A cake that’s being touted as the world’s oldest preserved example has been uncovered in an Egyptian tomb.

Made approximately 4200 years ago, which according to Guinness World Records makes it the world’s oldest cake – to date, that is – the cake consists of two 10cm wide wheat flatbreads that are thought to have been filled with honey, milk, and sesame.

The cake was discovered in the Egyptian necropolis of Meir, in the tomb of  Pepyankh the Middle, a vizier who served during the reign of Pepi II, who is thought to be the longest reigning monarch. A vizier is the highest position a person could achieve in the royal court besides being a Pharoah.

According to IFLScience.com, cakes like the one discovered were designed to accompany ancient Egyptians like Pepyankh into the afterlife, serving as a symbol of renewed life. Their preservation are largely credited to the way the cakes were baked, which involved placing the dough between two copper moulds designed to fit together, allowing the contents to be heated but also keeping them sealed away once the cake was cooked.

The cake is now on display in the Swiss food museum Alimentarium, with on of their reports stating, “the moulds were pre-heated in the fire and placed on the damp dough, which led to the formation of air bubbles inside.”

“As the cake cooled these air bubbles escaped thus creating an air vacuum in the mould. This ensured that the cake stuck to the metal and allowed it to be preserved to this day.”