Last week I was given the advice on here to freeze my scratch cakes because it would make them more moist. I was very skeptical, but so many people chimed in saying that they did it too, so I had to give it a try.

I made a "practice" chocolate cake a few days ago and stuck it in the freezer. It's a recipe that I have been using lately and I already love it. And then I froze it...

WOW!!! We just ate some of it and it is the moistest most delicious chocolate cake I have ever made. Seriously...I changed nothing about how I make this cake, except for freezing it. Unbelievable!!!

So thanks everyone...all my cakes will be going in the freezer from now on

Now you can bake ahead and have moist delicious cakes!!

When you freeze the cake, do you take it out the day before or the day of? I froze mine before but made the mistake of wrapping it in plastic wrap while it was still a little warm (I thought it was cool enough at the time but it wasn't) do you wrap it in only plastic wrap (I also used waxed paper around it and then the plastic wrap)

I wrap my cake (completely cooled) in plastic wrap. If I'm torting, I tort each layer and place a piece of waxed paper between the torts so they'll be easier to sererate later, then wrap in plastic and place in plastic bag. I don't wrap the cake itself in waked paper because that allows air near the cake. When ready to fill & crumb coat I remove from freezer and begin. Simple.

I normally wrap my cakes in plastic wrap after they've cooled in the pan. I did that as normal, then put another layer of plastic wrap on, and then wrapped it in 2 layers of tin foil. I don't know if that was overkill or not, but I was nervous about freezing the cake...LOL!

I didn't torte first because I felt my cake was too fragile at that point (but I know alot of people torte before freezing). I pulled the cakes out of the freezer Sunday late evening before going to bed and I torted & crumbcoated Monday morning. They were completely thawed at that point. I left them wrapped up until they were thawed.

I agree! Freezing cakes ROCKS!

Welcome to the dark side, Maria...or is it the cold side?

I let mine cool completely, double wrap in plastic, then double wrap in foil. Then freeze, even when I don't need to. With all the futzy little details and decorations I work on, it's so nice to have the cakes always done and out of the way until I need them.

Clarke Scott Woolley recommends wrapping them in plastic 5 minutes out of the oven! Then let them sit, wrapped, until cool before freezing.

I did try it once when I made his chocolate cake recipe. And it worked really well. I haven't done this with my own recipes because I haven't found the need to. What I do now works perfectly for me and I don't think I'd want my cakes any moister. there is such a thing as too moist.

Thanks for all the freezing tips everyone--I'll have to give it a try.

What's the longest amount of time you would let it sit in the freezer before using? Is it days? weeks? longer?

I don't wrap mine quite as soon as ten minutes out of the oven, but they are still warm when I wrap. I just wrap in three layers of plastic wrap (Sam's) and pop them into my designated freezer. I actually find them easier to torte when they are still cold, not quite frozen... many different ways of doing things.

I'm with Win. I wrap while warm with my Sam's plastic wrap, then place in a ziplock and put in the freezer. I love baking ahead!

I freeze my cakes after they are completely cool. I usually use three layers of plastic wrap (Costco), one of foil, and sometimes another layer of plastic (complete overkill I know). My cakes are always so nice and moist. This is so helpful when you are going to be tight on time--and even when you are not .

Yep. I agree. I freeze all of my cakes

Somewhere I picked up the theory that when you freeze, the ice crystals grow in the cake. The ice expands a little in the cake and makes tiny cuts in the cake - more tender. Could be some craziness there.

I personally feel that it evens out the moisture in the cake - no dry edges or anything. All good stuff for cakes.

I always freeze. I never adjust my torting, filing, icing schedule for a frozen cake. They thaw within minutes while working with them.

I f a customer asks if I freeze - "Yes. So you get better cake!"

if you freeze cakes, then how long do you have to wait to decorate them after?? Like one time, I froze mine,,then I decorated it cold,,then later, after decorated, I was told there was too much moisture in cake..like sopping wet cake..Do I thaw completely, then decorate?? I want to do this too, but don't' want a complaint of sopping wet cake either again.

