The Unconventional Secret To A Better Chocolate Cake Experience Isn't An Ingredient

Maybe you've been washing your chocolate cake down with a glass of milk for ages. It's a culinary combo appreciated by foodies young and all grown up, but there's a tip takes the idea one step further: It's time to cut out the middle man and dump that milk directly over the cake (yes, really).

It's actually a viral cake-eating technique. In the "milk moat method," a slice of chocolate cake is served in a shallow bowl, and a glass of whole milk is poured over the top. In the TikTok by @nikkalcaraz depicting the technique (which has accrued over 500k likes), the original poster comments, "In my opinion there are only two acceptable ways to eat chocolate cake. The 'milk moat method' and like Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda."

The milk moat method adds moisture and suppleness, turning regular chocolate cake into a consistency more similar to brownie batter as it soaks. On the thrifty side, the splash of milk could also rescue day-old dried-out cake, helping make use of birthday party leftovers, or breathe new life into lackluster boxed cake mix. The Caker is our favorite brand of packaged cake mix, for the record. But, Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix is a classic and also totally works here. Either way, you'll want to grab a spoon (not a fork) and dig in.

Regarding the latter half of the TikToker's cake-eating prescription, gourmands young and old won't soon forget the iconic scene between Bruce Bogtrotter and his chocolate cake in Danny DeVito's 1996 masterpiece "Matilda." In the scene, villainous elementary school principal Trunchbull catches Bruce stealing a slice of her cake, and as punishment, she forces him to eat and finish a much larger chocolate cake in front of the entire school. (Talk about "death by chocolate.") But, instead of getting sick like Trunchbull intended, Bruce is cheered to victory by the class, eating the entire dessert and defeating the evil principal. It's a legendary moment, and embracing Bruce's pleasure-centric attitude will help you have a better chocolate cake experience — that, and a glass of milk.

That triumph could have been even sweeter. Notice how competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut have dunked hot dog buns into glasses of water in order to eat more of them with greater speed and ease? The milk moat method could have served as a way to help ol' Bruce earn his chocolatey victory, had he known about it. For non-competitive foodies, the milk moat method is a delicious experiential way to enjoy a favorite dessert — whether just one slice or the whole cake. We also recommend stirring hot cocoa powder into your next batch of chocolate cake mix for ultra-chocolatey richness, and when paired with the milk splash on top, the result is major cocoa-inspired lushness.