Can you freeze a cake and have it taste just as fresh, moist, and delicious as the day it was baked?
Would you believe me if I said freezing makes your cake even better than fresh? It’s absolutely true. A properly wrapped cake can be frozen for weeks or months, thawed, and taste even better than the day you made it. As long as you take the proper steps to protect your cake from freezer odors, your guests will rave about the quality of your cake, never suspecting that it was baked weeks or months ago. There are probably as many different methods for freezing cakes as there are bakers. There is no one right way – this is just our way, and we’ve found it works!
Now, this advice is given with the assumption that your freezer is in good working order, and doesn’t smell like fish. Always place your cakes toward the back of the freezer where it’s coldest, and try to minimize the number of times the door is opened and closed, and the length of time the door is held open. Those temperature fluctuations cause your frozen food to thaw a little, then freeze again. When you repeat this process over and over again, it can degrade the quality of your food.
The freezer can be your best friend when preparing cakes. If you have a large order and limited time or manpower, start baking a couple of weeks ahead of time. Wrap those precious layers and store them in your freezer, and you’ll have a jump on the entire assembly and decorating process.
Thawing it out
Thawing your layers is easy because cake thaws really fast! However, the easiest way I’ve found to thaw my layers is to remove them from the freezer the night before I’m ready to decorate them, and leave them on the counter overnight. It’s important to leave the cake fully wrapped while it thaws! Condensation will gather on your outer wrapping, and you want all that moisture to stay outside your cake. When the condensation has disappeared, you will know your layer has thawed. Depending on the size of the layer, this can take 2-4 hours. This is why it’s great to take them out of the freezer the night before, so you can be absolutely certain they’re ready for you in the morning.
Freezing your cakes will allow you new levels of flexibility in your cake decorating schedule.ย All you need is aluminum foil, Glad Press’n’Seal Wrap, a Sharpie, and your freezer!
Let’s Do It!
Place in the freezer and enjoy at a time of your desiring! I have used this method to freeze a cake for up to 7 months and it still tasted as delicious as the day I made it. However, until you are experienced with this method, I recommend starting with shorter freezing times of 1-2 weeks until you are comfortable with the quality of your cake.