Kerry Mills, composer of the song 'At a Georgia Camp Meeting' describes the cakewalk as an eccentric, strutting dance that was very popular in the mid-1890's. His song, which was the forerunner of the two-step and fox trot, was one of the greatest cakewalk tunes of the time.

It is of interest to note that the University of Vermont, during it's annual winter carnival, used to have a cakewalk competition put on by the various fraternities, where two brothers of each fraternity would 'walk for the cake' to the University Band Leader, Joe Lechner's tune "Cotton Babes" which he composed just for this event. The event went the way of the minstrel shows following World War II.

And, if memory serves me correctly, I do believe the prize was a cake.