Cake is one of those treats that never gets old. That’s partly because there are so many different styles to try, including alcohol-infused cakes, vegan cakes, and themed birthday cakes. That’s not even counting all the flavor combinations you can experiment with and differences in presentation.
Still, making and eating the cake is only part of the equation. You also need to think about how to store it, particularly if you have plenty of leftover cake after a birthday party or some other event.
Home bakers face this challenge too. It takes time and patience to bake a cake and get everything perfect. Sometimes, you simply don’t have enough time right when the cake is meant to be prepared. It would be better if you had some way to get some of the work done ahead of time.
In both cases, learning how to freeze cake solves the problem. It’s also a surprisingly powerful idea – as thawed cakes are often just as good, if not better, than the fresh version.
Thankfully, freezing a cake is as easy as allowing it to cool, wrapping it well, then placing it in the freezer. There are a few things to watch out for though, both when you’re initially freezing the cake and when you’re thawing it afterward. As you’ll see, you’ll also need to consider the type of cake and the ingredients you need to use.
How To Freeze Cake
Whether you’ve made a brand new cake or have leftovers to preserve, the first step is to ensure the cake is cool. Then, you’ll need to wrap it carefully.
This often means using multiple layers of wrapping, perhaps more than you think you’ll need. The layers are crucial, as you need to keep all air away from the cake. This is how you ensure the cake keeps its quality. Otherwise, you risk ruining the cake entirely.
As we’ll discuss shortly, there are some specific steps and considerations for different types of cakes.
How To Defrost Your Cake
For defrosting, the fridge is your best bet. This allows your cake to come to temperature slowly, which gives it the best possible texture.
Once the cake is defrosted, you can transfer it to the countertop and bring it to room temperature. After a few hours, the cake should be at the right temperature and ready to serve.
There’s one other area to think about here – do you unwrap the cake before thawing it or after?
Some bloggers suggest unwrapping the cake first. This way the cake is still firm while you’re unwrapping it and you won’t mess with the frosting at all.
Others say it’s best to leave the wrapping on for as long as possible. Doing so means that condensation will form outside the wrapping instead of on the cake, which is great news for the quality of your cake.
The type of cake might make a difference here. If the cake has delicate frosting or decorations, you might need to take the wrapping off early. This is particularly true if the frosting is likely to stick to the wrap. If the cake is unfrosted or resilient, perhaps wait until the cake is fully thawed before removing the wrap.
Cakes That Freeze Well
As you can probably guess, cakes don’t all freeze the same. The ingredients used, the type of frosting, and any decorations will all impact the freezing process.
Butter cakes, carrot cakes, spice cakes, and fruit cakes all tend to freeze well. They keep their moisture and texture, ending up just as good when thawed as before they were frozen. In fact, freezing may even make some of these cakes taste better.
The same is true for most types of chocolate cake, including those that are fudgy and rich.
Unfilled sponge cakes experience some texture changes, but these are minor and the cakes freeze well. This means you can easily freeze individual cake layers and then piece the whole thing together after thawing.
Finally, alcohol-infused cakes generally freeze and thaw well. This is partly because alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, which reduces ice crystal formation and helps with your cake quality.
Cakes That Need Extra Care
The following cakes don’t respond well to freezing. You can still freeze them if you want, but the texture won’t be nearly as appealing.
If you’re going to try and freeze them, try freezing well-wrapped individual slices, rather than an entire cake.
Light Cakes
Delicate cakes aren’t such a good idea, especially if they have a light and fluffy texture. The freezing process can easily dry the cake out, making it much less appealing.
If you do freeze the cake, you may need to brush it with simple syrup or something similar to add moisture. Serving the thawed cake with a topping can help too, as this draws attention away from the texture of the cake.
Frosted Or Decorated Cakes
Frosted or decorated cakes require an extra step to ensure they remain intact after freezing. Here, you’ll need to place the cake unwrapped in the freezer first until the frosting has frozen.
Once the cake is firm, you can take it out again and wrap it like before. Doing so ensures that all your toppings stay in place and that nothing gets ruined by the plastic wrap.
That said, you’ll need to think carefully about the cake and the toppings before freezing it. For example, if the cake is complex and the toppings don’t stay in place well, it probably won’t freeze well.
Also, if the cake used fondant frosting, you might need to touch it up after the cake has thawed. Thawing slowly will help keep everything in place as well.
Fillings And Toppings That Don’t Freeze Well
Often, the cake itself will freeze well, but there may be fillings or toppings that simply don’t work. Here are some of the main issues:
- Custard and Cream. Custard, cream, and similar ingredients tend to separate after freezing, creating an unappealing grainy texture.
- Meringue. Meringue is a problem too, as it can easily become rubbery after it has thawed.
- Fresh Fruit. The texture of fruit always changes after freezing, becoming mushier and less appealing. This isn’t too bad if you’re using fruit compote, but chunks of fresh fruit won’t work well.
- Fondant Decorations. These can become softer and may lose some of their color after thawing.
