Meanings
nounKing Alfred's cake (uncountable)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fungus of species Daldinia concentrica.
Similar
cramp ballscoal fungus
Origin
From the resemblance of the round, black fungus to the burned cakes in a legend according to which King Alfred, hiding out in a countryside homestead during war, was put in charge of some baking cakes and accidentally let them burn.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
King Alfred's cake. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20Alfred's%20cake
MLA
“King Alfred's cake.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20Alfred's%20cake. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “King Alfred's cake,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20Alfred's%20cake.
Source: King Alfred's cake on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.