2025-03-06
CAKE POPS DOUGH: THE BEST RECIPE AND HOW TO USE IT
Turn leftover sponge cake into a versatile base for trendy desserts and stunning 3D decorations
If you’ve ever made cake pops, you already know how delicious and versatile cake scrap dough can be. But there’s a whole other side to this simple dessert base—it has a rich history and tons of creative potential.
It’s not just a way to use up leftover sponge cake. It can become the perfect base for trendy desserts and stunning decorative elements
It’s not just a way to use up leftover sponge cake. It can become the perfect base for trendy desserts and stunning decorative elements
The Story Behind Cake Scrap Dough
Cake scrap dough, the base used for cake pops and similar treats, actually has roots in creative problem-solving. Back in the day, pastry chefs and bakeries needed a way to use up leftover sponge cake trimmings instead of throwing them away. So they came up with a clever idea: crumble the cake scraps, mix them with butter, sweetened condensed milk, and cocoa powder, then shape them into small, truffle-like treats.
In the original versions, a splash of rum or brandy was often added for extra flavor. Over time, people started customizing the mix with chopped nuts, vanilla, raisins, or other flavors. And just like that, a simple solution for reducing waste turned into one of the most beloved and recognizable desserts across generations.
Cake scrap dough, the base used for cake pops and similar treats, actually has roots in creative problem-solving. Back in the day, pastry chefs and bakeries needed a way to use up leftover sponge cake trimmings instead of throwing them away. So they came up with a clever idea: crumble the cake scraps, mix them with butter, sweetened condensed milk, and cocoa powder, then shape them into small, truffle-like treats.
In the original versions, a splash of rum or brandy was often added for extra flavor. Over time, people started customizing the mix with chopped nuts, vanilla, raisins, or other flavors. And just like that, a simple solution for reducing waste turned into one of the most beloved and recognizable desserts across generations.
This pastry, known as ‘Potato Cake,’ comes from the Soviet Union and is somewhat similar to cake pops. Its name comes from its appearance: a neat oval shape, coated in cocoa powder or cookie crumbs, making it look just like a real potato.
What About Other Countries?
Potato Cake, which comes from the Soviet Union, is a unique dessert that even looks like a real potato—an oval shape rolled in cocoa powder or cookie crumbs. It’s a bit like the Soviet answer to cake pops, turning leftover cake into something delicious and fun.
But it’s not alone in the world. In the U.S., cake pops are hugely popular—little balls of cake and frosting on a stick, dipped in a candy coating. In Australia, the UK, and Scandinavia, there are rum balls, which are very similar to Potato Cake but usually include alcohol and often chocolate. In France, you’ll find truffes au gâteau—truffles made from cake crumbs and ganache. In Brazil, there are brigadeiro cake balls.
All of these treats prove one thing: the idea of transforming leftover cake into tasty new desserts is universal—and always in style.
Potato Cake, which comes from the Soviet Union, is a unique dessert that even looks like a real potato—an oval shape rolled in cocoa powder or cookie crumbs. It’s a bit like the Soviet answer to cake pops, turning leftover cake into something delicious and fun.
But it’s not alone in the world. In the U.S., cake pops are hugely popular—little balls of cake and frosting on a stick, dipped in a candy coating. In Australia, the UK, and Scandinavia, there are rum balls, which are very similar to Potato Cake but usually include alcohol and often chocolate. In France, you’ll find truffes au gâteau—truffles made from cake crumbs and ganache. In Brazil, there are brigadeiro cake balls.
All of these treats prove one thing: the idea of transforming leftover cake into tasty new desserts is universal—and always in style.
Why Cake Pops Dough Is a Must-Have Tool in Pastry Work
Cake pops dough is incredibly versatile. It’s soft, moldable, holds its shape well, and can be frozen, making it super convenient to work with and perfect as a ready-to-use base for all kinds of pastry projects.
Ways to Use It:
Cake pops dough is incredibly versatile. It’s soft, moldable, holds its shape well, and can be frozen, making it super convenient to work with and perfect as a ready-to-use base for all kinds of pastry projects.
Ways to Use It:
- Classic pastries — Shape it into traditional pieces or get creative with modern, realistic designs.
- Cake pops and bite-sized desserts — Perfect for kids’ parties, dessert tables, and special holiday offerings.
- 3D cake decorations — This dough is sturdy enough to sculpt fun, realistic elements like lemons, KFC chicken drumsticks, or even little “dumpling fillings” for novelty cakes.
