Which came first Cake or Pie?

Summary

Who Smarted? – “Which Came First: Cake or Pie?”

Release Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Trusty (Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media)
Featuring: “Cake,” “Pie” (personified), and the “Smarty Pants” kids audience

---

Episode Overview

In this playful and informative episode, Trusty, the show’s affable host, sets out to answer a delicious conundrum: Which came first—cake or pie? Journeying through history, flavor, science, and some clever kid-friendly banter, Trusty and the audience are guided by personified “Cake” and “Pie,” who humorously battle for bragging rights and the host’s affection. The episode combines food facts and cultural traditions to tease apart the origins, evolutions, and popularity of these two beloved desserts, all with the trademark humor and interaction fans have come to expect.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Cake vs. Pie Dilemma

• Trusty finds himself at a bakery, torn between choosing cake or pie, while personified desserts vie for his attention.
  • “You want a piece of me or what?” — Pie (02:54)
  • The opening showcases the indecision and excitement everyone feels when choosing desserts, inviting the “Smarty Pants” audience to weigh in.

2. Cultural Traditions: When Do We Eat Each?

• Cake reminds Trusty that it’s the staple for birthdays.
  • “A birthday cake. Well now, if it’s good enough for your most special day, it’s good enough for today.” — Cake (05:31)
• Pie highlights its role at Thanksgiving and other celebrations.
  • “If pie is good enough for one of the biggest, best meals of the year, then it’s good enough for today.” — Pie (05:54)

3. Historical Origins: Which Came First?

• Pie’s Ancient Roots:
  • Pies trace back to Ancient Egypt, where bakers wrapped meat in pastry for preservation and flavor—a method later adopted by Greeks and Romans.
    • “Pie goes all the way back to ancient Egypt. They would wrap meat in pastry to keep it from burning.” — Pie (07:00)
  • Many early “pies” weren’t meant to be eaten; their crusts served as storage for the filling (08:11).
• Cake’s Ancient Beginnings:
  • Cakes also date to Ancient Egypt, starting as sweetened bread with honey, fruit, and nuts, later made softer and richer by Greeks and Romans.
    • “The answer, once again, is C. The Ancient Egyptians. Yep. Ancient Egyptians made dessert breads with honey, fruits, and nuts.” — Cake (09:01)
• Leavening Innovations:
  • Egyptians and Romans improved cakes with leavening agents (first yeast, then eggs and chemical leavens), making them airier and softer (09:40 - 10:17).

4. Ingredient Evolution and Types

• Pie: Popular for both sweet (fruit-based, like apple, blueberry, cherry) and savory (meat pies) varieties.
  • “British cherry pie... Queen Elizabeth I… Brits love savory pies… chicken, pork, lamb, sausage, steak and cheese, mincemeat.” — Pie (11:18 - 12:02)
  • Clarifies that pizza pies, while named “pie,” aren’t technically pies by bakers' definitions (12:05).
• Cake: Typically sweet, made from flour, sugar, eggs, and flavored with numerous options, topped with icing or frosting for decorative flair.
  • “There’s also flavoring poured into the cake mix, so you can have chocolate, lemon, strawberry, or anything else.” — Cake (12:28)
  • Frosting evolution and creativity: cakes can look like “unicorns, superheroes, castles, animals, other food, the Who Smarted logo” (13:15 - 13:47).

5. Popularity Contest: Which Wins?

• Trusty investigates worldwide popularity. Results are inconclusive; surveys and polls split between cake and pie.
• In a bracket-style tournament, cheesecake emerges as the surprising winner.
  • “The winner was cheesecake.” — Trusty (18:03)
• This triggers a debate: is cheesecake a pie (for the crust) or a cake (by name)? Even Boston Cream Pie is discussed—technically a cake, but called a pie. This highlights the blurry and sometimes funny nature of food names (18:24 - 19:12).

6. Bonus Trivia & Audience Interaction

• Show includes several interactive trivia questions and invites the kids (Smarty Pants) to guess:
  • Who invented pies? (Ancient Egyptians) (07:00)
  • Why ancient pies weren’t eaten? (Crust for preservation) (08:11)
  • What is leavening in cake? (Adds air) (10:01)
  • What does savory mean? (Salty or spicy) (11:42)
• Audience shout-out: Oliver and Sebastian in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, for their enthusiasm and love for the show (20:00).

