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Nous faisons une cinquantaine ou une soixantaine de gâteaux.

Nous faisons une cinquantaine ou une soixantaine de gâteaux.
We are making about fifty or sixty cakes.
From Lesson 229:Approximative numbers (-aine)·French

Questions & Answers about Nous faisons une cinquantaine ou une soixantaine de gâteaux.

How does the suffix -aine change the numbers fifty and sixty here?
Adding -aine to a number turns it into a noun meaning an approximate amount. So cinquante (fifty) becomes une cinquantaine (about fifty), and soixante (sixty) becomes une soixantaine (about sixty).
Why is it de gâteaux instead of des gâteaux?
Words ending in -aine act as expressions of quantity, just like beaucoup or un kilo. In French, expressions of quantity are always followed by the preposition de (or d') without the plural article. That is why we say une cinquantaine de gâteaux.
The word gâteau is masculine, so why do we use une before the numbers?
The feminine article une agrees with the words cinquantaine and soixantaine, not with gâteaux. All approximate numbers created with the -aine suffix are feminine nouns, so they always take une regardless of the object being counted.
Can I attach the -aine suffix to any number if I want to estimate?
No, you can only use it with certain numbers. It is mostly used with multiples of ten up to one hundred (like une trentaine for about thirty) and a few specific smaller numbers like dix (une dizaine), douze (une douzaine), and quinze (une quinzaine).

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