10 Easy Leftover Cake Recipes (2024)

It certainly doesn’t happen often in my house, but on the rare occasion we don’t devour an entire cake, I’m always looking for fun, new leftover cake recipes.

I hate wasting food, so even if I overbake something, I feel the need to use it. When I got a new oven, we went through a LOT of cake pops!

10 Easy Leftover Cake Recipes (1)

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The good news is that there are a bunch of recipes for that extra cake, even if it’s covered in frosting.

From simple cake truffles to pound cake French toast and chocolate cake shakes (yes, really!), this list of 10 leftover cake recipes has everything you’ll need to use up every single crumb!

1. Birthday Cake Truffles

These are as good as they sound, and if you’ve ever been to Milk Bar, I know you’ve tried these and let out a little groan.

The actual cake truffle here is a simple mix of leftover vanilla or Funfetti cake with vanilla frosting and a bit of extra milk for moisture.

But it’s the cookie crumb that makes these pop!

You’ll mix flour, sugar, and cornflour with melted butter, vanilla, and sprinkles and bake until lightly golden.

I like to use an ice cream scoop to portion mine because it’s easy and mess-free.

Once they’re rolled and chilled, you’ll just need to dip in melted white chocolate and roll in the cooled cookie crumbs.

2. Cake Scraps Fudgy Brownie Recipe

This recipe is baking magic at its finest! Seriously, you won’t believe how simple and delicious these brownies come out.

Just blitz your leftover cake in a food processor until it’s nice and crumbly, then throw in the rest and blitz until smooth.

It takes minutes, and you’ll be left with a thick and chocolatey batter that will bake into the fudgiest brownies ever!

If you use chocolate cake scraps, it will be much deeper in flavor, but vanilla would work, too.

Either way, adding in chocolate chips is a must.

3. Cake Crumb Pudding

Bread pudding is a sweet, dense, and tasty way to use up stale bread. But did you know it doesn’t just have to be bread?

When I worked in a bakery, we would take all the leftovers (cake, donuts, pastries, and more) and add them to the mix.

The different flavors and textures really made this simple little treat into something extra special.

If you blitz the cake into crumbs, this will be very custard-like.

If you like a bit more texture, try chopping the cake into crumbs and toasting some of it first.

Don’t over-mix this, or you’ll lose any texture it has. I like mine with rum or tea-soaked raisins, too!

4. Cake Pops

Cake pops can be made using any kind of cake and frosting you might have leftover, provided the flavors work together, of course.

I don’t think chocolate cake would work too well with lemon frosting.

When making your mix, if the cake already has frosting, don’t add extra until you’ve broken it down to crumbs. You might find it’s moist enough.

If you’re starting with just cake scraps, add the frosting a little at a time, as a super moist cake won’t need much.

The idea is to add just enough so it will hold its shape as you scoop and roll.

Too much, and you’ll be left with one (delicious) sticky mess.

Again, use an ice cream scoop to ensure you get the same size balls and be sure to chill them/freeze them before dipping in melted chocolate.

5. Chocolate Cake Shake

I really enjoy a bit of texture in my milkshakes.

Cookies and cream are a great example of that almost grainy texture from the blended Oreos.

I know it doesn’t sound great, but if you’ve tried it, you’ll get what I mean.

That said, this will also have a texture. It’s not quite as grainy, but it’s not smooth either, which I think makes it extra tasty!

Be sure to add cake and frosting, so you get maximum flavor and feel free to use chocolate ice cream if you want it really rich.

6. Pound Cake French Toast

Just when you thought French toast couldn’t get any better, with this recipe, nobody has to know you’re having cake for breakfast!

Unlike most French toast recipes, you don’t want to over-saturate your pound cake.

It’s not as stable as bread, so it will break apart if you leave it for too long.

A great way to ensure it holds its shape is to give it a light toasting before adding the custard.

Alternatively, why not try a pound cake French toast casserole? Make the custard and pour it over your cake in a baking dish.

Instead of leaving it overnight, just let it sit in the fridge for about an hour before baking.

7. Mango Trifle

Trifle is a layered dessert made using cake, custard/pudding, whipped cream, and usually a fruit layer.

So, if you have some leftover vanilla cake, why not break it up and make this sunny little trifle?

Since the cake is layered with pudding and cream, it doesn’t need to be neat, and if it has frosting, it will just add to the flavor.

I think this would be extra tasty with coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut sprinkled over the top.

Though it’s not essential, caramelizing your mangoes with a bit of brown sugar will elevate this to another level!

8. Grilled Pound Cake with Berries

I’ve mentioned toasting your leftover cake a couple of times in this post, but have you ever grilled cake before?

If you’re already grilling meat and the BBQ is still hot, you’ll have to give this a go.

Not only do the grill marks look amazing, but they add such a unique, smoky flavor to the buttery cake.

If you pair it with grilled fruit, it’s even better!

