Learn Hardcore Russian: Мама ставит торт в духовку.

Ста вит is the 3rd-person singular present tense form of the imperfective verb ставить. In this sentence it means “(she) is putting” or “(she) puts.” So Мама ставит translates as “Mom is putting” (or “Mom puts”).

What is the aspect of ставить, and how does it differ from its perfective counterpart?

Ставить is imperfective, focusing on the ongoing action. Its perfective pair is поставить, which emphasizes the completion or result (“to put in/place in” so that it ends up there). If you want to say “Mom has put the cake in the oven” (completed action), you’d use Мама поставила торт в духовку.

Why is торт in the nominative case instead of another case?

Торт is the subject of the clause’s direct object is actually торт, but here it’s the thing being placed, so it takes the accusative case when it’s inanimate and non-feminine singular. However, because “торт” is masculine and inanimate, its nominative and accusative forms look identical: торт.

Why is the phrase в духовку used with the accusative case, and why not на духовку?

The preposition в with the accusative case indicates motion “into” something. Here it shows that the cake is being moved inside the oven. Духовка is a closed space, so в духовку (“into the oven”) is correct. На духовку would mean “onto the oven,” as if you set something on top of the oven’s exterior, which isn’t the intended meaning.

Could you use a different verb instead of ставит, such as кладёт or помещает?

Yes. For example:

Мама кладёт торт в духовку. (‘Mom is laying/putting the cake in the oven.’)
Мама помещает торт в духовку. (‘Mom is placing the cake in the oven.’ — more formal.)
Each verb has a slightly different nuance, but ставить is the most common everyday choice.

Is the word order flexible? Could you say В духовку мама ставит торт?

Russian word order is relatively flexible for emphasis. В духовку мама ставит торт is grammatically correct but puts emphasis on в духовку (the destination). The neutral order is Мама ставит торт в духовку.

What exactly does духовка mean, and is it different from печь?

Духовка is the oven chamber itself (often in modern kitchen ranges). Печь can mean “oven” as a whole or a traditional masonry stove. In everyday speech for electric or gas ovens, духовка is very common.

Where is the stress in духовку and how is it pronounced?

The stress is on the second syllable: ду-ХОВ-ку [du-HOV-koo]. Make sure to pronounce the “o” clearly in the stressed syllable.