Trifle
Homemade trifle is as impressive and delicious as it is forgiving. Simply combine bite-sized bits of leftover cake with layers of custard, whipped cream, fresh fruit, pudding, jam, sprinkles, and so on. Make one large trifle in a clear bowl with straight sides or assemble individual ones in mason jars. Match the flavor of your cake with the other ingredients: Layer rich chocolate cake with pitted cherries, chocolate chunks, and whipped cream; key lime pie with coconut flakes and fresh mango; or banana cake with cream cheese frosting, walnuts, and chunks of fresh banana.
Cake Truffles
This is a great use for leftover cake with a layer of frosting on it. Remember the glory days of cake pops? You can make your own by crumbling your frosted cake and shaping it into balls. Spear each one with a lollipop stick, then lay them on a nonstick or greased cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Once they’ve hardened, melt a bar or two of chocolate (dark, milk, and white are all fair game) and dunk the pops into it one by one; drip dry. Coat them in additional toppings—crushed almonds, candy, sprinkles, more cake crumbs—before freezing them again to allow the chocolate to harden. If you don’t have lollypop sticks, don’t sweat it. You’ll have cake truffles instead of pops.
Ice Cream Topping
No need to describe the mutually beneficial relationship between cake and ice cream. You’ve known since grade school and your friends’ Baskin Robbins birthday parties. However, sprinkling homemade cake atop your scoop of rum raisin or cookie dough will really change things. Crisping your crumbs up in the oven first will take it to the next level.
Make Cake Shakes
Why not? Give your leftover cake a whirl in the blender with ice cream and milk. Better yet, make it boozy—add a splash of rum, apple brandy, or coffee liqueur. Do it in the name of curtailing food waste!