9. Domino Cake

This is a very dense and fudgy cake scrap recipe. It’s pretty similar to a no-bake cake made using dates and nuts.

The great part is, not only can you use chocolate or vanilla cake, but you can even throw in leftover cookies if you have them!

10. Lemon Raspberry Trifle Recipe

This quick trifle recipe needs just four ingredients: leftover white, vanilla, or lemon cake, lemon pudding, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries.

Lemon cake works incredibly well here, but if you only have vanilla, you might want to make a quick batch of lemon curd to boost that zesty taste.

If you have, say, a lemon and blueberry cake left, you could always swap out the raspberries for extra blueberries.

Though the raspberries would make a great color contrast!

10 Easy Leftover Cake Recipes (2)

10 Easy Leftover Cakes (+ Recipe Collection)

Instructions

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  • Prep a leftover cake recipe in 30 minutes or less!
10 Easy Leftover Cake Recipes (3)

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10 Easy Leftover Cake Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to make biscotti out of old cake? ›

Crunchy biscotti cookies made from cake. Perfect to go with your morning coffee or tea. Slice the cake into biscotti sized pieces, bake at 275 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until the cake is firm and somewhat hard. Cool and dip in melted chocolate, sprinkle with chopped nuts.

How do you make leftover cake moist? ›

The most common cake soak is simple syrup, equal parts sugar and water cooked until the sugar is dissolved. This added bit of liquid and sweetness help make the cake more moist, and stay moist longer.

What do bakeries do with leftover cakes? ›

Sadly, many bakery chains require leftovers to be counted and sent for disposal in landfill or incineration. There are other ways to better use leftovers from bakeries though, such as: Donating to local charities and homeless shelters. Turning into animal feed for farms.

How long is leftover birthday cake good for? ›

“You'll want to store a cake in the fridge with plastic wrap against the cut part (of the cake) to prevent the cake from drying out,” says Edwards, adding that store-bought cakes may last longer in the fridge, but homemade cakes should typically be consumed in five to seven days.

What is hammer cake? ›

Pinata' cake or 'Smash' is a heart-shaped cake with a hammer.

What is crumbing a cake? ›

A crumb coat is a very thin layer of icing used to “glue” crumbs down, seal in the cake's moisture (super useful when you need to store the cake before decorating it) and provide an even base for additional frosting.

What is a smash cake made of? ›

The recipes rely on fruit and veggies for flavor and structure, which results in a denser, moister cake with just a hint of sweetness—more like your favorite breakfast muffin, and less like a layer cake made with butter, eggs, and refined sugar.

How do you turn a cake into a biscotti? ›

I sliced the cake into pieces about 1.5cm thick and, because biscotti traditionally have almonds, randomly shoved in some slivered almonds on both sides. I placed them on a tray lined with baking paper and cooked in the oven preheated to 150°C for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes.

What is the secret to making biscotti? ›

12 Tips For Making The Absolute Best Biscotti
  1. Use room-temperature ingredients. ...
  2. Boost the flavor with spices, extracts, and zest. ...
  3. Toss in some add-ins for flavor and texture. ...
  4. Let the dough chill before shaping. ...
  5. Use floured or greased hands to shape the dough. ...
  6. Shape the dough into a smaller loaf than you want.
May 29, 2023

What does baking soda do in biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

Why do bakers soak cakes? ›

Let me introduce you to the cake soak.

When you do this, the cake integrates moisture and flavor, and the sweetened liquid helps preserve the cake's freshness, so a slice can taste just as delicious a couple days after baking.

Why is my cake hard after refrigeration? ›

Texture Changes: Storing cake in the fridge can actually SPEED UP the staling process due to the cooler temperatures causing changes in the starch. The technical term is starch retrogradation, and the result is a drier, stiffer texture (what we call “stale”).

Why is my cake crumbly but moist? ›

I have found that my cake crumbles from lack of adequate mixing. When you think two minutes have passed, the time might actually be a minute. Use a timer to mix adequately. Since it is cake flour, there is not much protein to harden the cake.

How long does leftover cake last in the fridge? ›

Wrap that cake up tight! Most cakes can be stored in a freezer for up to one month, or in the fridge for one week.

Should I freeze leftover cake? ›

You may be wondering, “Is freezing cake really okay?” The answer is a resounding yes! Freezing cakes is a fantastic method for managing a large baking project and ensuring that your treats remain fresh and delectable.

Can you reuse cakes? ›

You can use a variety of baking scraps when you're making a crumb crust, so grab your leftover cake and get started! Just crumble up the cake into tiny pieces and put them in the oven to toast up a bit. Next, you'll add some melted butter, press it into a pie pan and there you have it, a cake crust for your pie.

Can I freeze leftover cake? ›

Yes! You can freeze cake layers, sheet cakes, bundts and loaves. You can freeze frosted cakes and cupcakes, too. The freezer is your ticket to always having cake at your fingertips.

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