Kay, I know a ton of people out there don’t like the word “moist” BUT I’m not sure how else to describe a cake that’s not dry in any way. SO I’ll probably use it a few times in this post – sorry.
Alright. You take the time to bake a cake, then you let it cool, and what happens? STEAM escapes and leaves your cake as it dries. All that moisture is going OUT of your cake into the air, and it’s drying out slightly. For most cakes its probably okay, BUT I don’t just want an OKAY cake I want to serve an amazing cake.
So the second my cake is cool enough that I can tough it without getting 3rd degree burns I wrap it at least twice in plastic wrap and throw it in my freezer. Yup, trapping that steam and cooling the cake.
BIG tip here – NEVER refrigerate baked goods. Nothing dries out cake or other breads/baked goods faster than the fridge. It’s a killer, better to leave in on the counter. BUT freezing is different, it STOPS, rather than slows and so your cakes will stay not dried out and still taste amazing when it thaws (without losing all that steam).
Of course if I’m CARVING a cake I let it stay in long enough to freeze completely, but you can just leave cake in until it’s cooled then immediately trim, frost and serve as well.
Kimberly Ann
This is awesome! I always freeze my cakes like this solely because they’re so much easier to stack and decorate when slightly frozen. Good to know I’m not doing any favors to the dry cake gods. 🙂
Ashlee
HA, nope, your good!
Kentuckylady717
Glad to hear this…..I have never heard this before……but I will try it the next time I bake a cake…..this has sure been kept a secret ……but if it works , it is well worth the trouble…so you don’t have to leave it in the freezer until it freezes solid, just leave it in long enough to get completely cold, correct ?????
Thanks for telling us…..
Love your recipes too…..
Ashlee
either, I’ve let it freeze until just cool when I’m in a hurry, but usually I’m carving cake so I let it freeze completely.
April
can I go ahead and cut my cake in layers and freeze it that way. Do I need to wrap each cut layer separate or can I keep it together?
Ashlee
I def recommend wrapping them individually – the warm cakes and steam would stick together (plus the crust on the cake will help hold in the moisture too vs cutting it and letting even more steam out. plus cutting a cake that hot would be difficult – once it’s cooled the benefit of freezing it is lessened.
Laura
I bake every week, and as soon my cake is out of the oven a cover with plastic and put in the freezer . Some times for two weeks, and the cake is better than fresh,in the freezer concentrates the flavor.
Toni Torres
How do you thaw the cake..leave it wrapped? or unwrapped. I want to do this with cupcakes but I’m worried about the wrappers peeling. I’d appreciate any help you can give.
Ashlee
leave it wrapped, let it thaw, it will condense on the outside of the plastic that way.
CLAIRE WOOD
I bake a lot of pound cakes, and I always freeze them even if just overnight because it improves the texture of the cake. I have kept them frozen up to 3 weeks.
My husband insists that chocolate pound cake is even better still frozen; it does kind of remind one of ice cream- must be all the butter. His grandmother mailed a chocolate pound cake to him every Christmas and birthday if he was not going to be with the family at the time. I never froze cakes until I ate her cake; of course she froze them, and shipped them frozen. They were perfect.
Insiya
Hi ashlee i don’t know what is happening i tried different recipe but my cakes become hard my client complain it was hard wht could b the reason I put cake in freezer after icing that makes my cake hard it isn’t moist or using incorrect portion of ingredient plz help me thanku in advance
Ashlee
I’m not sure I understand the question – but 1. I freeze them FRESH while they are warm, so the steam stays in the cake and keeps the cake moist vs drying out. then I thaw it before leveling, filling and frosting. ONCE it’s frosted I don’t refridgerate or freeze again. The main thing is not to overcook the cake to begin with of course too.
Robert Renteria
Is it ok to fridge a cake once it’s been decorated? And or if cake is not needed the next day but the day after? I fridge my cakes for the next day after I’ve decorated and cake is still moist and full of flavor. But willing to try any ideas you have.
