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I love to bake, especially cakes, and as all cake makers know, you’re likely to have some cake batter or trimmings left over when you’re done. While some people may opt to just throw these leftovers away, I prefer to make use of them and save money in the process.
As a general rule, there are many ways to use leftover cake batter and trimmings including turning them into other delicious desserts and breakfast treats. You can freeze unused cake batter and trimmings for months and thaw them out in the fridge when you’re ready to use them again.
What do you do with leftover cake batter besides eating it? Cake batter can be used for sweet treats, like cake or cupcakes. But it can also be used for a shake. Plus, there’s a multitude of other possible ways to use it after the cake is gone. Check out these 13 creative ways with leftover cake batter you’re sure to find inspiring!
13 Ways To Use Leftover Cake Batter and Trimmings:
- Bake It
- Freeze It
- Turn It Into Cookies
- Make Cake Pops
- Make Waffles
- Mix Into Brownies
- Make a Trifle
- Make a Shake
- Make Cake Shooters
- Add Onto Ice Cream
- Make Parfaits
- Make A Pie Crust
- Make an Icebox Cake
Just because you don’t want to bake the leftover cake batter doesn’t mean it’s not good for something. My favorite way to use leftover cake batter is anything that involves creativity. If you’re looking for some delicious ways to use leftover cake trimmings, you came to the right place!
If you’re looking for a good set of airtight storage containers, I recommend getting the Rubbermaid Brilliance Leak-Proof Food Storage Containers with Airtight Lids.
I’ve used these containers for a couple of years now and I’ve successfully stored all of my food and baked goods in room temperature, fridge, and freezer. I’ve even used them in the microwave! These containers come in many different sets, so choose the right one for you. You can check out these containers on Amazon!
1. Bake It
Baking leftover cake batter is one of my favorite ways to use it. If I have enough leftover batter or ingredients to do so, then I like to turn my leftover batter into another cake.
If I’m baking for a party or family get-together, then I may alter the flavor of this extra cake, if possible, or add different toppings, in order to provide another option for guests.
For example, I may add some coffee to my leftover chocolate cake batter for a chocolate coffee-flavored cake.
If I don’t have enough leftover cake batter or ingredients to make another cake, then I may instead choose to bake the leftover batter into as many cupcakes as I can, or I may make one giant cupcake.
*Side Note: You might also want to know why your cakes can sometimes come out Crumbly or Moist. I dug into the root of the problem and I wrote an article about Preventing and Fixing Crumbly and Moist Cakes, which you can check out here!
2. Freeze It
You can freeze leftover cake batter for up to three months. When freezing cake batter, it’s important to note that oil-based batters freeze better than batter that includes whipped eggs or cream as these two ingredients change texture when frozen.
I like to freeze my leftover cake batter in a freezer bag. To do so without making too much of a mess, I like to place the freezer bag into a bowl or cup (depending on how much batter I’m freezing), then wrap the edges of the bag around the rim of the cup or bowl to keep it open.
I’ve found that if I scoop the batter into the freezer bag rather than pour it, I make less of a mess and leave less batter behind!
If freezing different kinds of flavored batter, then be sure to label which batter you’re freezing on the bags so that you don’t have to play the guessing game when taking them out later.
When you’re ready to use your frozen batter, be sure to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator rather than using other methods to speed up the thawing process as thawing your batter by other methods can negatively alter your batter.
*Side Note: You might also want to know how to Store Your Cake Batter The Right Way. I wrote an article about Storing Cake Batter The Right Way, which you can check out here!
3. Turn It Into Cookies
I’ve been able to make some delicious cookies with cake batter in the past. Just by adding a few different types of mix-ins, I’ve been able to make a variety of different cookies like double chocolate chip pecan cookies and strawberry coconut.
Be aware that different types and flavors of cake mixes and batter behave differently. In my experience, I’ve found that some cake mixes spread out more when I use my leftover batter from them to make cookies, especially vanilla cake mixes.
