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By Rabbi Yishai Natan:
Q: Should I make a Mezonot on cake served for dessert during a meal, before Birkat Hamazon?
A: Maran, in Shulhan Aruch (OH 177:1), rules that foods normally eaten as part of a bread meal do not require a new berachah, since they are covered by Birkat Hamotzi. However, foods normally served for dessert require their own berachah rishonah, such as fruits. Maran writes that the same applies to mezonot served for dessert (OH 168:8).
The Mishnah Berurah (Biur Halachah, ibid.) points out that there is a problem with cake because it is not clear what qualifies as pat haba’ah bekisnin—a bread-like food that generally receives Mezonot. Maran (ibid. 7) brings a mahloket: some say it is dough with a filling, some say dough kneaded with sugar or other sweet ingredients, and some say thin, crisp bread, such as crackers.
If these opinions disagree, each opinion considers the other types to be bread that require Hamotzi. Normally, we make Mezonot on all these foods because of safek berachot lehakel. However, during a bread meal, that same doubt works in the opposite direction. Perhaps the cake is really bread and was already covered by Hamotzi. Therefore, the Mishnah Berurah writes that one should not make Mezonot on cake served for dessert unless it has all three characteristics—it is sweet, filled, and crisp.
The Mishnah Berurah adds that if it has a filling, since most Rishonim consider it pat haba’ah bekisnin, one who makes Mezonot has what to rely on. He also suggests that perhaps there is no mahloket, and each opinion is simply giving another example of pat haba’ah bekisnin. In that case, one should make a berachah on any of these mezonot desserts. Still, because of the doubt, we follow safek berachot lehakel and only make Mezonot on dessert if it has all three characteristics.
HaRav Dovid Yosef (Halachah Berurah 168:29) writes that although Maran holds that one should make Mezonot on any of these foods when served for dessert, we apply safek berachot lehakel even against Maran. Therefore, one should generally not make Mezonot on cake served for dessert.
It is better to avoid the doubt and eat the cake after Birkat Hamazon, making Mezonot and a berachah aharonah. Alternatively, one can make Mezonot on something that is definitely not bread, such as Bissli, and have the cake in mind. Another option is to eat some cake before washing for Hamotzi, having in mind to cover the cake eaten later. If none of these options are possible, eat the cake for dessert during the meal without making Mezonot, because of safek berachot lehakel.