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Epic Dessert Rumble:
  • “Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, but everyone has a birthday. Facts.” — Cake (06:09)
  • “That is not a fact. That is an opinion, and not a very good one.” — Cake (06:29)
• The Great Cheesecake Debate:
  • “Cheesecake has a crust. That’s because cheesecake is a pie. Booyah.” — Pie (18:27)
  • “But the crust is made with graham cracker or cookies. Not pie pastry. And look at the name, dear. It’s a cake.” — Cake (18:34)
• On Food Names:
  • “Foods don’t follow strict rules, and names often get mixed up. Take the Boston cream pie.” — Trusty (19:02)
• Kiddie Humor & Wordplay:
  • “My dear, let me help you. Is there a particular day that makes you happy...?” — Cake (05:08)
  • “No, I ain’t talking about pizza pies. I’m talking about delicious sweet meat treats.” — Pie (07:28)
  • “Who wants meat cake?” — Pie (12:19)
• Trusty’s Resolution:
  • “The choice of what to eat is clear—pie, cake... I’ll take a pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, garlic, and extra cheese to go.” — Trusty (19:28)

---

Notable Timestamps

• [02:54] – Pie introduces itself and jokes begin
• [05:08] – Cake appeals to birthday sentiments
• [07:00] – Pie’s ancient Egyptian origin revealed
• [08:11] – Ancient pies as meat preservers explained
• [09:01] – Ancient Egyptian cakes and evolution
• [10:17] – Leavening and cake fluffiness explained
• [11:18] – 12:05] – Meat pies, savory pies, and British influence
• [13:15 – 13:47] – Cake decoration possibilities
• [18:03] – Cheesecake wins the popularity poll
• [18:24 – 19:12] – The pie-vs-cake classification debate (cheesecake, Boston cream pie)
• [19:28] – Trusty chooses pizza pie for his meal

---

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Trusty unable to firmly choose between cake or pie—highlighting the joy, history, and fun found in both. The ultimate message: food traditions are as varied and rich as their flavors, and sometimes, the best answer isn’t cake or pie, but a playful slice of humor and curiosity.

---

Perfect for families and classrooms alike, this episode illustrates why “Who Smarted?” is beloved by kids and grownups—and why learning with laughter just might be the secret ingredient.

Transcript

[Narrator]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. If you ever had that feeling of.

[Trusty]

Oh, I have an idea, I just.

[Narrator]

Don'T know where to start. Squarespace is honestly the tool that bridges that gap. It's an all in one platform that lets you build a real online presence, whether you're launching something new, turning a hobby into a business, or finally creating the project that you've been talking about for two years. No judgment, I've been there. What I love most is how approachable it feels. You can start with blueprint AI, tell Squarespace a little bit about your style and your business, and it generates a stunning website layout for you in minutes. From there, it's drag and drop. Simple to personalize. Photos, text, branding, everything just clicks together. And if you're offering services or classes or selling access to premium content, Squarespace already has payments, scheduling, and even member only access built right in. One login, one dashboard, and you're live. If you keep saying someday, this is your sign. You even get 14 days free trial from Squarespace. So. So there's nothing to lose. Head to squarespace.com and when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace.com smarted and use offer code smarted to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted.

[Trusty]

And now it's time for who Smarted. Oh, yeah, that's the smell I'm talking. Hey, smarty pants, see if you can guess where I am. It's a place that makes and sells all kinds of goodies. You know, things like cookies, cupcakes, croissants, danishes, muffins, and two of my most favorite things in the world, cakes and pies. Smarty pants, you know where it's at. Come on, let's all say it together right now. I'm in a bakery. That's right. And whoever said the zoo, I hope you're just joking. Anyway, the bakery is a wonderful place because it's where you can find both cakes and pies. The question is, which do I want, cake or pie? I'm thinking a slice of cake. No, wait, make it pie. No, I want cake. But I do love pie. And there's so many flavors. But there's a lot of different cakes, too. What do I do? What would you do, smarty pants? Would you go with a nice frosted cake or maybe chocolate or carrot or red velvet or cheese? Or would you go with pie like apple, pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, pecan or key lime?

[Pie]

Hey, listen, buddy, you want a piece of me or what?

[Trusty]

Excuse me, who said that?

[Pie]

Down here. I'm the freshly baked apple pie on the counter. Let's go. Pick me. I ain't got all day.

