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Baking fails can be complicated, overwhelming, and disappointing. While every dessert does have specific challenges, there are some general reasons baking fails happen. Thankfully, there are also some general ways to save baking fails, though not every method will work for every dessert. (They’re all unique beings, okay?)
I’d recommend using this list as a starting point to see how you might give your dessert some extra love, supplemented with research on that specific dessert.
One component is beyond saving
If one component isn’t quite right, don’t let your entire dessert go to waste! Instead, substitute the component with something similar (or even better, something similar that’s quick and easy). For example, if you struggled to make pastry cream to fill a cake, use store-bought jam instead. Find ideas for different mix-ins, fillings and toppings you can substitute here.
Overall Flavour
If the dessert’s flavour turns out wrong, incorporate it into another dessert that has flavours that can overpower or balance out the original dessert’s flavour. For example, if a have an overly bitter chocolate cake, I can use it to top a sweet cheesecake. The bitterness will balance out the sweet creaminess of the cheesecake.
Here are some other examples:
- Mix it into another dessert, like ice cream
- Crush it into a crumb to make dessert truffles, pops, or a crust
- Use it as a dessert topping
- Make a trifle with it
If just the sweetness level is wrong, incorporating the dessert into another dessert is a great way to fix it, but there are other methods that I outline in this blog post.
Overall Texture
Textural issues can be caused by overbaking, underbaking, baking at the wrong temperature as well as issues with ingredient ratios.
If overbaked, chilling the dessert in the fridge or leaving it in a container overnight may help it set into a better texture, especially if it has a moist component inside, like fruit or cream. Sometimes a dessert naturally doesn’t taste right before being chilled or rested, but if that’s the case, it should be mentioned in the recipe. If the dessert is underbaked, you can probably just stick it back in the oven for a couple minutes, being careful not to overbake or burn it.
Issues with ingredient ratios can’t really be “fixed” after baking, but you may be able to add another element to your dessert to mitigate the issue. For example, you could top a dry cake with whipped cream or soak it in simple syrup.
Overall Appearance
How do you fix an unappetizing dessert? You cover up the unappetizing part.
- If the dessert is burnt, you may be able to gently scrape off the bad part with a knife once it’s cool.
- If the dessert is cracked or generally unappealing, you can decorate it with fruit, frosting, whipped cream, chocolate, glaze, or whatever else you’d like.
- If a dessert has collapsed on itself, break it into pieces and incorporate it into a different dessert.
Baking fails are always going to be terrible, but there are many occasions where they can be saved. If they can’t be made into anything else, they can always be eaten as a snack. After all, just eating the dessert the easiest and fastest solution to save baking fails.
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️
