Baking is a science, and when one aspect of the recipe is changed, the outcome can be drastically different. This is especially true for cakes, which rely on careful measurements and chemical reactions to come together correctly.
If you’ve broken a cake, don’t despair – before you resign yourself to eating an inferior dessert, here are eight smart pivots to help you save the dessert.
Add frosting or whipped cream to the top. Layer the cake with fresh fruit or jam. Turn the cake into an ice cream cake. Make a trifle with the cake, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. Add nuts, chocolate chips, or other mix-ins.
Serve the cake with chocolate or caramel sauce. Cube the cake and serve it as a dessert bar. Turn the cake into cake pops or cake balls.
8 Thing Do with Broken Cake
- Use your frosting as cake “glue.”
- Fill big holes with frosting or marshmallow fluff.
- Turn your cake into tres leches cake.
- Make mini cakes or petit fours.
- Patch it and Bake it Again Briefly.
- Make cake-based bread pudding.
- Make like the Brits and trifle.
- Admit defeat and make cake pops or balls.
1. Use your frosting as cake “glue.”
If your Bundt cake is in several pieces, put the pieces back together as best as you can. Once they’re back together, use frosting or glaze to cover the cake and hold it all together. This will make your cake look much more finished and professional.
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2. Fill big holes with frosting or marshmallow fluff.
If your Bundt cake is missing large chunks or has big holes in it, you can fill them in with some frosting or marshmallow fluff. This will help to make your cake look more complete and less like it’s been through a battle.
Another simple trick is to use toothpicks to help fix any broken pieces. Just insert toothpicks into the gaps, then gently put the cake back together. Once it’s all fixed up, you can frost or decorate it however you like.
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And finally, if your Bundt cake is really crumbly, you can try to salvage it by baking it in a loaf pan. This will help to hold the cake together and minimize the amount of crumbs.
3. Turn your cake into tres leches cake.
If your Bundt cake is looking a little worse for wear, don’t worry – there are still ways to save it. One option is to turn it into a tres leches cake. This is a popular Latin American dessert that is made with three different types of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk.
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4. Make mini cakes or petit fours.
If your Bundt cake is in bad shape, you might want to consider baking it into mini cakes or petit fours instead. This will help to make the cake look more presentable, and it will be a lot easier to eat.
And if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even try making a cake pops. These little treats are always a hit, and they’re sure to make your Bundt cake look like a million bucks.
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If you’re not interested in turning your Bundt cake into a tres leches cake, you can also try making mini cakes or petit fours. This is a great way to use up any leftover cake, and it’s also a great way to impress your guests.
5. Patch it and Bake it Again Briefly.
If the cake is still in one piece, but has a large hole or crack, you can try to patch it up and bake it again briefly. This method is not always successful, but it’s worth a try before giving up on your cake. All you need is a little frosting and some patience.
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First, frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. This will help to hide any mistakes. Then, take a small piece of cake and crumble it into a ball. Use this ball to fill in the hole or crack on the cake. Finally, frost over the top of the ball of cake crumbs.
6. Make cake-based bread pudding.
If all else fails, you can always turn your Bundt cake into a delicious bread pudding. This is a great way to use up any leftover cake, and it’s also a great way to feed a large crowd.
To make cake-based bread pudding, start by crumbling the cake into small pieces. Then, place the cake pieces in a large bowl and pour in the desired amount of milk or cream. Stir until the cake is fully coated, and then add in any mix-ins that you’d like. For example, you could add raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips.
Next, pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake until the bread pudding is golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on top.
7. Make like the Brits and trifle.
If all else fails, and you’re just not feeling up to the task of patching a Bundt cake, you can always turn it into a trifle. Start by cutting the cake into small pieces and layering them in a glass or serving dish.
Add any kind of fruit or jam you like, whipped cream, custard, or ice cream. Top it all off with some sprinkles or chocolate shavings and you’re good to go.
8. Admit defeat and make cake pops or balls.
If all else fails, there are always cake pops or balls. These are the perfect way to disguise a broken Bundt cake. Plus, they’re always a hit with kids and adults alike. Just follow these simple steps:
- Crumble the cake into a large bowl.
- Mix in enough frosting or other wet ingredients to create a dough-like consistency.
- Roll the mixture into small balls or pops.
- Place them on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Frost or decorate as desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
If desired, insert lollipop sticks into the cake before sprinkling with sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Conclusion
The right action to take when you break a cake is on the subjective side of opinion. Cake breakage has numerous potential solutions, each applicable to a certain context.
You can cut off the top and fill it with ice cream, or flip it upside down to see what is on the bottom, or you can experiment and see what works best in terms of flavouring.
I hope these 8 smart pivots for when you’ve broken a cake have given you something to think about next time this unfortunate situation occurs.