CAKE CRUMB PARFAITS
For anyone who bakes, you know the heartbreak of a cake that fails. The one that comes out of the bundt pan in chunks, the muffin tops that separate from the stumps, or the layer cake that falls out…… in layers. No matter how well you have greased, floured or lined your pans it is bound to happen at some point. So what do you do with this pile of rubble that was intended for a party or gathering? Fear not, we have worked on a few ideas to help in the event of just such a disaster, some clever ways to turn your crumbs into delicious treats.
A few weeks ago I acquired a new baking pan with small square cups. The baking supply store I frequent had a BOGO on Fat Daddios pans, so how could I resist? I found a couple I thought would be interesting to use and that were different for anything else I had. So last weekend I finally got around to trying them out. I had a vision of little miniature square layer cakes that I would pour a mirror finish over. I prepared my pan and filled the cups. Having never used this pan before I just made a guess on how full to fill the pan, well I guessed wrong. My delicious spice cake batter rose up and became one large muffin top. As plan B, I attempted to cut the tops apart thinking I could frost them as square cupcakes. When I flipped the pan………. Well on to plan C. The thought of tossing out the broken cakes pained me. So what could I do? Well here are a few ideas I came up with. I hope this does not happen to you, but if and when it does, you will have some back up plans to make a masterpiece out of crumbs.
#1 – Cake Crumb Parfaits
I crumbled the broken cake and layered it with fresh berries and some quick and easy Two-ingredient Bavarian Cream. This could certainly be served as a dessert to guests and no one would ever even suspect this started as a disaster.
#2 – Cake Crumb Pie Crust
I spread the cake crumbs out on a sheet pan and allowed them to dry for a couple of hours, then melted some butter and used them to replace graham crackers to make a crust. You could bake the crust in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or if you prefer chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before filling.
#3 – Cake Pop Truffles
I mixed about two cups of the crumbs with a quarter cup of prepared frosting, (there is not an exact ratio of cake to frosting, you want the mixture to be slightly crumbly but wet enough to form a ball when rolled). I placed the mixture in the fridge for about an hour before scooping and rolling it into balls. I tempered some chocolate and dipped the balls, topping them with a few of the cake crumbs before the chocolate set up. Cake Pop Truffles, a gourmet treat! Who would ever have guessed this started as a fail?
#4 – Cake Crumb Cookies
This one is my favorite of the solutions, in fact I would bake a cake just to crumble up to make these. They turned out incredibly soft and moist. Since this was a spice cake that fell apart on me, I decided to use some salted caramel chips for some added flavor. Depending on the flavor of cake you start with you could add what ever sounds good to you. I will tell you though these were absolutely delicious! The recipe for the cookies is below.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla / lemon / or almond extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cup cake crumbs
- 1 cup chocolate chips / white chocolate chips / nuts / raisins if desired
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Cream butter together with sugars. Mix in egg and extract.
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In a separate bowl sift together dry ingredients. Mix in cake crumbs.
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Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixing to combine. (Dough may appear a bit crumbly but will tighten up as it stands).
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Add chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit if desired.
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Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then scoop out onto a silicone lined baking sheet.
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Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Dough will appear a bit crumbly at first but after it rests the consistency changes to more of a cookie dough you would expect.