Pat-a-Cake

The first known published version of this nursery rhyme appeared in Thomas D'Urfey’s play The Campaigners, in 1698: ‘…pat a cake Bakers man, so I will master as I can, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and throw't into the Oven.’

‘Mother Goose’s Melody’ version from 1765:
Patty Cake, Patty Cake,
Baker’s Man;
That I will Master,
As fast as I can;
Prick it and prick it,
And mark it with a T,
And there will be enough
for Jacky and me.

The Great Fire Started at a Bakery?

Unlike many other nursery rhymes, Pat-a-Cake does not appear to have any hidden political meaning or deeper symbolic message. Some have attempted to connect it with the Great Fire of London in 1666, which famously began in a bakery. Because bakeries were considered fire risks, the idea seems tempting — but there is no evidence that the rhyme originally referred to that event.

Children’s Clapping Game

As far as we know, Pat-a-Cake is simply a children’s clapping game. Two children chant the rhyme while clapping their hands together in a repeating pattern, often speeding up as they go.

Patty Cakes

The “patty cakes” mentioned in older versions refer to small cakes made with currants.. Here's a recipe.

In the older line “mark it with a T,” it’s possible that the letter wasn’t literal — some believe it symbolized a small cross, marking the cake as blessed before baking.