The Trick To Saving A Burnt Cake Is Almost Too Easy

Rich chocolate cake, buttery pound cake, lemon drizzle, ice cream, and even strawberry cake: There's a cake for every season, mood, occasion, and meal. Whether you're an experienced cake creator or just starting your baking journey, a burnt cake is a reality that many will face. In an effort to save the cake that you've poured time and effort into, there are ways to rescue the beautiful sponge beneath the burnt wreckage.

Don't blame yourself, sometimes ovens are too hot, or the type of pan you used was unsuitable. Before covering the whole burnt cake in frosting and hoping nobody notices (which they likely will), consider grabbing a zester or Microplane, and turning that disaster into a miracle. It's a great way to avoid wasting the whole cake and starting from scratch. It will also give your ego a boost in the baking department. This tip only works for those cakes that have not been burnt to a crisp — be realistic; some things cannot be salvaged.

The first tip to saving your overdone cake is to grate the outside of the cake. It's a much better idea than slicing the burnt pieces off with a knife, which will take off more of the cake than is needed with a thin burn. A Microplane grater or zester will work perfectly, as you can carefully grate the burnt edges off. Grate until you've removed the burnt outside layer, as this will hold most of the burnt flavor. It's also important to let the cake cool completely before grating, as you could risk taking off a lot more when it's warm.

This trick works well with cakes with a thin burned layer, but it's best to use a serrated knife where the thick burn is concerned. This may not work with thinner cakes as you could take most of the cake away too. With denser and larger cake layers, using a serrated knife will still reduce the size of the burned cake, but it will rescue part of the bake. It is what it is, and at least you'll have something.

If your cake reached the thick-burn stage, but you've managed to salvage some lighter layer beneath, the remaining bake is likely dry. A cake soak is an easy concoction of equal parts sugar and water, which will breathe life back into a dry bake. Lightly poke holes into the cake with a wooden skewer, and brush the soak over the top. It'll start to moisten the cake, but over-applying the soak can cause the cake to fall apart. Alongside this syrup soak, you can also use evaporated milk, condensed milk, or cream. These soaks will also sweeten the cake, so consider this if you plan to add a sweet frosting on the outside. 

Another solution is cutting the salvaged cake in half and placing jam and cream between these slices. Adding these ingredients is slightly reminiscent of the Victoria Sponge, a famous British coronation dish. It'll add flavor and moisten the remaining slices. Not a fan of jam or cream? You can switch these for lemon curd, marmalade, or sliced moist fruit. Get inventive with other sweet additions that might work; what's the harm if it's already partially ruined? Saving a burnt cake is way easier than it first appears; grab a zester or serrated knife and go gently. Unless your bake resembles the center of a cooled grill, you can save it.