Creative and Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Wedding Cake

Cherish your special day with these recycled wedding cake ideas.
Cherish your special day with these recycled wedding cake ideas.

The wedding day is over, and the honeymoon bags are finally put away. And as your mind wanders back to that special day, you remember the three layers of frosted wedding cake sitting in your freezer.

RELATED: 18 Crazy Wedding Cake Toppers

Let's face it - even though it can be one of the most expensive items on your wedding bill, the wedding cake often gets passed up for the band and dancing, and at the end of the night you're left with the bulk of it to bring home. The cake is beautiful and delicious, and wasting it by throwing it away is the last thing you want to do, but oftentimes it's hard to avoid. We know that an all-day pajamas and television marathon while you enjoy the middle layer probably isn't in your plans for your first few months of marriage, so consider that there are other creative ways to use up that colossal confection.

Chef Robin Selden knows how important it is for you not to waste your wedding cake. As an executive chef at Marcia Selden Catering, a company that's been in the party business for more than 25 years, Selden is a part of the beginnings of wedding cakes, and she has some imaginative and resourceful ideas for their endings, too. The basis for most of these recipes begins with cubed cake, so be sure to remove the frosting before cubing. Store your cubed cake in airtight bags in the freezer. They can be used for up to one year if stored properly.

From recipes that recycle your cake into new cakes to fun ideas that add texture and flavor to traditional dishes, Selden offers ways to keep memories of your big day going through sweet and delicious ideas.

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Granola Additions

Cube your wedding cake and toast it on low in the oven to give your yogurt and granola an extra dose of flavor and texture.

Wedded Bread Pudding Recipe

Make your first days of marriage extra special and surprise your sweetie in bed one morning with this decadent bread pudding made from leftover wedding cake.

Click here to see the Wedded Bread Pudding Recipe

Deep-Frying

Ready to take deep-fried Oreos to the next level? Make cake crumbs with your leftover cake and add them to the pancake batter before deep-frying.

Click here to see the Deep-Fried Oreo Recipe

Chocolate-Covered Fruit

Cake crumbs make the perfect addition to chocolate-dipped strawberries, bananas, or dried apricots.

Sweetness to Salads

Use your leftover wedding cake for something, savory, too, like sweet croutons to serve with roasted butternut squash or to garnish a salad made with pomegranate seeds, white balsamic vinaigrette, and fresh greens.

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Cake Crumb Cookies Recipe

Make multipurpose cake crumbs from your wedding cake to add to a frosted cake for texture, or to make these Cake Crumb Cookies.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups cubed wedding cake, frosting removed
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cubed cake a few times until finely crumbled. Reserve 1 ½ cups and reserve the rest for later use.

Combine the butter, sugars, egg, extract, and salt until well combined. In another bowl, combine the baking soda, flour, and cake crumbs. Combine and chill the dough, then scoop out onto a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Details

Servings: 24
Total time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: American
Special Designations: Vegetarian, Kid-friendly

Click here for more Delicious Ways to Keep Eating Wedding Cake


-Anne Dolce, The Daily Meal