For the entirety of my life, I thought I understood how to cut a cake.

If it’s a sheet cake, well, the process is so obvious it’s embarrassing to talk about. But a round cake seemed equally uncomplicated: Simply cut it into wedges, like a pie chart or a pizza. Isn’t that what a cake slice is?

Online, the answer is a resounding absolutely not. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube offer a never-ending stream of cake-cutting alternatives, designed to fight the dual problems of cake waste and butchery.

“We get loads of questions about how best to portion our cakes for a party,” wrote the baker Lily Jones below a TikTok tutorial demonstrating how to cut a six-inch cake into 32 mesmerizingly uniform “finger portions.”

ImageMs. Jones is just one of many bakers and caterers who prefer small slices.Credit...Alice Zoo for The New York Times

This process, which results in neat triangles approximately one-quarter of a standard slice, appears both Byzantine and effortless.

“It’s very rare that I actually portion up a cake at a party,” Ms. Jones said — she’s a baker, not a caterer — but she maintains that the geometric technique is not only eminently doable, but, in fact, advisable. “It’s simple, it’s memorable, it’s quite neat.”

@phillycakelady How to cut a round birthday cake #cake #cakedecorating #buttercream #cakecuttin #cakecutting #tutorial #caketutorial #bakery #cakeart #cakesoftiktok #tiktokcake #bakerylife #vanillacake #birthday #birthdaycake #philly #phillycakelady #tastycake #buttercreamcake ♬ IamU (Instrumental) - BLVKSHP

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