17 Creative Ways To Use Leftover Cake

We will forever be a big fan of Franken-desserts, which are merely a combination of our favorite sweets in a single serving. From brookies (brownie cookies) to tiramisu cheesecake, there's a lot to love about these dessert hybrids. But nothing replaces crumbling leftover cake into your brownie batter to make a flavorful and textural masterpiece.

The key for this recipe is to use dried cake — preferably one teetering on the edge of staleness. The drier the cake, the easier it will absorb into the batter and infuse its flavors. Start by carefully folding the crumbled cake into the brownie batter (boxed or homemade are both acceptable) before pouring it into the pan and baking. You can explore different flavors based on the cake you have hanging around. Decadent devil's food cake and chocolate cake are both standard options, while a strawberry or a funfetti cake can infuse some excitement into your otherwise boring tray of brownies.

Are we back in 2010? Although cake pops may be long past their heyday, it's still a great way to use up both the cake and frosting components of your dessert. You'll first want to separate the cake from the frosting. Grind the cake into small crumbs with your hands before incrementally adding the frosting. When making cake pops, it's important not to flop all of the frosting right into the bowl with the crumbs, as you'll only need enough frosting to bring the crumbs together into balls. If you add too much, the pops won't hold together — which will make dipping them into the melted chocolate a nightmare.

There are many different possibilities for flavoring your pops. During the fall, you'll love pumpkin spiced cake pops made with leftover pumpkin cake. Or, stick with a Starbucks copycat with vanilla cake, vanilla frosting, and pink candy melts.

Making use of leftover food is all about getting creative. For example, cake pops aren't the only way to use up leftover cake — you can also make truffles. Instead of letting out frustrated sighs when your cake pops don't stick perfectly to the lollipop sticks, roll the cake with melted chocolate and icing to make simple, bite-sized truffles.

Unlike cake pops, this is one recipe where you can pack on the icing. It will help keep the balls together and create a soft, truffle-like bite into every one of them. Once you've coated your truffles in a layer of melted chocolate or candy melts, you can roll them easily in a bowl of sprinkles or cocoa powder. Alternatively, you can also create elaborate chocolate designs with a piping bag. If you bring a tray of these sneaky leftover treats to a party, we doubt anyone would know that these truffles were made with recycled birthday cake.

Your leftover cake is probably not the first thing you think of when making breakfast, but it's the secret ingredient to making absolutely unforgettable French toast. You'll want to opt for a sturdy type of cake for this recipe (sorry, Genoise sponge and angel food cake), like a pound cake or a fruit cake, since it will absorb the custard better and produce a more consistent texture when it's cooked. When your griddle is hot and good to go, gently place each cake slice into the custard, flip to get both sides coated, and pop it onto the greased surface. In only a few minutes, your cake will be made into something a little more acceptable to eat before 8 am.

Once your cake comes off the griddle, you can top it with your favorite complementary toppings, like whole berries, maple syrup, or powdered sugar. If you have leftover cream cheese icing, you can also dilute it a little bit and pour it right onto the cake. It's a great way to save a dry cake and breathe new life into your breakfast.

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert made by stacking coffee-soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone, whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder. But if you forget to grab a pack of ladyfingers biscuits at the store, you can always turn to your leftover cake. While it won't have the exact same texture as a tray of the classic recipe from your local Italian bakery, it will do in a pinch.

Start by slicing your cake pieces into slices. The key to making a good tiramisu — or at least a recipe that will pass as somewhat close to the original — is to use a sturdy, pound-cake-like base. It soaks up the coffee well and won't break into tiny pieces like a fragile variety would. Alternatively, you can also play with the flavors of a robust sponge cake; chocolate sponge paired with coffee is just one heavenly combination. Brush the cake with the freshly brewed coffee before stacking on your other cheese layers.

We would happily host a television show entitled "Does it waffle?" to see all of the insane things that people have tried to cook in a waffle iron. Leftover cake is certainly one item that you may have doubts about, but we can assure you it's worth trying. Remove all of the icing from your cake slices (which would otherwise splatter, burn, and smell dreadful) and place the wedges onto the greased, hot iron until golden brown. The key to making this recipe is not to overstuff your waffle iron, as it will be tough to get the perfect amount of color.

Once your waffle is out of the appliance, you can top it with your favorite sliced fruit or dip it in chocolate for a kid-friendly snack. Or, add extra milk to your icing to transform it into a thin glaze and spread it on top of your caked-out waffles.

Recycling your cake for purely aesthetic reasons is still just as valid as making an entirely new dish. Plus, it's a great way to make use of a cake that may not be the most visually appealing creation you've ever made or the scraps from a layer cake that you needed to level.

You can use the leftover crumbs to add texture to other baked goods. Either carefully crumble the cake pieces with your hands or plop them into your trusty food processor to start. Then, dry the crumbs on a lined sheet pan until firm. You don't want to toast them too much (or worse, burn them) — only make them so that they don't get soggy when you sprinkle them onto your desserts. These crumbs can provide a colorful garnish to cupcakes, cake pops, or truffles, or you can reserve them for sprinkling on top of your ice cream.

A layer of macerated fruit is an easy way to hide any texture or baking imperfections on your cake. The fruit, which has been soaked in sugar, will release its juices into the sponge and keep everything perfectly moist. Plus, it's a great way to give leftover birthday cake new life and reduce the amount you'll inevitably have to throw away after the festivities are over.

This hack can work with almost any kind of cake you have in your home, but some of the most popular options include vanilla cake, white cake, or pound cake. The chocolate cake options are equally as delicious (at least to us), but the chocolate can occasionally conflict with the strawberries. It's best to go with a flavor that will be a blank canvas for fruity notes. In addition, you'll want to spoon off the frosting, at least for now, so that the sponge can soak up all that fruity goodness.

We admit that it does seem very state-fair of us to recommend you fry cake pieces. But if you're a big fan of all things crunchy and textured, it's a step that we will forever recommend taking.

You'll want to start by scraping off as much of the frosting as possible and reserving it for your dipping accompaniment. Then, cube your leftover sponge and pop it in the freezer overnight. This will ensure that the cake keeps its shape when you plunge it into the hot oil. You'll also need to make pancake mix since this will act as the protective dredge that will keep your cake from drying out. Once you have your oil heated up and your dredging station ready to go, roll the cake in the pancake batter and fry it until golden brown. The resulting pieces will have the same flavors as your favorite cake, but just with the battered coating and ethereal crunch.

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table, The Daily Meal, and Mashed.