This idea fascinated me so much that I wrote a whole separate article about the details of turning cake batter into cookies!
I recently wrote an article breaking down How To Make Cookies Out of Cake Batter Step-by-Step. It talks about all you need to know about Making Cookie Dough Out Of Cake Batter! You can check out this article here!
Cookies made from cake batter can stay soft for a while, so be sure to store them in an air-tight container!
*Side Note: You might also want to know How To Bake Cookies Without A Cookie Sheet. I recently wrote an article that talks about What Can You Use To Bake Cookies Without A Cookie Sheet, which you can check out here!
4. Make Cake Pops
Since cake pops are so easy to make, they are typically my go-to when I need to make use of leftover cake trimmings. All you need to do to make yummy cake pops is mix your leftover cake trimmings with your favorite frosting so that the cake will hold together.
Then, you just have to scoop out balls of cake using just a cookie scoop or a spoon. If using a spoon to make cake pops, then you’re going to have to shape the cake pops into balls using your hands since a spoon won’t give you that same perfect spherical shape as cookie scoops will.
If you have leftover cake trimmings but not leftover frosting, then you can forgo the frosting and instead add melted chocolate or nut butter over your cake trimmings instead.
*By the way, you might also want to know How To Bake A Cake Without A Cake Pan. I recently wrote an article that talks about How To Bake A Cake If You Don’t Have A Cake Pan. You can find this article here!
5. Make Waffles
If you have a waffle iron, you can make effective use of leftover cake batter by turning it into waffles. Be sure to follow the instructions of your waffle iron to ensure the waffle comes outright.
For a definitely delicious but maybe not-so-healthy breakfast treat, you can make waffles with leftover cake batter. All you have to do is pour your leftover cake batter into waffle iron and enjoy.
You can then top your freshly-made cake waffle the same way you would a regular one!
Making waffles requires a certain set of tools that everyone needs to have but the most important tool is the Waffle Maker itself! Personally, I use the Cuisinart Waffle Maker That Can Flip so that you can cook both sides of the waffles evenly. You can check out this Waffle Maker on Amazon!
6. Mix Into Brownies
You can make effective use of cake trimmings by folding them into brownie batter. Be sure to finely crumble your cake trimmings before folding them into your brownie batter to prevent the mixed in trimmings from getting burnt or dry while being baked again in your brownies.
I like to mix cake trimmings into brownie batter because it adds a different taste and texture to brownies that I’ve come to enjoy.
*Side Note: You might also want to know Why Your Brownies Crack On Top after baked. I recently wrote an article that talks about How To Prevent and Fix Cracks On Top Of Brownies, you can check it out here!
7. Make A Trifle
Making a trifle is a great way to use leftover cake trimmings and prevent waste since you often won’t need an entire cake to make a trifle.
When I make a trifle with cake trimmings, I like to first put in my cake, then my fruits of choice, followed by whipped cream. I repeat this layering process until I reach the top of my bowl, then cover it with saran wrap or aluminum foil.
8. Make A Shake
You can turn leftover cake trimmings into a shake in under five minutes with just your leftover cake, milk, a blender, and your favorite ice cream.
To make a milkshake using leftover cake trimmings, you just need to crumble your trimmings (frosting and all, if applicable) into a blender, and then add some milk and scoops of your ice cream of choice. Blend it all together, and enjoy.
In order to make the perfect shake, you’ll need a great blender! I’ve owned a Nutribullet Blender for years and can’t live a day without it. I have the 24 Ounces, 600 Watt Nutribullet and it will work great for making shakes! You can check out this Blender on Amazon!
9. Make Cake Shooters
Cake shooters are a smaller version of a trifle. You can use leftover cake trimmings, fruit, and frosting, or whip cream to make cake shooters.
