Whether it's a birthday, graduation, or wedding cake, that mound of sweet goodness signifies a positive milestone in life. The history of cakes date back to ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and have become a staple for many different celebrations.

The traditional way of cutting a cake is by placing the knife in the center of the cake and cutting each piece into triangles. However, author Alex Bellos says that we have been doing this all wrong. According to a piece written by mathematician Sir Francis Galton in a December 1906 issue of the journal Nature, cutting a cake all the way across is a better way to minimize spoilage. It also helps for storage, and keeps the cake moist.

"[Galton] was the king of measurement, and he was very English. He loved tea and cake," Bellos told ABC News. "He's not a household name, but so many of the things he invented are things we take for granted in the modern world." Bellos, who is the author of The Grapes of Math, demonstrated the process in a video on Numberphile's YouTube channel.

He says that the first slice should be directly down the middle of the cake. Then you just slide the two halves together so that the cake is back to looking like a whole piece. Then, you keep slicing until the cake is finished. You can even secure the cake with a rubber band in order to maintain freshness.

Of course, this whole process can be ignored if you want to have your cake and eat it too — all in one sitting.