Ashlee
I never EVER refrigerate cake, it dries them out. Once a cake is frosted the frosting will keep the cakes moist, not reason to refrigerate it.
Cheryl
What if the frosting has a dairy base? Like whipped frosting? That needs to be refrigerated.
Ashlee
I rarely use cream cheese frosting but when I do, yes I refrigerate.
Maliha
How long can you keep the cake frozen ?
Ashlee
depends on how early I make it. Sometimes I just freeze it long enough to cool it down, sometimes it’s frozen for a week or two or more. But at some point it will get freezer burn so not over a few months
Erika
Great ideia!!! Ill try it soon. Thanks for sharing your expertise. Would you recommend a baking book for beginners? Baking Secrets ? Thanks!!
Ashlee
my favorite cookbook is “the joy of cooking” I love learning the why behind it all.
Mel
Hai Ashlee, if i make the cake two days earlier before i decorate, how much time does it take to thaw? Should i let it out in room temp night before? Thanks
Ashlee
it just takes a few hours to thaw!
Vanessa
Hi. You mention that cakes should not be refrigerated as it dries them out. I agree with this. However what do you do with a cake that has whipped cream as a frosting and it needs to be refrigerated? Any ideas?
Ashlee
1. use stabilized whipped cream and 2. frost it as CLOSE to the event as you can so it doesn’t have to be refrigerated too long
I don’t use whipped cream as a frosting but I do use it in trifles and that’s what I do.
Valerie
What recipe for a buttercream do u know that uses non dairy I am getting my home processor to bake from home and if I do a buttercream it can’t be liquid dairy which takes away my fav recipe milk conf sugar butter and vanilla?
Vchappy@gmail.col
Ashlee Marie
sorry I’m an all dairy gal so I don’t have any non dairy frosting recipes. I’m so sorry!
Charise
Hi, to clarify, when you carve your cakes are they thawed or frozen? I am making a friends wedding cake and want it to be perfect! Thanks!
Ashlee
I carve them frozen
Tina
Hey, thanks for this tip. I’ve got frozen cakes waiting to be frosted. Wish me luck!?
Ashlee
perfect! and good luck!
Angela Kear
A professional cake decorator friend told me to frost while still frozen because it entraps the moisture even more. I’ve done this a time or two and have gotten tons of compliments on how moist the cake is. I have only done this when covering with buttercream, not fondant.
What do you think?
Ashlee
I carve when frozen, but I NEVER frost when frozen, the cake will condense with thawing leaving drips of water down the side which ruins whatever decorating I do. freezing it while still warm and steaming, trapping that in, has always been enough for me!
FranG
Hi Ashlee…I was wondering if you’ve ever had fondant blow out on your cakes. And, if so, what was the cause and how did you resolve it?
Ashlee
it’s one of the reasons I don’t like using buttercream – since it crusts the fondant doesn’t always stick properly and you get air pockets and blow outs. American buttercream is the worst – italian meringue or swiss meringue are better options. I prefer Ganache under fondant. Also letting your cake settle before adding the weight of the fondant will help.
Valerie
Recipe for those?
Ashlee Marie
here are some cake recipes https://ashleemarie.com/recipes/cake-recipes/
Aisha
Hi Ashley! Thanks for sharing this gem of a tip. If i read you correctly, you mean wrap and store them in the freezer as soon as they are no longer extremely hot..? So i can put the cake in the freezer even though the cake still feels warm to the touch?
Ashlee
yup, you want to seal the steam into the cake so you don’t want it to cool down very much, as soon as you can handle touching it go for it
Zoe
How long do you leave out the oven before freezing i know your saying touch warm but would you say 30-1hr out the oven before wrapping
Kelli
Hi.. so I froze my cakes and now thawed and stacked them. I put them in the freezer again to harden abit before I crumb coat it. Is that ok?
