Digesting the etymology of baked goods

'Baked goods' is a curious term indeed. It is so rarely used in casual conversation that when mentioned it carries a subtle yet distinctly formal air which stands in contrast to more familiar patterns of speech and turns of phrase.

In response to being asked what one might consider eating for breakfast, "I think I'll have a baked good" would seem strange. It also raises another aspect of this infrequently used phrase: it is almost never used in the singular.

To utter this term therefore, would seem to require the owner to have - or anticipate being in possession of - more than one. Perhaps ideal for the optimist, the glutton, or those of us preferring to have our cake and eat it too.