Cake scrap uses

[cakedecorator1968]

Dear Everybody,

Just wondering if you have any good ideas on how to use up misc. cake crumbs and also crumbs made from baked crushed biscotti cookies?

I already make rum balls with the cake crumbs and use biscotti crumbs for cheesecake bottoms instead of graham crumbs.

Do you think cake crumbs could be recycled back into a cake instead of some of the flour for example?

Thank you!

Sean

[SweetSide]

Punschtorte (which I've never made) uses cake scraps as one of the ingredients.

Here is a link for one example click and scroll down.

As I'm not a fan of rum, I've never had the occasion to make one. But, if you like rum balls, this may be an alternative.

[etalanian]

If you want something that your customers won't see everywhere else, try using the crumbs to make Bakewell Tarts. They are from Bakewell, Derby England. There are many variations, both with and without cake crumbs. Here are some links to recipes on the internet, which use crumbs.

I have served Bakewells as part of a dessert table at several dinner parties and they are always a big hit.

http://www.cookitsimply.com/dessert/puddin...0010-050m4.html

http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/h-pages/britain/bakewell.html

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/13130/...ll-pudding.html

It is a pastry layer spread with jam with a frangipane-type top layer. Really quite delicious. Be sure to use butter for the best flavor.

Eileen

[kitchenmage]

Sean,

I made "bread pudding" of a sort with my last pile of leftover cake scraps. Not exactly a recipe, but look here.

[Pille]

Just wondering if you have any good ideas on how to use up misc. cake crumbs and also crumbs made from baked crushed biscotti cookies?

Do you think cake crumbs could be recycled back into a cake instead of some of the flour for example?

←

The Finns make Runeberg's cupcakes, which use cookie and cake crumbs in the batter. Found an English recipe here:Recipe for Runebergin tortut

[sugarbuzz]

I would use the cake crumbs for finishing the sides of chocolate cakes..especially if I couldn't get the sides smooth. It looks nice on a glazed cake as well.

[Rehovot]

They're also good if you whiz them finely in a processor/grinder and then sprinke on top of cheesecake.

[sanrensho]

No suggestion on the cookie crumbs, but I've taken cake scraps and placed them between layers of flavored whipped cream in glasses. It turns out much like a tiramisu if you're using a very light cake. (EDITED TO ADD) I suppose this isn't helpful for a pro application like yours (doh).

Edited March 5, 2006 by sanrensho (log)

[bluechefk]

i save all of my scraps - toast them, sieve them down to fine crumbs, and then store in the freezer. they're useful in all kinds of ways - decorate sides of cakes or tops of cupcakes; mix with butter for cheesecake crust; sprinkle on tart or pie shells before adding filling, to soak up some of the excess moisture - can also use them in strudels this way; mix w/butter and bake on a sheet pan until crisp, then break up & use as crunchy bits in mousses or ice creams. when i find myself with just waaaay too many crumbs in the freezer, i make a batch of hermits from an old recipe i have - don't have that handy at the moment, but if you like, i can look it up & post it.

and of course, i use the most delectable cake scraps as Decoy Dessert - keeps the line cooks & wait staff from nibbling on my finished desserts

[Wendy DeBord]

A bakery I worked at used cake scraps in their streusel.

There is a book published on this topic, I saw it at that bakery. But I don't know who published it or when. You could probably find it with a search.

I use cake crumbs in my studel or in sweet items that call for bread crumbs. (oops I see that was already mentioned)

But if your a busy bakery theres just no way to really keep using up all your scrapes......... Maybe it's better to focus on making less waste. Baking more level cakes.

[pastrymama]

here is a link with several recipes using cake crumbs or pieces.

http://www.earlenescakes.com/CakeCrumbRecipes.htm

[SweetSide]

I'm here to show my ignorance... But, I'm new at this professional stuff, and here is where I go to learn, and learn I need to do!

I'm looking for saleable ways of using cake scraps for my bakery.

Now, I've heard of cake balls, but have never made one and would love to have some recipes for them.

I currently dry some scraps for crumbs for trim and garnish, but other than that, I'm throwing money in the trash.

Thoughts, ideas, recipes -- for cake balls or any other things you do.

Thanks eG'ers!

[JeanneCake]

In addition to using the ground, dried scraps for garnish, use them for the basis of your cheesecake crusts instead of crumbled oreos - or at least it will stretch them.