Ashlee
I don’t, I just frost and move on, but it won’t hurt the cake to be frozen again.
Laura
Hi Ashlee,
Thanks for sharing, I am about to start make and freezing my cakes ahead of time. I am going to attempt at topsy turvey cake. I have seen them carve a frozen cake on youtube. It all makes sense now, and looks easy (who I am kidding). Wish me luck. love your ideas.
Ashlee
good luck! it’s seriously so much fun to carve cakes!
Heena Patel
I like this idea! My son’s first birthday is coming up the day after a family wedding. I want to make it ahead of time. I saw on a different channel you can freeze the cake with the filling and stack, wrap then freeze for upto 2 months. Thoughts?
When I take it out I thaw it for a few hours, ice then fondant? Can I do this 1-2 days before even if there is dairy in the filling?
Ashlee
I only freeze them before frosting, not after. Some fillings would be just fine – like a buttercream, some wouldn’t like a mousse. Just make sure that you let them thaw completely before adding fondant – you don’t want to deal with condensation.
Mary
Ashley where can I find some straight edge round pans
Ashlee
I get mine at a local store. I like Fat Daddio’s http://amzn.to/2zXLgZy
Kerri
Thank you so very much for the tip. I have always refrigerated mine but have had problems with dry cakes. Can’t wait to try this!!!
Ashlee
let me know how it goes!
Carolyn
I bake a lot of cakes and while I wrap them while still warm I’ve never put them in the freezer just merely left them on the counter to cool,sometimes for a whole day,they are always moist.
Nicole
Hi! Will this work with. Cupcakes too? Will the wrappers peel from the cupcakes once thawed?
Paulette
Hi Ashlee
how do you deal with ButterCream and Fondant covered cakes in high heat? We live in SA and have summer temps easily into high 30-40 degrees…
I dont like my cakes making little bubbles / cellulite as some call it…
Please advise…
Stavroula
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve freeze mine to make it easier to carve but never knew that it keeps it moist. If I’m using buttercream or cookies and cream filling is it ok to keep it out or should that be refrigerated?
Ashlee
buttercream is totally okay to keep out – not sure what is in your cookie and cream filling so hard to say on that one
Arlene
Hi Ashlee! If I decorated a cake on Saturday with buttercream, is it okay to leave out on the counter and deliver the cake the next Day? Thanks!
Hafiza Dakri
Hi Ashlee, thanks for the tip I am going to try it. I’ve noticed that if I keep my dry cake covered in a dome overnight even while frosted, it’s moist the next morning. Any advice on why this technique works too? Definitely doesn’t help when frosting a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting so i look forward to using your tip in future!
Ashlee
the cake is pulling moister from the frosting, once you cut it that won’t help of course, as the air will get in. and cream cheese frosting doesn’t have that much moisture to pull from, and a carrot cake is more dense, so it can’t pull as much from the frosting. you can also use a simple syrup
Carol
Hi Ashlee, I’m making a 4 tier wedding cake for next weekend. 1-10″ 2 layer… 2-8″ 2 layer(drum) and 1-6″ 2 layer. I’ve never baked and froze any of my cakes, but this is a big wedding and I’m also making 2-1/2 sheet cakes. So, I want to try this process to cut my time. I was thinking of baking all week long, freezing, and then taking them all out on Friday, filling, frosting and stacking the cakes. I have to refrigerate them again because the cake will be too tall to put back in my freezer and and I need to get the buttercream rock hard so that I can paint the entire cake gold. Any helpful tips you can give me would be appreciated ? I’m on facebook Crazy Confections By Carol
Ashlee
personally I don’t ever refrigerate cakes – just my own rule of thumb. and I only paint gold onto fondant – never buttercream. So I’m not very helpful on that front, sorry! esp since once you bring the cake out of the fridge and it comes back to room temp it will condense and could ruin the frosting and paint job.
