate application of JavaScript make for a well- and responsibly-built website.

Now who’s for cake?