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Curious about whether or not you can freeze the cake you just made? Use this guide to learn how to freeze cake, whether whole or sliced, frosted or unfrosted.
Today I’m bringing you another kitchen how-to.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love sharing these posts with you. Whether it’s knowing how to throw together a quick buttermilk substitute, how to measure flour correctly for better baking results, or how to make perfectly round cookies, these are some of my favorite tips and tricks.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about nearly all of my recipes is, “Can this recipe be frozen?”
And when it comes to cake and cupcakes, I am happy to say YES!
But there are some differences in how to freeze cake depending on if it’s frosted or not, whole or sliced. So let’s dive into how to tackle each of these.
WILL FREEZING AFFECT THE TASTE AND TEXTURE OF MY CAKE?
One of the biggest concerns about freezing cake is whether or not the freezing process will affect the taste and texture of your cake.
With the vast majority of cake recipes, freezing will not have a negative effect on the cake.
Cake actually freezes really well. If you wrap the cake correctly and don’t store it in the freezer for too long, you wouldn’t even guess you had frozen it when it’s time to eat!
The only time that freezing can negatively affect the cake is in the case of a super moist cake, like chocolate toffee poke cake, or really delicate cakes, like angel food cake.
But for the majority of cakes, like the best chocolate cake, cream cheese pound cake, or classic vanilla cupcakes, you can buy yourself at least a month by storing them in the freezer!
So let’s talk about how to do this.
FREEZING UNFROSTED CAKE LAYERS
If you’re thinking ahead, you may want to freeze unfrosted cake layers that you can decorate just before your party or event.
My friend once baked all of the layers for her friend’s wedding cake and froze them for 2 months before they were decorated. Not a single guest had any idea the cake layers had been baked ahead of time and frozen!
How to do it
The key to keeping your cake layers fresh in the freezer is wrapping them really well.
Make sure the cake layers have cooled completely before you wrap them. If you want to provide the layers with a bit of extra stability, place each one on a cardboard cake round before wrapping.
Wrap each individual cake layer in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty foil.
If you only need to freeze the cake layers for a week or so, you could use regular foil, but I prefer heavy-duty foil for longer-term freezes.
Depending on the size of the cake layers, you can place them in zip-top freezer bags for additional protection, but that is optional.
Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months.
How to thaw
When you’re ready to decorate the cake, remove the cake layers from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Since cold cake is easier to decorate, this will allow the cake to thaw enough to frost, but still be cold enough to decorate.
FREEZING A WHOLE, FROSTED CAKE
Let’s say you need to make a cake ahead of time, but you know you won’t have enough time to assemble and decorate the cake before your event. In that case, you might want to know how to freeze a frosted cake.
The good news is that a lot of frostings freeze really well. My homemade buttercream frosting freezes like a dream.
The only frostings that I would avoid freezing are really delicate frostings such as whipped cream frosting.
But for cakes that have been covered in a sturdier frosting, freezing them whole is definitely an option!
How to do it
Frost and decorate your cake. If you have decorations such as fresh fruit, fresh flowers, cookies, etc, leave those off until after thawing the cake and add them right before serving.
Place the entire cake on a cardboard cake round and place it in the freezer, uncovered. Freeze for about 2 hours, until the cake and the frosting are firm.
Now that the frosting is firm, wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty foil.
Label, date, and freeze for up to 1 month.
How to thaw
The night before your event, remove the cake from the freezer, take off the foil, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Keep the cake wrapped in the plastic wrap.
1-2 hours before serving, remove the plastic wrap and let the cake sit at room temperature.
FREEZING CAKE SLICES
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I end up with extra slices of cake after a family holiday or event. I don’t really want to eat them right away but I also don’t want to throw them away!
In this case, you can freeze the individual cake slices to enjoy later.
How to do it
If the cake is frosted, place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop the sheet tray in the freeze for about an hour, or until the frosting is firm.
If your cake is not frosted, such as blueberry coffee cake, you can skip that step.
Wrap each slice in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap and place the slices in a zip-top freezer bag.
Label, date, and freeze for up to 1 month if frosted and up to 2 months if unfrosted.
How to thaw
Thaw the slices overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped in the plastic wrap, or unwrapped at room temperature for a couple of hours.
In the case of something like pumpkin coffee cake, you could simply place the unwrapped slice on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds to both thaw it and warm it through.
FREEZING CUPCAKES
Ok, we’ve talked about unfrosted cake layers, an assembled and frosted cake, and cake slices. But what about cupcakes?
Great news: you can freeze those, too! The process is pretty similar, but let’s review.
How to do it
If the cupcakes are frosted, set them on a sheet tray and place the entire sheet tray in the freezer for about an hour, or until the frosting is firm.
If the cupcakes are not yet frosted because you plan to frost them just before serving, you can skip that step.
Wrap each cupcake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag.
Label, date, and freeze for up to 1 month if frosted and up to 2 months if unfrosted.
How to thaw
When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator, while still wrapped in the plastic wrap, or unwrapped at room temperature for a couple of hours.
And that’s it! Now that you know how to freeze cake, you will be unstoppable when it comes to preparing for an event or saving leftovers to enjoy later.
There’s so much single use plastic in all these methods… Could you share some plastic-free alternatives? Thank you!
Hi there – Unfortunately, there really aren’t any great plastic-free methods to get a good, airtight wrap/seal to prevent freezer burn. While beeswax wraps work great for the fridge, I wouldn’t recommend them here.