To think there is a RIGHT way to cut a cake

[Zucker]

My MIL had us all over to her house for FIL's birthday. 10 of us in total. A beautiful circular chocolate fudge topped cake was produced, the kind that's all smooth and silky on top. Almost a shame to cut into it. Almost.

Now in my world this cake would be cut in half and 10 equal (triangular?) pieces would be cut and everyone would be happy with their lot.

MIL produced a knife and did a hack and scrape onto a plate motion, for each person. We all got what looked like leftovers and a sad lump of cake was left on the table. Don't even get me started on the heating of the ice cream in the microwave before it could be served.

Clearly MIL was wrong and shouldn't be left in charge of cake in the future. AIBU?

That's Christmas sorted out then! Cake plate and server set

I wouldn't cut it in half (as that would leave 4 open "ends" to dry out if you didn't eat it all).

I would cut into the centre and then cut segments, trying hard to make them all fairly equal (my family watch this part like hawks, no one can be seen to get a bigger piece).

With this method the first piece is usually a bit messy but the rest are fine. A cake slice to transfer from cake plate to side plate helps too.

This reminds me of the war in Gulliver's Travels between the Big-Endians and the Little-Endians.

I would have cut the cake as you describe and can't quite picture the hack and scrape technique MIL uses.

I do microwave ice cream for a few seconds though!

Andrew I find your casual reduction of cake offensive. It's cake. Most cakes contain egg plus other things. Even if a cake is only the sum of its parts, it is still, mathematically and morally speaking, superior to egg!

It was like watching a murder not really hack knife in and scrappppppppe onto plate at an odd angle. Very upsetting to my equal portion mind.

I would do as you do normally lurkerspeaks, but there shouldn't have been any leftovers if MIL had sliced properly.

Microwaving ice cream phantomnamechaner hang your head in shame

Tillytelltale you are a genius Although MIL would probably flatten the cake with the lovely server first though.

I cut a single slice, push the knife (or cake server thingy if I'm being vair posh) under the slice and lift it out onto a plate. Repeat until everyone has a slice. It is easier to ensure people get the size of slice they want rather than just giving them all equi-pieces. There should always be cake leftovers - nothing leftover means the cake was too small to start with.

My MIL microwaves ice-cream. She also always manages to have one slice over when she serves a dessert.

Cutting the cake in half is definitely the wrong way to cut a cake. Who even does that?

We always cut one slice at a time, or a series of them, and hand out according to preference (larger or smaller slice).

Then we have left over cake for those who want or breakfast the following day. :)

Shame the slices your MIL cut didn't look nice, but otherwise I can't see that she was wrong.
It's just preference.

Oh, and sometimes ice-cream is just too hard.

Thanks op i now want apiece of chocolate cake.

And how do you cut five equal slices each side?
Do you get a compass and ruler?
Do you weigh the slices?
Or are there slice guides for each possible number?

How would you do with 3 people? One third of the cake?

I hope your MIL is more tolerant of you.

Well, if the cake was large enough I wouldn't cut it in half. But my mind had summed up the situation and there should have been no left overs so halves and 5 segments from each half would have done the 10 of us nicely. There was a motive in my madness

I'm now going to have to go to the shops to buy a cake to help me over this injustice.

I won't back down on the microwaving ice cream though. I don't want cake swimming in greasy milk. Too hard tsk. Let it sit a while.

My MIL was taught by her MIL to serve hard ice-cream with a fork. It really works and must be better than microwaving. I cut cake from centre to edge into relevant slices, unless a small cake where I would cut like OP recommended to ensure enough evenly sized slices.

This is why I am currently baking a square cake

Op can we see a picture of this cake...

If I could get away with producing a compass and ruler I would yes Lweji. Now you're talking my world, 3 people = 3 bits.

Ah she's lovely really, couldn't do enough for us. Her cake skills though shakes head

Yes, do buy a similar cake and post the picture of the perfectly equal 10 slices.

Well here's how I would do it overinvolved now

10 slices of cake

Don't care a fig how it's sliced as long as I get a big piece with a sugar-icing flower on it! Gee, I hope my new DiL isn't so critical of my cake-serving-techinque! I just hope she thinks I bake a good cake.

I will agree whole-heartedly with the no-nuke on the ice cream. That's just 'yuck'. I like ice cream rock hard.

And cake is cake. If you like cake, you'll eat crumbs. If you are my DS you won't eat cake. Particularly birthday cake.

How big was this cake, anyway? That is relevant info.
I'm picturing my usual foot wide cakes, but if it was a miniature, then I can see your point.

You'd get a pre-sliced cake?
That's cheating.

But make sure to invite as many people as the number of slices in your pre-sliced cake. :)

TillyTellTale I accept your rebuke!

I am an expert at perfectly equal slices; my greedy children scrutinise like hawks.

I took a large cake to a coffee morning the other day and someone imeadiately cut it into eight massive slices, so first come first served. I was thinking, "bloody hell, 12 and they would've been big slices". People are just pigs sometimes.

I would've sliced it into 12. Lots easier than ten. Cut in half, then half again, and each quarter into three, except the last one, which has one third removed for a slice and two slices' worth left over for me seconds if anyone wants them.

This is exactly how I do it.