You know the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too?†It’s common enough to be cliché, and people throw the admonition about with little thought to what they’re really saying.
Yet, from a grammatical standpoint, it doesn’t make much sense. Think about it…
You have a piece of cake in front of you – perhaps a double-chocolate indulgence, with the ceiling lights above reflecting off the buttercream icing on top. It’s actually sitting right there on the table at your particular place setting.
They even handed you a fork with the plate.