Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a male pin-up; also attrib.

1949		Richmond (VA) News Leader 25 Oct. 30: Alan Ladd has a beef – about ‘beefcake,’ the new Hollywood trend toward exposing the male chest.
1954		Tuscaloosa (AL) News 29 July 7: Mae West [...] made her night club debut [...] by introducing ‘beef cake’ to saloon shows.
1969		N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 193: Tom Jones was true beefcake.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 30: beefcake [...] 2. photographs of nude men in sexy situations.
1978		A. Maupin Tales of the City (1984) 32: A collage of Playgirl beefcake photos.
1987		‘Joe Bob Briggs’ Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In 175: A bunch of bimbos who won’t drop their tops for the camera. Beefcake but no cheesecake.
1992		M. Coleman Fatty 40: Fred had no time for airs and graces. The blow-waves and beefcake calendars of rugby league 1990s-style are certainly not his go.
1997		Sun. Indep. (Dublin) Living & Leisure 1 June 11L/2: Beefcake, the thing that men always think we fancy.
2008		Sun. Times (S.Afr.) 27 Jan. 22: The girls had no problem getting touchy-feely with all the beefcake.
2011		Week 26 Feb. 17: Lee spotted her personal ad [...] and sent her some cheesy emails and a laughable beefcake photo.

2. any attractive, muscular man; also attrib.

1953		Hull Dly Mail 15 Sept. 4/8: Miranda overacts in true Hollywood style, while Lucas is a “beefcake” to perfection.
1956		J. Osborne Look Back in Anger Act I: He doesn’t know it, but those beefcake Christians will make off with his wife in the wonder of stereophonic sound before the picture’s over.
1979		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 1: beefcake – handsome, macho male.
1981		New Musical Express 7 Mar. n.p.: What every beefcake on the street has got on his head [KH].
1998		D. Laurents Young & Hung 60: Blond beefcake Darien with the boy-next-door smile [Simes:DLSS].
1999		Indep. Rev. 15 June 15: John Benjamin Hickey’s suicidal beefcake.
2009		Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) 9 Aug. 🌐 What caused the beefcake bust-up was a word. A few of them [...] Like hot-not and boesman.
2015		J. Stahl OG Dad 25: The old beefcake got [...] a dreamy smile on his face.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 7: I’m beefcake, boss, and bangin’ them bonaroo bitches.

3. male sex-appeal.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 30: beefcake 1. masculine sex appeal.

4. as a term of address.

2001

(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 163: You, beefcake . . . whatcha, a legbreaker?

5. used of a lesbian.

2021

J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 10: Homosexuals are ‘licentious lispers.’ Lesbians are ‘beefcake butches’.