Answer:
Nobunaga pounded the rice - he began the reunification of Japan
Hideyoshi baked the cake - he completed the unification of Japan under a single ruler
Tokugawa Ieyasu ate it - he reaped the long term benefits of all this once he established
Step-by-step explanation:
Nobunaga established himself as the ruler of Honshu, the main island, but he passed away during a vassal's uprising (1582). Successor to Nobunaga, Hideyoshi put an end to the uprising and, by 1590, had effectively unified Japan. Then, between 1592 until 1598, he began a campaign to capture Korea, but was stopped by the intervention of a huge Chinese force.
When Hideyoshi died in 1598, his top subordinates engaged in a power war that Ieyasu ultimately won (1600). Following Ieyasu's installation as Shogun (dictator), the Tokugawa Shogunate, which controlled Japan until 1868, was formed.
Hope this helps