I wondering if you can store cake batter. I making a wedding cake and I'm trying to multi task. I want to make all of the batter I need and bake the cakes while I make the icing. Is that possible???

I have stored it before when I made too much and had extra, but don't store it for more than a few days - after that it gets little light grey/black dots in it and I wouldn't use it at that point (I think it's because of the eggs? not sure). You can also make the cakes a few days or weeks ahead, wrap well and freeze until ready to ice.

I have also heard and found out from experience that if you don't bake the cake batter right away it will not rise properly when you do decide to use it. So I would say it's OK as long as you dont't mind not having as much height to your cake.

HTH
Connie

Do think a couple of hours would make much of a difference?

I left my batter sit in the bowl and covered it with saran wrap while I baked the other layers for 3-4 hours- and it was fine. They rose the same, tasted the same, looked the same. Just my 2 cents.

I once had a cake decorating teacher who told us that the batter being used ( pound cake) could be refrigerated and baked the next day. This I've never done yet.But I have let the batter sit while other cakes are baking.

I think it also makes a difference what flavor you use as to how it rises if you let it sit for a while and don't bake it right away. But I guess things work different for different people. Good luck I hope that it works out good for you!

Connie

This is interesting. I read somewhere that you not only shouldn't save batter, but that once you incorporate the wet ingredients you need to get the cake into the oven ASAP. Whatever the chemical reaction is that causes the cake to rise starts as soon as the dry and wet stuff get mixed together. I have two pans of cupcakes in the oven right now because my 10x2 round needed a bit more than one box of mix. Next time I'll hold the extra batter and try saving it a day or so.

I'm conducting part one of the experierment. I just cooked a cake with day old batter. The rose perfectly and very little crown.

What I have done when doing wedding cakes is to leave the leftover batter in the mixing bowl while baking the cake. Then when I'm ready to put the next cake in, I start my new batterin the bowl the leftover batter and mix it all together. But never have I gone ahead and made all the batter at once.

I brought this up in my Wilton class last night and the consensus was that holding over--even overnight--in the refrigerator is fine. I admit it was a long time ago that I read the bit about baking right away. Maybe they've made improvements in the ingredients since then.

See:
http://www.baking911.com/cakes/101tips_pg2.htm
Your aim is to get the batter into the pans and into the oven within about 20 minutes of mixing a cake batter. If you cannot use it all at the same time, you are better off mixing in small batches fresh for each cake. If you have leftover batter it should be refrigerated and brought to room temperature before using. Some people have used refrigerated batter up to a day old with some success. Generally, the texture of the cake will be effected.
With cakes such as Angel Food Cakes, the eggwhites can begin to deflate after about 5 minutes of whipping so time is important.
Once wet ingredients are added to dry, the leavening action begins to take place and there is a short window before the leaveners are effected and declining.

The cakes seemed to bake and rise well. I really was just wanting to hold it for a an hour or two, but then I miscalculated and made too much batter and tried the next day thing. They also baked and rose well. I'm sure all of this depends on climate, temp, type of cake, etc. As usual a really good discussion has been had.

SquirrellyCakes, thanks for the informative web site.

I have stored cake batter for a few days and frozen for a month or more. However, these have been small amounts. I save all this stuff for my DH(and Best Friend) who has a double sweet tooth and who doesn;t have a discerning palete. Sometime I use them to practice decorating or morph them into something other than the usual cake shape. For those who sculpt, I suppose you could use this leftover stuff to practice with. Thanks again Squirrelly. I never thought about eggs deflating.