Thanks!

wow! i discovered freezing cakes bc i was short on time for the 1st cake i did and after having such a moist cake - and being so superstitious about changing any methods when something turns out right - i decided to freeze every cake ahead of time! i have been getting weird looks when i tell people that i think that's why i have moist cakes - and - i guess there really is truth to my self discovery! awesome! now i will be able to give proof to those ppl that look grossed out by the fact that i freeze the cake before i decorate it!

I'm in the freeze while still warm camp. It's not a good idea to remove a cake from its pan while it's hot, because it breaks too easily, but after about 10 minutes, they're cool enough to turn out. I wrap them as soon as possible after that in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, put it in a ziplock bag (if it will fit, otherwise in foil) and stick it in the freezer for anywhere between 8 hours and six months. Does wonders for retaining moisture!

I bake, cool, torte then wrap each layer sepertately in press and seal and then stack the layers and wrap again. When ready to use I take them out of the freezer, fill, crumbcoat and then let it settle and come to room temperature for at least 3 hours then cover with final coat of buttercream or fondant. This helps to have no bulging, no blowouts and no bubbles in my fondant. It doesn't always prevent it but probably 90% of the time. I freeze all of my cakes and they are always very moist.

Cat

I hate to say it but... I told you so (just kidding). I don't freeze them just to freeze them but if I ever have to I know that they are delicious.

also makes it much much easier to carve if the cake is still semi frozen. =)

When do you pour the sirop?? Before freezing or after thawing??
thank you.
CIAO

I too swear by freezing! Only for a night or two...I rarely leave them frozen for more than a few days. I only freeze because of what it does to the texture of the cakes!! - it is a noticeable difference!

I used to wrap the warm cakes in plastic wrap but noticed the wrap shrinks and effects the shape of my cake. Plus, the costco wrap almost melts and puts off a weird chemical smell!! So, after much experimentation, I've found the best technique...Pop out the warm cakes from their pans after 5 minutes right onto a square of PRESS and SEAL (sticky side up)! Then, take another square of press and seal and place it on top of the cake and seal it all around the bottom square...sealing the cake and all that yummy steam/flavor, but without changing the shape or shrinking! Then I pop them right into my freezer.

Works beautifully!!!

So everyone torts and fills their cakes while they are still frozen? Also, doesn't the cake get mushy on top? I also read on here that someone leaves the cakes wrapped until they defrost? So what is the proper way of doing this? I want to try this, but I don't want to do the wrong thing.

I always think about freezing, but I didn't know how to go about doing it.. I don't think I really need it for the moisture, but more for the convenience of baking a bunch of cakes one day and having them ready when I need them. I do have a couple of questions though.

1) how to wrap it? from what I've read... torte it, separated by wax paper, two layers of plastic wrap and a ziploc freezer bag.. does that sound right?.. right now I wrap my cake immediately out of the pan so that the heat stays in the plastic wrap and makes the cake super moist.. will that be a problem if I freeze?

2) how soon before decorating do you take the cake out of the freezer? should I take it out the morning of and decorate that night... or can I start frosting it while its still frozen.... will the buttercream have a problem sticking to the cake when it starts thawing?

3) if I have a super moist cake recipe, is it not recommended to freeze?


sorry for all the Q's.. I know this would save me a lot of time that I could be spending with my kids (who appear to be getting bigger each day)... and maybe get me more than 2-4 hours of sleep I'm getting now!!

Thanks!

I don't torte anything until after I freeze it. I take my cakes from the freezer to the fridge and let them unthaw a bit. Then I unwrap them and then torte/fill them when they're chilled, but not totally frozen.

Ok, I guess I'm going to put away my fear of freezing cakes and go for it.

you guys have me convinced - i am sticking a just baked (but cooled) cake in the freezer RIGHT NOW!!!! thanks for all the tips!

preciouspjs ,
I wait 10 minutes then CAREFULLY (using 2 pieces of cardboard or even the pan) level, torte,(no paper inbetween) wax paper, plastic wrap one way, then flip and the other way. Then foil. And Freeze in the deep freeze. Take out of the freezer and let it come to room temp wrapped. Then fill and crumb coat as normal. (unless I am carving, then I fill and carve while still cold, but not frozen)