There's nothing more recognizable than a slice of birthday cake. Fluffy, colorful, and, most of all, a triangle. Cutting wedges of cake has long been standard practice when it comes to the circular dessert, but this viral video discovered a new method from 1906 that promises to make the cake taste even better — even though it goes against everything we believe in.
Popsugar reports that mathematician Alex Bellos, of the YouTube channel Numberphile, reintroduced the method after stumbling upon a letter to the editor that invented the method to solve the problem of dryness.
"The ordinary method of cutting out a wedge is very faulty in this respect," the letter reads, referring to the surface area of exposed cake that is left after cutting out a wedge. As the cake sits out, those exposed sides get dry, ruining the next slice. But there's a better way!
"The results to be aimed at are so to cut the cake that the remaining portions shall fit together," the letter continues, and that's exactly what happens. As Bellos demonstrates, by cutting a round cake lengthwise down the middle and removing a rectangular slice, you can then push the remaining semi-circles of the cake together so the exposed surfaces protect each other from drying out. To ensure optimum freshness, secure them with a rubber band.
The next time you go to get a slice, cut the cake down the middle again, this time perpendicular to the original cut. This is so the cake gets smaller in equal proportions. Alternate the cuts and continue to push the remaining pieces together so they sit flush with one another, allowing for maximum enjoyment. It sounds complicated, but it's absolutely genius. Watch the magic below!
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