- Building volume in 3D cakes — It’s great for adding bulk or creating detailed shapes, like burger patties for a 3D burger cake, or sculpted features for cakes shaped like aliens, mountains, or even a tooth. You can see how we make a burger patty out of cake pops dough in this YouTube video!
All the cakes you see in the photos were custom-made for our clients—and each one includes cake pops dough as part of the design.
How We Make Cake Pops Dough
We’ve shared a full video on our YouTube channel showing the entire process!
The Base
We start with any kind of sponge cake—vanilla, pistachio, or chocolate. Soft sponge cakes can simply be crumbled by hand. If we’re using something firmer, like honey cake layers or cookies, we grind them into fine crumbs first.
We’ve shared a full video on our YouTube channel showing the entire process!
The Base
We start with any kind of sponge cake—vanilla, pistachio, or chocolate. Soft sponge cakes can simply be crumbled by hand. If we’re using something firmer, like honey cake layers or cookies, we grind them into fine crumbs first.
The Frosting
For our base dough, we usually use leftover frostings from cake assembly—like cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, or namelaka, or buttercream. All three are soft, creamy, and perfect for binding cake crumbs into a smooth, pliable dough that’s easy to work with.
For our base dough, we usually use leftover frostings from cake assembly—like cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, or namelaka, or buttercream. All three are soft, creamy, and perfect for binding cake crumbs into a smooth, pliable dough that’s easy to work with.
In the photo, you can see cream cheese frosting made with butter. We use it for smoothing cake surfaces and for Lambeth-style decorations. There’s an online lesson on our school’s website where we show exactly how we work with this frosting.
Proportions
Sponge cake crumbs — 400 g (about 14 oz)
Frosting — 170 g (about 6 oz)
Cocoa powder — about 1 tablespoon
Method
Crumble the sponge cake into fine crumbs using any method you prefer and place it in a large mixing bowl.
Add the frosting and mix thoroughly. At this stage, you can also add cocoa powder or any other ingredients you like for extra flavor. If you’re using only chocolate sponge cake, you can skip the cocoa powder. It’s best to mix everything by hand so you can better control the consistency.
Sponge cake crumbs — 400 g (about 14 oz)
Frosting — 170 g (about 6 oz)
Cocoa powder — about 1 tablespoon
Method
Crumble the sponge cake into fine crumbs using any method you prefer and place it in a large mixing bowl.
Add the frosting and mix thoroughly. At this stage, you can also add cocoa powder or any other ingredients you like for extra flavor. If you’re using only chocolate sponge cake, you can skip the cocoa powder. It’s best to mix everything by hand so you can better control the consistency.
The dough should be soft, pliable, and smooth.
You can portion the cake pops dough into balls or blocks, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the freezer. The storage time depends on the type of frosting used, but on average, it keeps well for about a month or a bit longer.
Want to boost the flavor and texture?
Feel free to add:
Feel free to add:
- Rum, brandy, liqueur, vanilla, almond extract, lemon zest, or cocoa powder
- Raisins, nuts, or chopped chocolate
- You can even make the dough with fruit puree for a fresh twist.
How to Make KFC-Style Chicken Drumsticks Out of Cake Pops Dough
One of the most fun ways to use cake pops dough is to create “chicken drumsticks” in the style of KFC. This kind of decoration is especially popular for fast-food-themed cakes, which are often ordered for teens or fun party celebrations.
One of the most fun ways to use cake pops dough is to create “chicken drumsticks” in the style of KFC. This kind of decoration is especially popular for fast-food-themed cakes, which are often ordered for teens or fun party celebrations.
How to Make It
- Take about 100 g (about 3.5 oz) of cake pops dough.
- Shape it into a ball, then pinch and pull one side to form a “bone” shape.
- Add some uneven bumps and curves to make the drumstick look realistic.
- Insert a skewer into the shape (for better hold, you can dip the tip of the skewer in melted chocolate or glaze first), then place it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Dip the chilled drumstick into glaze—we use Gourmet glaze because it coats beautifully and sets quickly. You’ll find the recipe and detailed instructions in this article.
- Immediately roll the glazed drumstick in a crunchy coating, like a mix of honey cake crumbs and waffle crumbs, for that crispy fried look.
- Let it set completely, then gently twist out the skewer.
Done! The finished drumstick looks just like the real thing and holds its shape perfectly. It’s a fun and impressive way to surprise your guests—or pull off a playful prank!
We hope this article has inspired you to see classic cake pops dough in a whole new way. Share your creations on social media—we’d love to see what you come up with!
And don’t forget: the full video tutorial is waiting for you on our YouTube channel.
And don’t forget: the full video tutorial is waiting for you on our YouTube channel.