To make cake shooters with leftover cake trimmings, just follow the instructions for making a trifle above: Repeatedly layer cake, your favorite fruit, and some frosting into your container until you reach the top (in this case it’s shot glasses), and then enjoy your cake shooter, or miniature trifle as I like to call it.
*By the way, if you are interested in knowing how to get Stuck Parchment Off of Your Cake and how to Prevent It, I recently wrote an article about Removing Stuck Parchment Paper, which you can find here!
10. Add Onto Ice Cream
You can crumble leftover cake trimmings onto ice cream for a delicious ice cream topping.
To use leftover cake trimmings as an ice cream topping, you just have to crumble your trimmings over a bowl of ice cream and enjoy. I sometimes like to hot fudge and whipped cream on top of my ice cream before crumbling my trimmings on top for a delicious ice cream sundae.
11. Make Parfaits
Making parfaits is an effective way to use up many different leftover ingredients you may have in your pantry or kitchen, including leftover cake trimmings, since you can make parfaits with a wide variety of ingredients.
You can layer a combination of pudding, yogurt, fruits, or ice cream on top of your cake trimmings in order to get your parfait started.
Then, you can top your parfait with your favorite toppings including chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts.
I actually recently came across the perfect Set of 4 Glass Parfait Cups that work great for Parfaits and Trifles. They look very presentable as well! You can check out this set of Parfait Glasses on Amazon!
12. Make A Pie Crust
Leftover cake scraps can replace graham crackers to make a pie crust. There is an extra step since you have to harden your cake scrap crumbles, but after that, the steps to make a pie crust with cake trimmings rather than graham crackers remain relatively the same.
To make a pie crust using leftover cake trimmings, first, preheat your oven to 350°F. Next, crumble up your leftover cake and bake the crumbles in the oven until they are lightly toasted.
Be sure to keep a close watch on your crumbles to ensure they aren’t overcooked or burnt.
After your cake crumbles are toasted, mix them with softened butter and press the ingredients evenly down into a pie pan. Now, bake the crust in your pre-heated oven for approximately 10 minutes watching closely to ensure your crust isn’t over-baked.
If possible, avoid opening your oven to check your crust as opening the oven’s door affects its temperature. I like to start checking my pie crust at around the 7-8 minute mark as my oven tends to run hot.
After baking your empty pie crust, you can then add it to your filling. When preparing your filling, keep in mind that your pie crust maybe a little sweeter than normal since you’re using cake rather than graham crackers in your crust, and adjust how much sugar you add into your filling accordingly.
*Side Note: You might also want to know How To Bake Multiple Pies In The Oven At Once. I recently wrote an article that talks about The Right Way Of Baking Many Pies Evenly At Once!
13. Make an Icebox Cake
You can use leftover cake trimmings, in lieu of ladyfingers, wafers, graham crackers, or other cookies, to make an icebox cake, sometimes referred to as a charlotte.
Though it has cake in its name, an icebox cake isn’t baked at all, which makes it a great summertime treat for when I want to forgo turning on the oven.
I usually make an icebox cake when I have leftovers of many different types of desserts. It’s honestly a life saver as well as a food saver when you know you can make a delicious creation out of leftover desserts!
While I usually use the springform pans for making cheesecakes, you can make different icebox cakes by using a Springform pan!
If you’re looking to bake different-sized cheesecakes, I found the perfect 3 piece set of Springform Pans that I recently got for myself! This 3-piece set comes with 4, 7, and 9-inch Nonstick Springform Pans, which you can check out on Amazon!
To Summarize…
There are many ways you can make effective use of your leftover cake batter and trimmings that don’t require you to put in too much more time or effort. Many of the uses shared above include using ingredients you’re likely to already have at your disposal.
While fresh cake trimmings and batter can be used to make each of these recipes, stale trimmings and thawed or previously-frozen batter can be used instead too. Remember that it is best to use frozen batter within three months and thaw it slowly in the refrigerator before use!
