For one reason or another, your cake got seriously messed up. It’s not the beautiful cake it was “supposed” to be. That doesn’t mean you should chuck it into the trash can, never to be seen again. It simply means that you need to be creative and use it in an all-new and unplanned way.
You can turn your broken/messed-up cake into a plethora of yummy treats. Turning crumbled cake into cake pops is a top-notch idea, as is making mini cakes, trifles, bread pudding, and milkshakes.
Hey, everyone! My name is Michelle, and I’ve had my fair share of broken and messed-up cakes – yes, even after baking for the past ten years. It’s a common problem for most, but I’ve found some great ways to use up that unsightly and destroyed cake. You’re going to love these ideas!
Keep reading to discover the eight best things to do with a broken and messed-up cake.
8 Ways to Use Broken/Messed-Up Cake
Just because your cake is broken, it doesn’t mean you have to throw it away. Plenty of great ways to reinvent it and scarf it all up exist. You just need to step outside of the box and use one of these fun ideas:
1. Turn it into Cake Pops
Let’s be honest – everyone loves cake pops. They’re adorable, bite-sized treats that are loaded with flavor.
But buying cake pops can be expensive, especially if you shop at a place like Starbucks.
Luckily, you can save on costs by turning your broken pile of cake into charming and scrumptious cake pops.
All you need to do is mix frosting with your crumbled cake until it’s pliable and holds together. Shape them into balls. Then, refrigerate (covered) for about an hour. They should firm up a bit before dipping into melted chocolate or candy melts. Yum!
2. Make Miniature Cakes
If your cake isn’t too crumbly – but definitely not “united as one” – you can transform your big cake into a series of small, miniature cakes.
This is a good option if your cake is relatively still held together, but there’s some noticeable breakage in certain areas.
To make mini cakes, simply cut the cake into smaller pieces. Make sure they can stand up on their own without falling over!
Then, frost and decorate as you were planning to.
3. Make a Trifle
Trifles are delightful desserts that originated in England. They’re typically structured in glass dishes that show off those lovely layers of cake, whipped cream, custard, fruit, and other delicious elements.
Needless to say, a trifle is a great way to use up broken and messed-up pieces of cake.
To make a trifle with your “ruined” cake, simply cut them into cubes and add the remaining trifle ingredient layers. Follow along with this recipe if you need help.
By creating a trifle with your messed-up cake, nobody will be able to tell that you made a mistake during the cake-baking process. They’ll think you planned the trifle all along – which is a win for you!
4. Construct a Mouthwatering Bread Pudding
Bread pudding has long been a classic dessert that many adore and love. It’s a nostalgic treat, each bite reminiscent of grandma’s cooking.
That doesn’t mean you have to use bread, though.
With this idea, you give traditional bread pudding a serious makeover.
How?
By using cake pieces instead of bread.
Yes, this makes the bread pudding infinitely sweeter – but who said that was a bad thing?
5. Dry it Into Crumbles
Have you ever been to an ice cream shop like Cold Stone Creamery? Then you’ll know the process of topping a scoop of ice cream with almost anything imaginable – including cookie dough pieces, chocolate syrup, and yes – bits of cake.
Did you know you can do this in the comfort of your own home, too?
It’s true! You just have to crumble up your messed-up cake, toss it onto a baking sheet, and bake at 400F for about ten minutes (or until dried-out and toasted). Cool and place in an airtight container.
Then, you can use these yummy cake crumbles on everything. Throw ‘em on top of your next bowl of ice cream, enhance the flavor of your yogurt parfait, or add them to your next batch of cookies.
The possibilities are endless!
6. Blend into a Milkshake
There are lots of yummy milkshake flavors out there, from the classic chocolate and vanilla to more out-of-the-box flavors like Shamrock and pumpkin pie.
One milkshake flavor you won’t want to skip is cake batter, though, and you can make it using your broken cake pieces!
To make a milkshake with cake, simply add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You can add whatever you’d like, but ensure there is a base of milk and ice cream.
7. Make French Toast for Breakfast or Dessert
If your cake isn’t too messed up, you can always opt to make French toast.
To make French toast with your messed-up cake, simply cut the cake into slices (if possible). Then use it as the “bread” for your French toast. Top it with whatever you’d like – syrups, fruits, etc.
Enjoy this yummy treat for breakfast or dessert – it’s up to you!
8. Turn it into Pie Crust
Do you consider yourself more of a pie person than a cake person?
Then you’ll be happy to hear about this next transformation!
Did you know that you can turn crumbled and messed-up cake into a pie crust? Yup, that’s right – and the results are incredible. Think about your favorite kind of pie turned up a couple of notches with the desirable cake flavors. You can’t go wrong!
To make a pie crust with crumbled cake, you need to crumble and toast the cake at 400F for ten minutes. Then, take the toasted crumbles out, mix them with butter, and squish them into a pie pan (or a suitable pie pan substitute). Bake for another ten minutes before adding your filling.
So much yum.
FAQs
Now you know what to do with that broken and messed-up cake! Pretty good idea, wouldn’t you say? If you want to learn more about this topic, I’ve included some FAQs to help you. Let’s dive in!
Can I fix a crumbled cake?
If your cake isn’t too crumbled, you can try to fix a crumbly cake using frosting. However, this will only work for very minimal cake damage. Use a good amount of frosting to “glue” the broken pieces together, then frost and decorate as you originally planned.
How do you rescue a hard cake?
The best way to rescue a hard cake is to slather it with simple syrup. This will help to moisten it. You can also add fillings, such as whipped cream or fruit. Finally, you can simply frost and decorate it as desired.
Can you take a cake out and put it back in?
If your cake has already cooled, you should not put it back in. However, if you’ve only taken the cake out for a few seconds or short minutes, you can stick it back into the oven.
So Many Ways to Use Broken/Messed-Up Cake!
As you can see, a broken and messed-up cake doesn’t have to be tossed out. You can make a number of yummy treats, from cake pops to milkshakes, using the crumbled cake.
Which is your favorite way to use broken/messed-up cake?
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