Shokofe
Hi .i have a problem with butter cream.when i cover my cake or cup cake with butter cream i keep them in fridge but when i want to serve the frosting got tough and dry .please help me ❤
Ashlee
I never refrigerate cakes – it dries them out. once you frost them they are fine on the counter- the frosting will keep the cake moist. ALL bread products can be frozen or room temp but should never be put in the fridge.
Kay
Hi Ashley,
If im stacking a cake do I frost inbetween the layers before freezing or after?
Ashlee
After – you freeze while they are still steaming to trap the steam into the cake – if you wait until it’s cooled there really is no point
Linda
Hey Ashlee
Just wondering if i can freeze a cake that has sour cream in the batter?
Love all your tips!
Ashlee
once it’s baked it just fine to freeze
Jo ann dill
How do you keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the cake once it is thawed? I tried this freezing method , and the cake was very moist; however, the plasticstuck and peeled away a lot of the cake
Ashlee
is it a from scratch cake? or a box mix – box mixed don’t really work well with this technique as they get really gummy – make sure you peel it off when it’s still frozen if that’s the case and that will help.
ARLINE ORR
i AM FREEZING A FROSTED CAKE FOR ONE WEEK. WRAPPING WITH ALUMINUM FOIL AND PLASTIC WRAP.. WILL THIS BE MOIST WHEN REMOVING 1 WEEK LATER
Ashlee
I don’t freeze frosted cakes, just pre frosted – and I wouldn’t use aluminum foil – just plastic wrap – this techniques works best when you wrap a cake when it’s still warm cause it traps the steam into the cake instead of it evaporating. the reason I don’t freeze frosted cakes – is cause when it thaws the condensation will ruin the frosting
jan
Hi i tried this this week, but came across a problem, the cakes went out of shape, bout the were round, so had to bake some more, and use fresh, where did i go wrong? wrapped to hot, to tight??
Ashlee
I wait 10 mins then wrap and I bake VERY dense cakes so they are strong – but yes don’t wrap too tight – you could totally get it out of shape – also make sure your shelf in the freezer is flat
Candace
I’ve been told you have to have a separate freezer for cakes than with normal food. The temp of the hot cake can make the freezer temp rise and can cause bacteria to grow on the other foods. Your thoughts on this? I freeze my crazy banana cake but just to cool it off and I cool it in the pan.
Thanks
Ashlee
I happen to have a separate freezer – I have 3 in total so one is for my baking – but before I got the freezer I still did it this way. I think it depends on how close your cake is to the other foods and how cold and full your freezer are – when I did it before I had the second freezer I always put it on a shelf with a wide berth – and kept my freezer slightly colder than they recommend – but never in the pan – the pan will take a lot longer to cool then the wrapped cake
Campbell Miller
Hi Ashley, I saw you on the HBC and you were incredible! I was wondering if I could do this a couple of days before I am actually putting together my cake. Let’s say I make and wrap the cake on a Thursday and I put my cake together on a Sunday, is that too long, or is it Ok? Thanks so much and let me know.
STEFNEY
Hi Ashlee, thanks for the post. I was wondering,can this method keep sponge cake moist if left in the freezer for a week?
Lola
I’ve tried this twice now and I love doing it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I think dry cake is very sad, especially the morning after you’ve worked so hard to make something moist and delicious. The other reason I enjoy cooling the cake quickly is that I have a toddler who can’t wait to sample the goodies, so the time between leaving the oven and offering her a slice with frosting is not too long. The post is very informative. Lots of the answers to some questions being asked are in there. Great job, Ashlee.
Ashlee
you are so welcome! so glad you enjoyed the tip – and yes, getting to the cake faster is always better 😉
Tiffany
Do you have to let it thaw before decorating and how long does it take. This will be my first time to Do the freezing process for my daughter’s birthday cake
Ashlee
I leave it frozen if I’m carving it, and it thaws as I carve. But for a normal cake yes I leave it in the plastic wrap and let it thaw for an hour or so (leaving it in the plastic so that any condensation doesn’t get into the cake). then level, fill and frost.
