Cake

“

There really was a cake... Click to listen — GLaDOS

”

The promise of Cake is introduced by GLaDOS as an incentive for Chell to complete the test chambers in the original Portal. It is referenced in many of the Rattmann's dens as a lie, sparking the internet meme "The Cake is a lie". The Cake can be seen at the end of Portal in a room surrounded with waking Personality Cores.

Portal

The cake is spoken of frequently throughout Portal. It is often mentioned through dialogue as well as Rattmann's wall art in his dens. Although the dens frequently claim that the cake is in fact a lie, the ending of Portal shows the actual cake.

Recipe

In addition to the simple mention of the Cake, an actual recipe is given. The recipe can be found on several computer screens after Chell's escape from death. Additionally, during the battle with GLaDOS, a core will recite the recipe for the Cake. The recipe often contains inedible or undesireable ingredients, such as "fish shaped ethyl benzene" or "cranial caps."

The following recipe is provided as-in by the Intelligence Core.

• "One 18.25 ounce package chocolate cake mix."
• "One can prepared coconut pecan frosting."
• "Three slash four cup vegetable oil."
• "Four large eggs. One cup semi-sweet chocolate chips."
• "Three slash four cups butter or margarine."
• "One and two third cups granulated sugar."
• "Two cups all purpose flour."
• "Don't forget garnishes such as:"
• "Fish shaped crackers."
• "Fish shaped candies."
• "Fish shaped solid waste."
• "Fish shaped dirt."
• "Fish shaped ethyl benzene."
• "Pull and peel licorice."
• "Fish shaped volatile organic compounds and sediment shaped sediment."
• "Candy coated peanut butter pieces. Shaped like fish."
• "One cup lemon juice."
• "Alpha resins."
• "Unsaturated polyester resin."
• "Fiberglass surface resins."
• "And volatile malted milk impoundments."
• "Nine large egg yolks."
• "Twelve medium geosynthetic membranes."
• "One cup granulated sugar."
• "An entry called 'how to kill someone with your bare hands."
• "Two cups rhubarb, sliced."
• "Two slash three cups granulated rhubarb."
• "One tablespoon all-purpose rhubarb."
• "One teaspoon grated orange rhubarb."
• "Three tablespoons rhubarb, on fire."
• "One large rhubarb."
• "One cross borehole electro-magnetic imaging rhubarb."
• "Two tablespoons rhubarb juice."
• "Adjustable aluminum head positioner."
• "Slaughter electric needle injector."
• "Cordless electric needle injector."
• "Injector needle driver."
• "Injector needle gun."
• "Cranial caps."
• "And it contains proven preservatives, deep penetration agents, and gas and odor control chemicals. That will deodorize and preserve putrid tissue."

Portal 2

The cake does not make any appearances in Portal, though is referenced once through a sticker on the fake door before GLaDOS takes Chell to her chamber, mentioning that she "...honestly, TRULY didn't think you'd fall for that." This contradicts the common notion that GLaDOS may have forgotten about the cake after the destruction of the Intelligence Core.

Trivia

• The cake does not appear in Portal 2 as it did in Portal 1, Eric Wolpaw stated that it was removed because he and Valve were tired of the memes and had had enough of cake jokes.
• The cake slice icon shown on the neon panels throughout Test Chambers in Portal appears in another Valve game, Alien Swarm, as the icon of the achievement "Perfect".
  • The icon has also appeared on the TF Birthday Noise Maker item's icon in Team Fortress 2, with the cherry removed.