I now this can be a controversial subject, but do you freeze your cakes or not? tell me why please. I usually bake and crumb coat then decorate the next, but I have frozen 2 cakes for just 1-3 days tops and everyone told me how moist they were, which sometimes doesn't happen when I bake and just decorate. I have a cake that I made 6 days ago and I'm wondering if it will be ok to use or if it will tast funny?

I will freeze cakes if I am really busy in the week prior to oders due. But then I bake in the morning crumb coat in the afternoon and decorated the day it goes out. No complaints either way. JMO.

Yes, I freeze cakes and I too think they are even more moist than when I just bake and decorate. I haven't kept them frozen long - a week tops. But tonight I am going to decorate a cake I've had frozen for 2 weeks. I think it should be OK.

If wrapped properly you can freeze cakes for up to a year before you use them. It doesn't affect the quality of the cake at all. Mind you I have never done it, but I have frozen cakes for a few months, and they turned out awesome.

When I freeze them I always get compliments on how moist they are, so now I barely bake and use. I haven't left them in there for more than a week though.

I freeze almost all of my cakes. My DH actually said he prefers them frozen first. Somehow, freezing them locks in the moisture!
But, if you're going to freeze, I will caution you to make sure you wrap properly. Nothing worse than tasting the freezer when you're eating cake!

cakes by jackie what do you mean freeze properly. what is the right way?

I like to plan out my cakes and not have to rush doing them. I freeze my cakes a couple weeks ahead of time, make my frosting early, and any decorations I need for the cake. I never had a problem with the taste of the cake.

I wrap two to three times in scran wrap. Make sure I have a box of baking soda in freezer to abosorb food smell.

I work full time and started going back to school so this helps out a lot. I will be baking a section of a cake for my daughters party on 10/22 and will bake the cookies this weekend for the favors.

The cakes your freeze, are they cake mix cakes or scratch cakes? Does it make a difference? Thanks!

Personally, I think they are more moist after freezing as well. I don't like to freeze a scratch cake for more than a week though, you can taste it.

I have done both - boxed and scratch cakes
here is some infor from baking 911

http://www.baking911.com/pantry/storage_baked_goods.htm

Storage of cakes: I find that many are confused about to store an unfrosted or frosted cake. I have tried to clearly outline some tips, below.
Anytime you use a perishable frosting or filling on a baked good, it must be refrigerated.

Cakes can be stored at a cool room temperature or frozen depending on the cake and whether or not there are decorations. Try to avoid refrigerating a cake because it dries a cake, unless it has perishable frostings and fillings.
Cake mixes have a shelf life of up to two years if kept in a cool, dry place, like your pantry. So, if you live where it's humid in the summertime you'd best not stock up on cake mixes for the long haul.

When you store a cake without perishable items, you want to maintain freshness and moisture. Unfrosted plain cakes, such as angel food, unfrosted butter cakes, tortes, sponge and chiffon, do not require refrigeration and can be stored at room temperature. Make sure you wrap them with plastic wrap and/or foil.

If you want to keep your unfrosted cake layers for longer, freeze them. First wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and then in foil, even if storing overnight (freezing for even a short stay, tightens the cake's crumb). Place inside of a resealable plastic bag.

Place frosted cakes in the freezer to harden the frosting before covering. Place layer cakes in cake container to prevent crushing. Angel and chiffon cakes are best left in the pan or placed in rigid containers to avoid crushing.

she also has chart for how on certain cakes to freeze for - angle food, chiffon, fruit cake, gingerbread, made from mix, pound, etc.

I seem to have less crumbs to contend with when I have a frozen cake vs. a just baked one. Of course I defrost it first, but they are still very cool to the touch when I start frosting them. I can't remember the last cake I DIDN'T freeze.

I have a question about freezing and wrapping. How do you wrap the cakes tightly without distorting the shape? I have on several occasions wrapped a cake, on a cake circle only to find that one side of the cake is slightly dented inwards because of the way I have wrapped it prior to placing in the freezer.

I thought about wrapping it while still in the pan, but I need that to bake other cakes during the process. Can anyone help? I have to bake layers for a wedding cake this weekend so that I can decorate on Friday and deliver on Saturday.

Kisha it sounds like your putting the plastic wrap too tight. As long as there is enough platic wrap to cover the entire cake you dont have to strangle it lol for lack of a better word. I also put mine in a large ziplock after the plastic and foil when size permits and find this the best option.

I just froze 2 cakes I need for Sunday.
I have a question about torting.
Do you tort them when they are fully defrosted? Or do you tort them when they are still slightly frozen?

I torted the first one I did when it was still parshily frozen.

Thanks!
Can't wait to get started. This will be cake #2 for me. Wish me luck!