The caterer I share with will sometimes use my scraps to make trifles; you could do the same with yours and sell individual cups of trifle (use a plastic cup with a lid for portability in individual servings). Or some sort of a riff on tiramisu using the cake layers instead of biscuit.

If you make tarts, maybe you can get a thin sheet of cake to use as a layer between pastry cream and a fruit topping (RLB uses this technique in her Pie and Pastry book).

I don't have the book at home, but Bo Friberg's book has a recipe for Rum Balls, which is a use for scraps.

And when I really have a busy week, sometimes we make hotel pans of trifle and bring them to the local homeless shelter or day care center.

[GlorifiedRice]

How about making " bread crumbs" out of them and adding sweet spices and dipping fruit in egg and "breading" it and deep frying it and serving it with ice cream...

[SweetSide]

Thanks JeanneCake -- I have Bo's book and will look that up! Cheesecake crusts I do already (didn't mention that one). Portable trifles also sound good.

Thanks GlorifiedRice, that also sounds good, but read on in the next paragraph...

For others with ideas, I should add that this is a bakery setting, where I need to be able to put the items in either a cold or dry case. So things like the deep fried fruit with ice cream won't work for my particular situation.

[alanamoana]

bear claw filling or danish filling...you can add the cake scraps to almond paste and some pastry cream and make the filling. also in bo's book.

[David802]

At work, we have a "sample table" and just put them on there, it sells alot of cake...when we started doing it....are Cakes sales nearly trippled....thats just my thoughts....I guess its still throughing money in the trash, but differently..And in a way that may make some money back.

[emsny]

When I was a kid, New York bakeries (especially Jewish ones, I think) commonly sold something called nut cake. It used lots of cake crumbs to form the layers, along with some sort of batter to hold them together as well as ground nuts - maybe nut paste as well. Between the layers was jam. I don't have a recipe, but I'm sure Googling would get you one in short order. A delicious thing. I ran across some about ten years ago and still loved it, so my impression of its deliciousness is not just nostalgia.

[Chihiran]

SweetSide, a lot of the Hungarian/Austrian cake recipes in the book Kaffeehaus use cake crumbs in the actual batter, or to line the cake pans instead of flour. I've never tried it, because I never have cake crumbs, but it might be convenient for you.

[shaloop]

SweetSide, a lot of the Hungarian/Austrian cake recipes in the book Kaffeehaus use cake crumbs in the actual batter, or to line the cake pans instead of flour. I've never tried it, because I never have cake crumbs, but it might be convenient for you.

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Similarly, Maida Heatter suggests using crumbs to prepare a cake pan after greasing instead of flour. Also, I've seen recipes for cake crumb cookies.

Here are some recipes. cake crumb recipes

[s_sevilla]

semifreddo

Kitty litter cake (couldn't resist)

[SweetSide]

When I was a kid, New York bakeries (especially Jewish ones, I think) commonly sold something called nut cake. It used lots of cake crumbs to form the layers, along with some sort of batter to hold them together as well as ground nuts - maybe nut paste as well. Between the layers was jam. I don't have a recipe, but I'm sure Googling would get you one in short order. A delicious thing. I ran across some about ten years ago and still loved it, so my impression of its deliciousness is not just nostalgia.

←

I'll have to look this one up for sure -- I remember coming across something like this a while ago, but I was not in the "cake crumb business" then. Thanks!

[SweetSide]

At work, we have a "sample table" and just put them on there, it sells alot of cake...when we started doing it....are Cakes sales nearly trippled....thats just my thoughts....I guess its still throughing money in the trash, but differently..And in a way that may make some money back.

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This we do, when the cake is of a manageable size to sample, and yes, the money does come back for sure. Thanks!

[McAuliflower]

At Mom's bakery, they would put all cake trimmings into a bucket, pour rum or other such liquid flavoring on top of it all to make it damp enough to hold together into a ball when rolled. Then the balls get dipped in chocolate and sometimes rolled in nuts.

Kind of like hush puppies ... toss them into people's mouths to hush them up. Us kids got them when we visited.

They would often vary in flavor- raspberry's sometimes used as the liquid, coffee, etc.

[Kayakado]

this website has recipes for cake balls, one of my cookbooks calls them cake truffles.

www.cakecentral.com