About Flat Cake
A straightforward approach to building multi-page websites without the overhead of a full CMS.
Simple tools for simple sites.
Not every project needs a database, an admin panel, or a headless API. Sometimes you just need clean pages, consistent layouts, and a build system that stays out of the way. Flat Cake gives you CakePHP's templating power without the complexity.
What drives the project.
Convention over configuration
Drop a file, get a page. Name a method, get controller logic. The framework assumes sensible defaults so you write less glue code.
Minimal moving parts
No database, no ORM, no admin panel. SCSS and JS compile with a single Node script. The dependency footprint is deliberately small.
Full CakePHP when you need it
Routing, elements, cells, helpers, and the entire plugin ecosystem are available. Start simple, scale up without switching frameworks.
How does it work?
PagesController automatically converts dashed URL slugs to underscored template names. The layout wraps your content, elements handle repeating sections, and the asset pipeline compiles your SCSS and JS on demand.
Template file
Create templates/Pages/your_page.php with any HTML and CakePHP helpers.
Auto routing
Visit /your-page and CakePHP resolves it to the template with the correct layout.
Optional logic
Add pageYourPage() in PagesController for data fetching or custom variables.