Normally, a cake doesn’t last five minutes in my house, but every now again, for some reason or other – post-party, or after many recipe tests – we find ourselves with more cake than we fancy eating. Rather than let it go to waste, I’ve collected a few go-to recipes that will upcycle old cake into a dessert that’s even more special than its former glory.
My recipe of choice is a classic trifle with a seasonal twist, which will soften even the stalest of cakes. The old cake is drizzled with sherry (or whatever tipple you fancy or have available), before being topped with fruit, custard and cream, and left in the fridge to set. Sometimes, I make a less sweet version, using yoghurt, for breakfast the next day. Other ways to use up stale cake are to add it in chunks to a chocolatey refrigerator cake or to mash it with rum to make truffles.
Cake keeps best out of the fridge and in an airtight container, where it’ll last up to a week. If you need to keep it longer, wrap it in a bag and freeze, ideally before frosting.
Apple, blackberry and walnut trifle
Trifle is a British dessert that is retro and trashy, but always delicious. If you have leftover cake of any kind, from brownie to a simple sponge, this is a quick and easy way to convert it into a scrumptious dessert. Be inventive with whatever ingredients you have available – swap yoghurt for the custard, say, or just use cream and sweeten with seasonal fruit.
1 large unsprayed, organic apple
150g blackberries (fresh or frozen, or other seasonal berry)
100g leftover or stale cake
50ml brandy – or sherry, calvados, or whatever takes your fancy
2 tbsp blackberry jam (or other jam)
200ml custard
150ml double cream, gently whipped
25g chopped walnuts (or other nut of choice), to garnish
Chop the apple into small cubes and put it in a saucepan for which you have a lid. Cover, and heat over a low-medium flame, stirring occasionally, until the apple breaks down into a thick sauce. Stir in the fresh or frozen blackberries and leave to cool. Meanwhile, tear the leftover cake into rough pieces, and toss with a spirit and jam. Spoon into four glasses, top each portion with a quarter of the apple mix, followed by 50ml custard. Top each serving with a spoon of gently whipped cream, finish with a sprinkling of walnuts, and refrigerate until needed.