[Trusty]

You know, right. Apple pie does sound good. And I wouldn't want you to go bad.

[Cake]

Oh dear, don't you worry. Pies like him can last for up to two days at room temperature.

[Trusty]

And now the white frosted cake is talking to me too.

[Cake]

Of course I am. Everything on who smarted talks.

[Pie]

Yeah, did you forget what show you were narrating?

[Trusty]

No, of course not. And now my tummy is talking too. Okay, smarty pants, which should I eat? And don't say both. I should really only eat one. So do I go with cake or pie?

[Pie]

Pie, if you got any taste. And based on your hesitation, I'm not so sure.

[Trusty]

Hey, that's not nice.

[Cake]

Oh, don't mind him. He's just a little crusty.

[Pie]

Aw, ain't you sweet? Well, guess what? I'm sweet too. Come on, trusty, you need to make up your mind already.

[Cake]

Remember, at the bakery you get to have your cake and eat it too.

[Trusty]

Ah, what do I do, smarty pants? There's so many delicious options of cakes and pies. But what makes a pie a pie and a cake a cake? Where did they each come from and which is truly better?

[Pie]

Pie.

[Trusty]

And what about the odd ones like cheesecake and Boston cream pie? Or my favorite, pizza pie? Oh boy, now I'm really hungry. Get ready for a big fresh baked whiff of science and history.

[Pie]

On who smarted.

[Cake]

Who's smarted?

[Pie]

Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. On who's smart and.

[Trusty]

Pie or cake? Cake or pie?

[Pie]

Oh boy. Looks like this guy's gonna be here for a while.

[Cake]

My dear, let me help you. Is there a particular day that makes you happy? Perhaps a celebration of you on the day you were born?

[Trusty]

Oh, you mean like my birthday?

[Cake]

Yes. And what do you always eat on your birthday?

[Trusty]

A birthday cake.

[Cake]

A birthday cake. Well now, if it's good enough for your most special day, it's good enough for today. A piece of cake it is. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Pie]

No tricks from the treats, sweetie.

[Cake]

That was no trick.

[Trusty]

Uh huh.

[Pie]

Well, two can play at that game. What do you eat after your Thanksgiving dinner?

[Trusty]

Uh, pumpkin pie. Well, sometimes apple pie. Or both. With ice cream?

[Pie]

Uh huh. Yeah, either way you said piece. And if pie is good enough for one of the biggest, best meals of the year, then it's good enough for today.

[Cake]

Well played, pie. But I still say birthdays beat Thanksgivings. Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, but everyone has a birthday. Facts.

[Pie]

Pie is better. Facts.

[Cake]

That is not a fact. That is an opinion, and not a very good one.

[Trusty]

Hold on. I don't want any food. Fighting. And cake's right. Let's stick to the facts. Maybe they can help me decide. How about which of you came first? Smartypants? Who do you think invented the pie? Was it A, British bakers during the Middle Ages, B, Spanish bakers during the 1600s, or C, Egyptian bakers during ancient times?

[Pie]

Ah, that's easy as pie. The answer is C. Pie goes all the way back to ancient Egypt. They would wrap meat in pastry to keep it from burning. Of course, this tasted pretty darn good. And they saw the potential for its greatness. Not just with meats, mind you, but also with sweet stuff like honey. Then the ancient Greeks and Romans tweaked the recipe to make their pies even better.

[Trusty]

Ooh, like pizza pies.

[Pie]

No, I ain't talking about pizza pies. I'm talking about delicious sweet meat treats.

[Cake]

Whoa, hang on a second. Many of the ancient Roman pies weren't meant to be eaten as pies.

[Trusty]

Uh, come again?

[Cake]

Like I said, many of the ancient Roman pies weren't meant to be eaten as pies.

[Trusty]

Smartypants, why would someone make a pie and then not eat it? Was it because, A, they were made of mud, B they were made to preserve meats, or C, they contained poison? So which is it?

[Narrator]

Pie.

[Pie]

All right, the answer is B, the thick crusts weren't meant to be eaten. They simply kept the inside filling flavorful. Sailors would take these kind of pies on long sea voyages because the meats inside them stayed fresher longer.

[Trusty]

And the Romans were also known for building roads. And then they'd go on long road trips, and they'd bring their meat pies with them.

[Cake]

Did someone say meat pie?

[Pie]

Oh, maybe I should try making those, too. Absolutely. Eventually, they did make meat pies that were eaten as delicious pies. So there I came first. What do you say to that, cake?