Other than my cheesecakes, I freeze EVERY cake I bake. I bake them up to a week ahead of time, and then let them cool completely (in the pans) on cooling racks. Once cool, I wrap the entire pan (with the cake inside it) in heavy duty aluminum foil (no plastic wrap), and put it in the freezer. When I take the cake out of the freezer to ice it, I immediately unwrap it to avoid any condensation that might make the cake wet underneath the foil. I let the cake sit out for about 15-20 minutes before removing it from the pan. To remove it from the pan, I take a flat metal spatula and run it around all sides of the pan to loosen it. Then, I run the bottom of the pan over my stove burner for a few seconds. I think the brief heating from the stove really makes a difference, because the cakes slide right out of the pans.

If, for some reason, I need to reuse a pan that is in the freezer, I'll leave the cake in the freezer for around 24 hours, long enough for it to really freeze. Then, I'll remove the cake from the pan and rewrap the frozen cake in foil and return it to the freezer.

I know there are lots of people who are very anti-freezing, but to be honest, I think that many of them would not know the difference in a blind taste test (I'm not trying to start anything ... I just can't figure out what some people have against freezing cakes!!! ). I have customers who have told me that they love my cakes so much because they taste so fresh and "don't taste frozen like those grocery store cakes". Cracks me up!!!!!!!! I am a firm believer that freezing a fresh cake absolutely locks in the freshness and moisture. I also can't imagine being able to ice a big 16" or 18" wedding cake tier without it being partially frozen. The crumbs would be everywhere! For those of you who are able to do it on fresh cake, I admire you!!! I have been making cakes for several years, and I have never had a single person tell me that one of my cakes "tastes frozen". Just the way I do it!!

I wait until my cake are just cool enough to touch, then take tham out of the pan and double wrap with saran wrap, then foil twice and if small enough put inside a ziplock bag.
I will never NOT freeze a cake again after my last 2, which were just small cakes for family, but I didn't freeze them and they were not as moist as they are when frozen.
I say freeze away!!!

I am the lone ranger here. I definately do NOT freeze cakes, I can taste it. I don't care how it has been wrapped. I will admit that I can also "taste" if silverware has been clanged together though. (is that the word I am looking for??) So maybe my taste buds are just extremely sensitive. I don't know. I have several friends who would not believe that I could possibly taste it - so they got together and did a "blind taste test" on me........I aced EVERY cake that had been in a freezer. They now believe me - they don't know how I can do it, but I can.

I know I don't like that taste - so I do not freeze them.

Do what suits you! For me, freezing is a big no no.

I have frozen them for a month and they were just fine.. I think they are alot moister after being frozen.. I only freeze cakes with buttercream frosting though.. never fondant... I make sure they are wrapped really well in plastic wrap and then in foil..
Liz

ok, Quadcrew you got some crazy sensitive taste buds! I need you to go taste testing with me so I can figure out what ingrediants are used in some of my favorite restaurants food! I can sometimes tell if a cake has been frozen, but not very often. I can tell though if a cake is from a boxed even when DR. up and from scratch. My family did the same blind taste test on me and I aced it! Good thing I like both though! today is the longest I've ever froze a cake (it was for 6 days ) I'll see how it is tomarro when I slice a piece out.

Quadcrew, I am very impressed!!! You have some awesome taste buds! Well, I bite my tongue for what I said before ... but only for you!!!!

I don't think they are awesome. My DH has always told me I need to get a job at a food manufacturing factory taste testing stuff for them - make some money off of them. I can also taste the differences in the cakes (dr.'d or not etc. - but I do not find them offensive at all)

I did "bust" a high end bakery owner not too long ago ~ he was touting all his fresh items, we bought several of them, and I told him which ones had come out of the freezer - his face turned beet red.

After reading this post I may try freezing, it would be such a time saver I think. I think I'll perform my own little taste test, hehe.

I work full-time so I have to plan and do as much done ahead as I can. I bake my cakes a week in advance and freeze them. I wrap in plastic wrap and foil and put them in plastic freezer bag if size permits. Then the morning on the day I decorate, I pull them out of the freezer before going to work and remove the freezer bag and foil. They are ready to go when I get home.

I have frozen three weeks in advance (the 50th anniversary cake) and it was fine.

Everyone talks about my cakes being so moist. I smile and say thank you.

My mom lives next door. And if she knows I have a cake to do on a work night with a lot of decorating detail or if it is one she has requested, she will ask me to bring the cake and icing to her and she will have it crumbcoated when I get home.

I freeze, but in a deep freeze with 2 layers of plastic and one of foil. I defrost in the fridge overnight, and they are as good as if I had baked them and chilled them overnight. The difference is freezing in a deep freeze vs. a regular freezer.