Can You Freeze Birthday Cake

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We've frozen enough of cakes and have made plenty mistakes to know what really works. Let's learn how to freeze cakes and so that they taste the freshest!

You need a cake, just life's busy and spontaneous plans pop up. Nosotros totally become it.

Making desserts alee of time for a gathering or party is a wonderful way to avoid stress, the terminal thing you lot need before an upshot. So let's talk near freezing cakes alee of fourth dimension.

The best and easiest way to brand a block alee of time is to freeze the unassembled/undecorated layers. Over the past few years, I've tested multiple different ways to freeze cakes including changing factors like the cooling process, the wrapping, the container, the length of time, thawing, decorating, etc. Last year I constitute the best method when I was prepping and practicing cakes for my daughter's birthday. I've frozen plenty of cakes– all different sizes– and I'm actually excited to share the most successful freezing procedure with yous today.

Let's acquire how to freeze cakes so that they taste the freshest.

How to Freeze Cakes

Step ane: Bake and completely cool a cake/cake layers. These step-by-pace photos evidence circular cakes, but you can freeze square, rectangle, Bundt cakes, etc. See 10 Cake Baking Tips for best practices on baking and cooling cakes.

Step two: Once the cake(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. From one baker to some other– this is the best production for wrapping cakes. Perchance it'south only me, but sparse plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. And I ever feel like I need to double wrap food when using it. It definitely works, but Press & Seal is and so much easier to use and I've honestly found that information technology keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this brand, just actually love it.)

Footstep iii: Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. For best taste and texture, don't freeze cakes for longer than iii months. You lot could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, only the sooner you serve it, the fresher information technology tastes. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in instance the ink seeps through. (It has earlier!)

Step 4: Wrap the block in the aluminum foil.

Step 5: Place the block(s) in a freezer-rubber container. Or if y'all don't have a large enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. Of course make sure the foil with the date on it is what'due south on the outside. 🙂

Footstep 6: Freeze for up to iii months.

The cakes are wrapped in 2 layers: Printing & Seal, then aluminum foil. The offset layer keeps the cake tight and fresh and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation volition seep in. This is too how I wrap banana bread and other quick breads, also. Double layer = maximum freshness and no freezer burn down. Wet is the enemy, so don't be afraid to add some other layer of Press & Seal or aluminum foil.

How to Thaw Cakes

Thawing cakes is easy. Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator ane day earlier decorating/serving. I usually take them out of the freezer container to thaw. The cakes take at least 8 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Sometimes I forget and just allow the cake(due south) thaw at room temperature, but it's ameliorate they thaw at a slower rate in the refrigerator.

This is important: Make sure y'all're thawing the cakes while they're still in the wrapping. You see, condensation forms as foods thaw. This manner the condensation will class on the wrapping, not the cake. Wet sticky cake, anyone?

Best Cakes to Freeze

You tin can freeze just about any block after they've cooled completely. Mega flavorful cakes such as banana cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and pumpkin cake freeze and thaw beautifully when wrapped in a couple layers, as detailed above. I find their flavor is even better after the freezing/thawing process! Bundt cakes and pound cake freeze wonderfully as well, simply make sure they're completely cooled and wrapped tightly before freezing. For cheesecake instructions, meet "How to Freeze Cheesecake" in my cheesecake recipe.

Bakery's Tip: For absolute all-time taste and texture, avoid freezing delicate cakes like angel nutrient cake, vertical block, and pavlova. Though you definitely COULD freeze these (and the recipes instruct how), they gustatory modality all-time when freshly made.

All of our cake recipes include make-ahead and/or freezing instructions.

#one Success Tip

Don't Freeze Decorated Cake: For the absolute all-time gustatory modality and texture, get together and decorate the cake as close to serving as possible. That'southward why I recommend only freezing the cake/cake layers. A completely decorated cake will contract and aggrandize during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. Yous can brand the frosting ahead of time and refrigerate it for ane day, but fresh frosting actually does taste all-time. Freezing leftover frosted cake is completely fine, though. (Because it'southward just leftover and doesn't need to impress anyone anymore!)

Pictured: Vanilla Block

Impress

Description

Use this guide to freeze your cakes so they sense of taste the freshest possible.

baked & cooled block(s)
Printing & Seal wrap or plastic wrap
aluminum foil

Bake and completely cool a block/cake layers. These pace-past-step photos show circular cakes, but you can freeze square, rectangle, Bundt cakes, etc. See x Cake Baking Tips for best practices on blistering and cooling cakes.
In one case the block(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. This is the best product for wrapping cakes. Thin plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. Regular plastic wrap definitely works, just Press & Seal is and then much easier to employ and I've honestly found that information technology keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this make, just really dearest it.)
Write the blazon of cake and use-by date on a large slice of aluminum foil. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the block but in case the ink seeps through. Information technology has before!
Wrap the cake in the aluminum foil.
Identify the cake(due south) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don't take a big plenty container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. (Make sure the foil with the appointment on information technology is what'due south on the outside.)
Freeze for up to 3 months. For best taste and texture, don't freeze cakes for longer than three months. You could stretch information technology to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve information technology, the fresher information technology tastes.
When gear up to thaw: Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator 1 solar day earlier decorating/serving. Accept them out of the freezer container to thaw, but go out them wrapped in Press & Seal/aluminum foil. The cakes accept at least viii hours to thaw completely in the fridge. Brand certain you're thawing the cakes while they're still in the wrapping. Condensation forms as foods thaw. This style the condensation will form on the wrapping, not the cake.
Gather, decorate, and serve block.

Notes

Don't Freeze Decorated Cake: For best taste and texture, get together and decorate the cake as close to serving as possible. A completely decorated block will contract and expand during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. You can brand the frosting alee of time and refrigerate it for 1 24-hour interval, simply fresh frosting actually does taste best.

Keywords: cake, vanilla cake