Caroline
Hi Ashlee,
I’m making blueberry and plum cakes. Does the freezing effect the bits of fruit in the cake?
Ashlee
I’m not much of a fruit person so I don’t bake with fruit in my cakes, so honestly haven’t tried it! I would ASSUME it would work just fine, but I’d hate to promise it would work and have it get messed up!
Yvette
I am making my niece’s 15th birthday party cake… Ok so I think I got it down?? I am decorating it with fondant BTW. So freeze cake THEN crumb coat? Or do I let it COOL, level it (except the dome), packaged it well, freeze the layers individually, THEN crumb coat and apply Fondant? I am SO confused!!!
Ashlee
I wrap it then freeze it while it’s warm to seal in the steam, no point in freezing it once the steam is all gone – you’ve let the moisture all leave at that point. then I let it thaw completely in the plastic, unwrap it and level it, frost it then cover in fondant
Rozz
Hi Ashlee, My daughter is insisting on making her own wedding cake. She plans to make a 6 layered carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. She’s planning on baking and freezing the cakes a few days before the wedding and adding the cream cheese frosting the day before the wedding. My question to you is will the creamcheese frosting be ok ,if she doesn’t put the cake in the fridge or will it go off? Thanks so much for all this great advice so far.
Ashlee
She’d def want to refrigerate any cake with cream cheese frosting. There is a reason cake decorators use shortening based frosting or fondant – they don’t need to be refrigerated.
Lori
Ashley, thanks for the tips. I was asked to make a wedding cake for my nephew. And was given a recipe for a white cake that called for buttermilk. I was out of milk and could not make my own, in a pinch the only milk like substance in my fridge was vanilla liquid coffee creamer. Once the cake was done and taken out to cool it fell in the center. I was heart broken…never had a cake fall. Crazy thing taste wise was the best cake we have had in a long time. Any suggestion on how to keep it from falling and still use the creamer?
Ashlee
Buttermilk is more acidic so if you aren’t using it you need to balance the acid in the recipe in another way. Like decreasing the baking soda.
Linda Chattein
Hi I have just found your page and I have frozen my cakes, but they appear wet when I have defrosted them and one recipient said it was soggy. I thawed them properly and filled with buttercream, then fondant on the top, what did I do wrong?
Ashlee
Hmmmm, that’s odd, I’ve never had that happen. What kind of cake, at what point do you freeze them and do you leave them in plastic when defrosting so the condensation doesn’t get to the cakes? Do you use a simple syrup after – I almost never bother since my cakes are already so moist. And they are totally thawed before frosting, right?
nisha
U r an expert in cake decorating? So glad to meet u here. Please advise the right ingredient and measurement for buttercream to make roses or other flower designs.
Ashlee
I’m self taught so lots of trial and error. any buttercream recipe will work – it’s about getting the right thickness of the frosting, for frosting in buttercream you need it thinner and more spreadable, but for roses you want it to be thicker. of course only american buttercream has thick/med/thin – the meringue buttercreams, swiss and italian, are only in one thickness – both spreading and roses – but it’s a little trickier to make so most people start with american since it’s so easy
Kari
If you frost and decorate a cake the day before can you leave it out overnight and should it be covered?
Ashlee Marie
it depends on the frosting and filling. Like a whipped cream frosting obviously it needs to be refrigerated. most of the time the frosting keeps the cake moist and can be left out uncovered, once you cut into the cake THEN you add plastic wrap to keep the cake itself from drying out but the frosting is usually good.
Nebun Dori
Hi Ashlee I only started to bake cakes, freezing a cake, does this mean in the deep freezer?
Ashlee Marie
I use a full sized standing freezer, not a chest freezer, but it doesn’t really matter – just whatever freezer you have, the type doesn’t really matter.