For most of these cases, you’ll need to freeze the cake on its own, then add the extra ingredients later. If you’re making a complex cake, you may simply choose to freeze unfrosted cake layers, then do the rest of the work when it’s time to thaw these.
Moist Cakes
Very moist cakes, like tres leches, often don’t respond well to freezing. They tend to get soggy and lose much of their appealing texture.
This issue is even worse if the cake in question also uses dairy as an ingredient. The dairy may separate during freezing and thawing, creating graininess and an unpleasant texture.
Cake Layers
You can also easily freeze the individual layers of a cake, then piece the cake together later. This is perfect if the planned filling is unlikely to freeze well.
Cake layers can be frozen in exactly the same way as a complete cake. You can even freeze two layers together, provided there’s some parchment paper or plastic wrap between them so they don’t stick.
If you are freezing layers together, try not to go above two or perhaps three layers. Increasing the number of layers increases pressure on the bottom layer, which could damage it.
Can You Ice Frozen Cakes?
Here’s an exciting idea. Some people ice cakes while they are still frozen or when they’re only partially thawed.
This has many benefits, as the cake is more solid and less crumbly. Because of this, the frosting goes on more evenly and it’s easier to create a perfect finish. Icing the cake at this stage may also help seal in moisture and give the cake a better texture.
Yet, there are also a few issues.
One is that if the cake is too cold, it affects the consistency of your frosting, making it harder to spread. Some bloggers also find that they get air bubbles when they ice a frozen cake. This can ruin the finish of your cake, especially as the air bubbles may expand as the cake thaws.
If you want to try this approach, let the cake partially thaw first. Even just 30 minutes in the fridge will make the cake easier to ice and reduce many of the potential issues.
When applying frosting, work in thin and even layers, as this reduces the risk of air bubbles. It’s also important to work quickly, as condensation can form as the cake thaws and compromise your frosting.
How Long Can You Freeze Cake For?
The answer here depends on the cake you’re freezing and what you hope to do with it.
Freezing A Whole Cake
If you’re making an entire cake and want it to be the best possible quality for an event, then you shouldn’t freeze it for any more than a month or possibly two. Keeping within this window ensures your cake is as good as it was fresh (or perhaps even better).
Freezing Cake Layers
If you’re freezing unfrosted cake layers instead, you should be able to freeze them for two or three months without noticeable decreases in quality. That’s because these layers aren’t as vulnerable to freezer burn as an entire cake.
Freezing Leftover Cake
Of course, you’re not always trying to serve an entire cake for an event. Sometimes, you’re just trying to keep leftover slices of cake for a later date.
The quality doesn’t matter quite as much here, as you can easily simply serve the cake with cream, fruit compote, or something similar to offset any moisture loss. Individual slices may also be more resilient, as they freeze and thaw faster than a whole cake.
These differences mean you can often keep leftover cake in the freezer for up to six months. Just be sure the pieces are well wrapped, so there’s no risk of freezer burn.
How To Tell If The Cake Has Gone Bad
Even if they’re frozen, cakes can go bad. This is most likely if it wasn’t fresh when initially frozen or if your freezer isn’t working well.
Other Ways To Preserve Cake
There aren’t many preservation options for cake, especially as you can’t safely can cake. Even pressure canning isn’t an option, as cakes are a low acid food and the botulism risk is simply too high.
Dehydrated Cake Cubes
If you’re not going to freeze your cake, then dehydrating it is the next best preservation technique. To do so, you’ll first need to cut the cake into thin, uniform slices or cubes. Then, you can place the pieces in a dehydrator or an oven (at the lowest possible temperature, often with the door cracked) until most of the moisture has been removed.
The process gives you a crunchy snack that retains all the flavor of your original cake. Not only does dehydrated cake last longer than fresh cake, but it’s also a delicious snack in its own right.
Making Fresh Cake Last Longer
If you’re not interested in dehydrating or freezing cake, then the goal is simply to make your fresh cake last longer. Here are some tips for getting the best out of your cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before storage. Condensation will form if you place warm cake in a container, which then decreases the quality of your cake.
- Reduce air exposure. Plastic wrap and airtight containers reduce air exposure, preventing your cake from drying out.
- Only use the fridge if necessary. Most types of cake can simply be stored in a cool dry place and will go stale faster in the fridge. The fridge is only required if your cake uses a whipped cream frosting, fresh fruit, or if it’s very hot.
- Brush with simple syrup. Brushing cake layers with simple syrup helps to add moisture and improve the texture of your cake.
- Use a slice of bread. Some people place a slice of bread in their cake container. The bread acts as a buffer, absorbing moisture and preventing your cake from drying out. You can even attach slices of bread directly onto exposed parts of your cake using toothpicks.
That said, there are some interesting discussions about keeping cake in the fridge. Doing so makes the cake stale faster, giving you a less appealing texture. The flavors become more muted after refrigeration as well.
However, the fridge also slows mold growth and keeps your cake safe for longer. Well-wrapped pieces of cake may even last around a week stored in the fridge compared to three days otherwise, so the idea is worth considering.
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