Inga's Indulgence


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Leftover Makeover

Somehow, don't ask me how, I got stuck with the 20 lbs of cake that were left over from  my brother-in-law's wedding. After being carelessly dissected and wrapped in aluminum foil, the cake (and all its parts) was thrown into my freezer. I guess I hadn't visited my freezer in a while, because yesterday on the 3 week anniversary of the wedding, I discovered the forgotten cake.

I have to admit, when the urge for something sweet beckons, there are no limits. I've been known to pick at things completely covered in freezer burn, that probably should have already been disposed of. But this cake, though it wasn't exactly past its expiration, just didn't stimulate me in the least bit. It was a bland white sponge, with a bland white buttercream that tasted like a greasy concoction of crisco and sugar. I had to either throw it out, or turn it into something else, enitrely. Being the cheapskate that I am, I was soon left with only one option. But what to do? A trifle of some sort? Nah, too easy. And then it came to me - rum balls!

When in culinary doubt, turn to the liquor cabinet for advice. But don't quote me on that one.

Rum Balls
(yield: about 20 balls)


6 cups leftover cake (sponge with some sort of cream filling will do), crumbled or grated, if frozen
1/4 cup dark rum
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup sprinkles (you can use coconut flakes, grated chocolate, or chopped nuts in addition to, or instead of, the sprinkles)


Combine the crumbled cake, rum, and corn syrup in a large bowl. Work the mixture together with your hands to form a dense, moist dough. If it seems too dry, add a little more rum. Roll the mixture into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball, and then roll into sprinkles or other desired toppings. Indulge immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.





17 comments:

  1. A yummy transformation! A little creativity can be delicious.

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  2. Why waste food when we can find ways of making other recipes just like what you did.

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  3. What a great idea for the leftover wedding cake! Beautiful rum balls~

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  4. So these are the rum balls we were talking about that day! Oh my goodness these look delish! Great way to use left over wedding cake, thanks for sharing! Have a great day! (Now following) =]

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  5. I am all about not letting food go to waste! Nice re-work of cake!

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  6. I hate letting things go to waste and this is a great use of it. I laughed out loud so that people looked at my funny when you said "turn to the liquor cabinet for advice." I won't quote you on that but I will make it a regular practice. We mom's sometimes need coping methods :)

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  7. RUM + BAKED GOODS?!? I bet this would be fantastic with spicy fall cake like a cinnamon apple or pumpkin. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. I absolutely adore the fact that you took one dessert and turned into another. It's birthday season in our home (5 birthdays in 3 months....plus holidays..eek!),with all the cake that'll be around, this recipe will definitely be used. Thank you!

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  9. I'm glad you guys like the makeover :) Britne, doing a cinnamon apple or spiced pumpkin version is an awesome idea! Maybe for the topping on that one you could do toasted pumpkin seeds or a cinnamon sugar.

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  10. I don't typically have cake that needs a new use...it comes and inevitably goes straight to my belly. What a great idea though! Loving the reuse!

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  11. Very cute way to use up all that cake!

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  12. Oh how pretty those are! That's funny...for some reason in baking...I turn to Bailey's. But these rum balls look awesome. Wish I had the problem of leftover cake!

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  13. What a brilliant idea! I had never thought of using leftover cake in this way - thanks!

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  14. That's a common bakery trick - when they need to sculpt cakes, they often end up with odd little scraps leftover, so cake balls and rum balls are the perfect way to use them all up.

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