[Trusty]

Well, hold on now, pie, smarty pants. Who do you think invented cake? Was it A, Italian bakers during the early 1500s, B, prehistoric cavemen, or C, Egyptian bakers during ancient times?

[Cake]

That's a piece of cake. The answer, once again, is C. The ancient Egyptians. Yep. Ancient Egyptians made dessert breads with honey, fruits, and nuts. The Greeks would also make their own cakes, adding eggs, butter, and other ingredients to make them softer and Richer.

[Trusty]

Ooh.

[Cake]

They also put candles on them, as.

[Trusty]

You may remember learning about on our birthday traditions episode, smarty Pants.

[Cake]

Of course, cake back then wasn't light and soft like it is today. Ancient cake was very much like bread. But the Romans tinkered with cake recipes, adding a substance called leaven.

[Trusty]

Smarty Pants, any idea what a leaven does? Does it, A, add air to a cake, B, add more flavor to a cake, or C, add more sugar? The answer is A, it adds air.

[Cake]

The Romans used yeast to make cakes lighter, and then the Italians whipped eggs. In the 1800s, bakers started using soda and baking powder leavens in their cakes. These cakes were not only better, they baked faster.

[Trusty]

So to summarize, cakes and pies came from the same spot, Ancient Egypt, and were improved by Greeks and Romans. Hmm. That does not help me decide which one to choose.

[Pie]

You know what? Forget the history. Let's just choose by taste. Pies have two basic parts. One, you got your delicious pastry crust, and two, you got your filling. Fruit pies are the most popular. There's blueberry, peach, and, of course, apple. The pilgrims who came to the United States baked a lot of those, turning it into an American symbol. But you can thank the British for the cherry pie. Supposedly, the very first one was baked for Queen Elizabeth I. But you know what else the Brits love? Savory pies.

[Trusty]

Smarty pants, what kind of food is savory? Is it A, sweet and sugary, B, salty or spicy, or C, alive and kicking?

[Pie]

Uh, no, we're not eating live critters here. The answer is B, salty or spicy. Basically, meat pies. Meat pie. I've got chicken, pork, lamb, sausage, steak and cheese, and mincemeat, which is a combination of meats, fats, and sweets like dried fruits and sugar.

[Trusty]

And don't forget pizza pies. They count, right?

[Pie]

No, pizza pies are not technically pies, but those other meat and sweet pies are. Look, any way you slice it, pies are better. You can have one for dinner and dessert. Can you do that with cake?

[Trusty]

Well, there is.

[Pie]

Who wants meat cake?

[Trusty]

Of course, outside of whosmarted, I don't think you're going to be able to find too much meat cake. Certainly not at your local bakery, thank goodness.

[Cake]

That's because cakes are usually sweet, made with flour, sugar, eggs, and that leavening ingredient, baking powder or soda. There's also flavoring poured into the cake mix, so you can have chocolate, lemon, strawberry, or anything else. And while most pies have a dry crust, cakes have a deliciously sweet covering first it was icing. Kind of like what you'd find on cookies and some pastries these days.

[Trusty]

Smarty Pants, what would icing cover a cake look like?

[Cake]

Why, ice, of course. But that evolved into a thicker, more snow like topping called frosting. And with special pants and frosting, you can make cakes that look like just about anything. Unicorns, superheroes, castles, animals, other food, the who Smarted logo.

[Pie]

Who's smarted?

[Cake]

Unlike pies, the possibilities are endless.

[Pie]

Whatever. Maybe people like to look at cakes, but they'd rather eat pies.

[Cake]

That is so not true.

[Trusty]

Oh boy, Smarty pants. Which is more popular worldwide? Pies or cakes? Maybe the answer will help me decide. We'll find out what it is right after this quick break. And a word from our sponsors.

[Narrator]

Whosmarted is sponsored by wayfair.

[Trusty]

Somehow the holidays always sneak up on me.

[Narrator]

One second I'm thinking we have plenty of time and then suddenly guests are coming. The house still looks unfinished, and I'm realizing we're about five steps behind on gifts and decor. It's that mix of excitement and mild panic where you want everything to feel warm and pulled together, but you also don't want to spend two weeks running around to a million different stores. That's exactly why I turned to Wayfair.

[Trusty]

I ordered new bedding for our guests.

