How do you salvage a flat cake?

Baking cakes can be a tricky endeavor. Even experienced bakers sometimes end up with a cake that doesn’t rise properly and is flat. A flat cake can be disappointing after putting in all that time and effort. But don’t despair – there are several tricks you can try to salvage a flat cake so it’s still edible and tastes good.

What causes cakes to be flat?

There are a few common culprits that can lead to a flat cake:

• Incorrect leavening – Using too little baking powder or baking soda, or ones that are old/expired can prevent a cake from rising properly.
• Overmixing – Overbeating the batter develops too much gluten and prevents the cake from rising.
• Improper folding – Being too rough when folding in egg whites or other light ingredients deflates the batter.
• Batter too warm – Warm cake batter spreads out instead of rising up.
• Pan greased incorrectly – If the pan isn’t greased thoroughly, the batter can stick and prevent rising.
• Oven temperature too low – Low oven temperature prevents the leaveners from working effectively.
• Opening oven too early – Opening the oven door before the cake sets can cause it to fall.

Pinpointing the potential cause can help you avoid flat cakes in the future. But for now, let’s look at ways to try and remedy the situation when you’ve already got a flat cake on your hands.

Layer the cake

One of the simplest ways to salvage a flat cake is to turn it into a layered cake. Here’s how:

1. Once the cake is fully cooled, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 2 or 3 even layers.
2. Place the bottom layer on a cake stand or plate.
3. Spread frosting, jam, fresh fruit, or other filling evenly on top.
4. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat with more filling.
5. Frost the top and sides of the cake as desired.

Layering gives the illusion of a taller cake, and the filling provides moisture and flavor to the otherwise dry flat cake. You can get creative with different fillings too.

Bake cake pops or cake truffles

If layering doesn’t appeal to you, another option is to crumble up the cake and mix it with frosting or cream cheese to make cake pops or cake balls.

Here is the method:

1. Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl, removing any hard edges or baked on crumbs from the pan.
2. Add a few tablespoons of frosting, cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread, or other flavor, and mix to form a dough-like consistency.
3. Roll tablespoon sized portions of the mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet.
4. For cake pops, stick a lollipop stick into each ball. For cake truffles, leave them without sticks.
5. Freeze the cake pops or truffles until firm, at least 2 hours.
6. Once firm, dip the pops or truffles in melted chocolate or candy coating. Sprinkle with toppings like sprinkles, coconut, crushed candy, etc. if desired.
7. Place back on the baking sheet and allow chocolate to set fully before serving.

The portability and fun of cake pops make them ideal for gatherings and gifts. They also don’t require a tall or layered cake to be enjoyable.

Make cake nachos

If you want to serve the flat cake more like a dessert appetizer, cake nachos are a great way to go. Follow these steps:

1. Cut the cake into small triangle wedges, about 1-2 inches on each side.
2. Arrange the cake wedges neatly on a platter like nacho chips.
3. Melt chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, or other dipping sauces and put into ramekins for drizzling.
4. Provide an assortment of toppings like chopped nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies or candy, diced fruit, whipped cream, etc.
5. Let guests build their own nachos by drizzling sauces over the cake chips and loading on desired toppings.

The interactive element makes cake nachos a fun casual dessert for a crowd. Kids especially will enjoy customizing their treats.

Make cake muffins or cupcakes

Cutting the cake into individual servings is another great option. Here’s how to make cake muffins or cupcakes:

1. Crumble the cooled cake into a bowl and mix in a few tablespoons of milk, juice, liqueur, or other liquid to moisten it.
2. Scoop the cake mixture into lined muffin tins or cupcake cups, pressing gently into the bottoms.
3. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
4. Cool completely before frosting with buttercream, cream cheese frosting, glaze, or chocolate ganache.
5. Top with sprinkles or other decorations as desired.

The single serving sizes and fun decorating makes these great for parties or gifting. Kids will also love having their own personal cake.

