Why We Love Cake:  A Revolutionary Website for End-of-Life Planning

It was nearly 10 years ago when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hosted a “Hacking Medicine” competition where a beta website called “Cake” won first place and made its public debut. 

The end-of-life digital planning website took its name from the idea that mortality planning should be easy and seamless – more of “a piece of cake.” Additionally, cake is a symbol of celebrating important life moments; everyone should be honored at the end of their life. 

The Cake site was initially designed to prompt users to consider four areas of planning: end-of-life healthcare, legal concerns, personal legacy, and funeral preferences. Since then it has expanded to include over 5,000 articles, and dozens of interactive tools and downloads. More than 100 million people have turned to Cake for support on grief, death, and mortality. 

Using the power of digital tools, MIT alum and former Director of the Lab@Harvard, CEO and founder Suelin Chen has worked to create a more human-centered end-of-life experience. Cake assembled a “who’s who” of innovators in the end-of-life space that shared this vision and made the company what it is today. 

A decade later, Cake is now the largest end-of-life platform on the internet. 

Here are 5 great resources on JoinCake.com that can help you plan for – and react to – loss. Some content requires registration or login, but many tools and downloads are free. 

Post-Loss Checklist 

The Cake post-loss checklist takes you through various categories like benefits, funeral arrangements, immediate arrangements, and more. Financial issues like assets and valuables, bills and debts, and taxes are also included. Each task lets you mark it as done or read related articles for more information. You can choose the subcategories most relevant to you. 

Content About Everything from A to Z 

From helpful information on Alzheimer’s Disease or Zen Buddhism practices, if you’re curious about something in the end-of-life experience, Cake likely has an article to answer your questions. There are thousands to choose from on topics as disparate as probate, grief, religious customs, etiquette, and sympathy gifts. 

Advance Directive Forms 

Studies have shown that most Americans do not have an Advance Directive, also known as a “Living Will.” Even during the pandemic, the number of those who had actually filled out paperwork remained low. In fact, only about a third of people have filled one out. Part of the challenge is that each state has its own laws regarding the form and legal terms used can vary depending on where you live. Cake offers links to all the forms on one handy page so you can choose your state and find what you need. 

Trusted Decision Maker Form 

Because so few people have a signed Advance Directive, Cake has made an alternative form available online. The Trusted Decision Maker Form does not require a printer, needs no notaries or witnesses, and has only two questions. While it’s not a legal document, it can be a useful tool for helping families and clinicians. 

Bucket List Inspiration 

Want to start or continue a bucket list? Look no further. Cake has hundreds of ideas ranging from things to do before starting a family to activities for retirement. Whether you want to climb Mt. Everest or run a marathon, inspiration is just a click away. 

We’re inspired by Cake's groundbreaking work on modernizing the end-of-life experience while keeping it human, two values and goals we share. As one of the first, and the biggest, companies to make online end-of-life planning easy and accessible, we’re grateful for their leadership in transforming this experience and leading the way with families at the center. 

To learn more about Cake, visit the website.