[Narrator]

Clean, white, soft, hotel level stuff, plus a throw blanket and seasonal pillows that instantly made the space look thoughtful and ready. Delivery was fast, free and honestly a huge relief. Instead of scrambling, I got to actually breathe, light a candle and pretend I'd been prepared the whole time. Wayfarer is my shortcut. Decor, furniture, Kitchen essentials for hosting gifts for kids and adults all in one place and surprisingly affordable. It made the season feel doable, even last minute. So get your last minute hosting essentials, gifts for all your loved ones and decor to celebrate the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W A Y f a I r.com Wayfair Every style Every home.

[Trusty]

Hey Trusty here. You know what's cool? Having your own smartwatch that lets you call and text your friends and family, play awesome games, and even use kids safe chat to get answers to the kinds of questions I know you love. Like how do birds fly? Or why is the sky blue? That's what Pinwheel smartwatch does it. It's designed just for kids so you can call your parents when you need a ride, text your best friend about weekend plans, play fun games and use the kids safe chat to learn cool new things without any of the stuff you don't need. Parents. You'll love this part. You control who your kid could contact. No strangers. No spam. You can set screen time schedules for school and homework, check messages remotely and track the location with built in gps. Plus, you decide what apps they can access. As your kid grows, Pinwheel grows with them. Start simple, then unlock more features when they're ready. It's why Pinwheel was named the number one kids phone by Parents magazine. This holiday, get up to 50% off with a quarterly or annual subscription plus free shipping and 30 day returns. Visit pinwheel.com smarted that's P I N W H E E L.com/smarted now back to who smarted. Okay, I'm trying to decide between a slice of cake and a slice of pie. And I definitely hear a lot of you saying, why not just have one of each? But here's the thing. Like with any treat, I don't want to overdo it. Depending on the ingredients, both pies and cake contain lots of sugar and calories. And while savory pies aren't sugary, they. They can be high in sodium and fat. But having one every now and then is okay. But which one?

[Pie]

That's easy. Who doesn't want a piece of the pie?

[Cake]

Someone who thinks this decision is a cakewalk.

[Trusty]

Okay, okay. I have to know which is more popular with people, cakes or pies. Let me look online. Hmm, not much help here. Some say cake, some say pies. Here's a survey that put every pie and cake in a bracket. Like a sports tournament. Smarty pants, guess who won? Pie or cake? The winner was Cheesecake.

[Cake]

Oh, bless your heart, pie guy. You tried hard, but it seems cake takes the cake. Thank you. Thank you.

[Trusty]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Pie]

Hold up. Did you say cheesecake?

[Narrator]

I did.

[Pie]

You know what? Cheesecake has a crust. That's because cheesecake is a pie. Booyah.

[Cake]

But the crust is made with graham cracker or cookies. Not pie. Pastry. And look at the name, dear. It's a cake.

[Trusty]

So what do you think, smarty pants? As it happens, what cheesecake is has been debated nearly as much as pies versus cakes. Foods don't follow strict rules, and names often get mixed up. Take the Boston cream pie.

[Pie]

Oh, I love Boston cream pie.

[Cake]

Probably because it's actually a cake.

[Pie]

What? Is that true?

[Narrator]

It is.

[Trusty]

A Boston cream pie has cake ingredients, but it's called a pie because it was originally baked in a pie pan. Ingredients didn't matter. And then there's the unusual pie that's perhaps the most famous and favorite of all.

[Pie]

Oh, no, you're not gonna say what I think you're gonna say.

[Trusty]

Oh, I sure am. While you might not think of pizza as a traditional pie, it does have a crust, but. And something like a filling with all those yummy meat and veggie toppings and fruits like pineapple. No, no pineapple on pizza for me. But now that I think about it, the choice of what to eat is clear pie cake. I'll take a pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, garlic, and extra cheese to go.

[Pie]

Well, doesn't that just take the cake?

[Trusty]

A big shout out to Oliver and Sebastian in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, who wrote in Love who Smarted because it teaches us new facts about everyday subjects in a fun and exciting way. We've listened to every episode and love the trusty narrator. Aw, thanks. You too. We're happy to have you smarting with us. This episode, Cakes vs. Pies, was written by Dave the Baker Beaudry and voiced by Kim Team Cake Davis, Adam Pie, Guy Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Crusty Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Carrot Cake Komaski. The theme song is by Brian Sam 7layer Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.