Turn it into a trifle

Trifles are a simple no-bake dessert but look elegant layered in a clear glass bowl. Follow these steps:

1. Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
2. In a glass bowl or trifle dish, layer the cake cubes, pudding or pastry cream, sliced fruit, and whipped cream.
3. Repeat the layers until the bowl is full, ending with whipped cream.
4. Decorate the top with chocolate shavings, crushed candy, nuts, or fresh fruit.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

The moisture from the cream and fruit penetrates the dry cake making it tender again. Peach, berries, and citrus fruits pair especially well in trifles.

Make cake crumbs for recipes

If you don’t need an intact cake, crumbling it up for future use is a great way to avoid waste. Here are ways to use cake crumbs:

• Cake pops – Mix with frosting and form into balls to coat in chocolate.
• Trifles – Layer cake crumbs into parfaits instead of fresh cake.
• Sprinkles – Allow crumbs to dry out fully then use to decorate cakes, cupcakes, or ice cream.
• Pie crusts – Add to your next pie dough or graham cracker crust.
• Bread pudding – Combine with custard and bake into a sweet bread pudding.
• Cheesecake crust – Make a press-in style crust for your next cheesecake.
• Milkshake – Blend into ice cream with milk and flavorings for a cake milkshake.

Tightly sealed cake crumbs can be frozen for several months so you can use as needed. Be sure to note the cake flavor for easy reference later.

Turn it into cake ice cream

For a cool twist, you can crumble up bits of cake and stir them into ice cream for an easy homemade cake ice cream. Here’s how:

1. Allow ice cream to soften slightly so it can be scooped.
2. Mix in crumbled cake pieces, using roughly 1 cup crumbs to 1 quart of ice cream.
3. You can also add in mix-ins like chocolate chips, caramel swirl, crushed candy, etc.
4. Transfer the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan or container with lid.
5. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals.
6. Freeze 4-6 hours until solidified.

The cake bits add great flavor and texture to plain ice cream. Kids will be delighted by the surprise cake piecies in each bite.

Infuse it into cake into milk or alcohol

Another way to impart moist tender cake flavor is by infusing the crumbs into liquids like milk for a soak or alcohol for cocktail bitters. Here’s how:

Cake Soaked Milk

1. Add 1-2 cups cake crumbs to 4 cups milk in a container.
2. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.
3. Strain through a mesh sieve before using.
4. Use to make French toast, pancakes, or soak new cubes of cake for a trifle.

Cake Bitters

1. Add 1 cup cake crumbs and 1 cup vodka or bourbon to a jar.
2. Let sit at room temperature 1 week, shaking daily.
3. Strain out the solids through a mesh sieve.
4. Add drops of the infused alcohol to cocktails for hints of cake flavor.

The subtle sweetness makes both of these great for bringing new life to leftover cake.

Turn it into dessert sandwiches

For a quick and easy dessert, you can make cake sandwiches by stacking cake slices with creamy fillings. Here are some combinations to try:

• Chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes
• Spice cake with cream cheese frosting and caramel drizzle
• Vanilla cake with lemon curd and blackberry preserves
• Carrot cake with mascarpone cheese and chopped toasted walnuts
• Yellow cake with chocolate hazelnut spread and sliced bananas

For neater sandwiches, level the rounded top of the cake with a serrated knife before assembling. These handheld desserts need no fork or plate!

Turn it into cake croutons

If all else fails, you can make croutons from the leftover cake for using on ice cream or other desserts. Here’s how:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Cut cake into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly toasted, flipping once.
4. Let cool completely then store cake croutons in an airtight container for up to a week.
5. Top ice cream sundaes, pudding parfaits or fruit salads with the crunchy cake croutons.

Their sweet crunch adds nice texture and flavor to all kinds of desserts. Kids especially will love the fun crouton topping.

Conclusion

Don’t let a fallen cake get you down. With some creativity and clever techniques, you can transform even the flattest cake into something delicious. Layering, crumbling, slicing, or chopping the cake provides options for reworking it into cake pops, trifles, nachos and more. A flat cake can still be a success!