Whether you want to preserve a few slices of delicious leftover Madeira cake or prepare a showstopper birthday cake in advance of the big day, many people wonder how to freeze cake to enjoy at a later date. Good news – most homemade cakes and bakes freeze well, and by following a few key guidelines, most sweet treats will taste just as good after freezing as the day you baked them.
After baking your cake, ensure that it fully cools before freezing. Whether you want to preserve wedges of cake or an entire layer of moist and delicious sponge cake, be sure to wrap it tightly in a double layer of clingfilm to expel any air prior to freezing. It’s a good idea to wrap your cake in a final layer of foil to further protect it from freezer burn. If your cake has multiple layers, wrap each layer individually, to prevent them from sticking together as the cake thaws.
One of the most pertinent baking questions is ‘can you freeze cake with cream’. Decorating and filling a beautiful centrepiece style cake such as this rich and indulgent chocolate drizzle cake is often the most fun part of the baking process. However, if you wish to freeze your cake for later, it is best to do so without any icing, cream or filling, because the taste and texture may deteriorate. You can bake your unassembled cake ahead of time, and freeze the layers to decorate on the day you wish to consume it.
Most cakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you’ve ever wondered how to thaw cake, it is an easy process. Simply transfer your wrapped slices or layers from the freezer to the refrigerator a day ahead of serving (although cake generally thaws within 8 hours if you are pressed for time). One important tip – thaw frozen cake in its wrapping to prevent condensation from forming and turning the sponge soggy and wet. If you need to decorate a defrosted cake, you can do so once it has come up to room temperature.
