Q:

Covering the Cake During Kiddush

Many times there is cake, cookies or various other foods out on the table during Kiddush.  Is it necessary to cover them (as I sometimes see people do)?  Would it make a difference if the cake is going to be eaten in lieu of Grape Juice? 
(just read: What sort of covering is required for Challa and cake while making Kiddush?) 

A:

The reason of the "shame" of the
  challos, applies to mezonos as well,
  since ordinarily the blessing of
  mezonos is recited before the blessing
  of ha-gafen.  Indeed, some poskim rule
  that cakes and pastries should be
  covered during the recital of the
  morning Kiddush.(Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
  55:5; Teshuvos Levushei Mordechai O.C.
  kamma, 46.  Even according to this
  view, however, only the person making
  Kiddush [and others who are partaking
  of the wine] needs to cover his
  mezonos items.  All other participants
  do not need to cover their mezonos,
  since they are not "shaming" the
  mezonos by listening to Kiddush; Harav
  S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos
  K'hilchasah 47, note 125).  
But not all poskim agree.  Eishel
  Avraham Orach Chaim 182 holds that
  mezonos items do not need to be
  covered during Kiddush because only
  challos - which can be used for
  Kiddush and are being bypassed in
  favor of wine - are being "shamed." 
  Mezonos items, however, are generally
  not eligible to have Kiddush recited
  over them, so they cannot be "shamed"
  by the wine taking precedence over
  them.(Ta'amei ha-Minhagim, 365,
  Kuntress Acharon; Az Nidberu 2:)

http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5765/kisisa.html

