ASo I decided to bake a couple of cakes one day and freeze them- needed them for a birthday cake. I baked a zebra cake and a red velvet and both came out fine, so I thought I'd stick them in the freezer because I didn't need to ice and fill them until two days later. Bad move!! On the day I took them out I waited for them to thaw out- I waited all day. The zebra cake still felt like it was frozen at the end of the day and the red velvet was rock hard!! Needless to say I didn't use them, after having read rave reviews about freezing cakes I thought I'd try it but now it's put me off for life!! Where did I go wrong??

  What would keep them from thawing? After sitting out all day. Maybe just let them thaw overnight.

There is something wrong w/what you say.   I have baked and frozen 100s, if not 1000s of cakes and not had what you describe.

Did you wrap them?  You don't say so.  Maybe you just chucked them into the fzr Unwrapped??  They it's not that they didn't thaw - they dried out!

It might also have been the cake recipe used.  I see you are in England so maybe it was a fruit cake?  Over baked?

Lots of ? that need answers before we can try to help out.

............ Maybe just let them thaw overnight........

There is no difference between being out of the fzr overnight and 'out all day'.  If they are taken out of the fzr they will defrost/thaw.  Does not matter if they go into a refrigerator or sit on the kitchen counter - they will thaw if the kitchen or frig is over 33 degrees.

ALol of course I didn't just chuck them into the freezer, I wrapped with cling wrap and foil and put in a plastic bag then into the freezer. I baked a red velvet and a basic zebra cake (vanilla and chocolate), I have never over added anything always follow a recipe to the dot and I don't over mix so I'm totally stumped.

AI'm not a believer of frozen cakes. I have read countless times of people swearing by it. I have even eaten some tasty ones myself, but mine are always dry as a bone. I have tried everything everyone has suggested. I've wrapped them warm, wrapped them cool, wait for them to thaw to frost, have frosted them frozen, I've tried using cake mix recipe instead of scratch (many people swear mixes freeze better), I've double wrapped in Saran Wrap, then foiled, I've wrapped in Saran Wrap and put layers in freezer bags, I've tried different freezers, I've checked the recipe by taste testing one layer and freezing another (which these are recipes I've always used and are super moist and delicious so I know it's not the recipe), but you name it, I've tried it, and have wasted a lot of time and money by trial and error with freezing cakes. It's not for me at all. But I don't do it for a living, so I just continue to make fresh cakes when the occasion calls for it:)

I freeze mine all the time - even if it's a bit of a last minute cake I'll freeze for a few hours. I find it absolutely necessary for the stability of the cake.

AMilady82 exactly the same thing with me!! My recipes are very moist and delicious, but when I froze them they were just unusable. Sometimes I have to make the cakes in advance so it would have been great that I could freeze them. Claire138 I'm totally jealous, I will try one more time on a practice cake.

Good luck!

AThankyou :-)

AYes I'm jealous of people who can pull it off also, because as I said before, I've had some tasty ones. But in the end, I have to do what works for me. I've done a lot of trial and error with this method and have grown rather tired of it. I don't give up easily, but after all the times of trying I would have expected at least one cake to turn out. Maybe in a few years I will try again and tweak something I haven't tried yet, but for now, fresh is best for me.

AYeah I don't think freezing is going to work for me either, but I'm going to try one more time. I hope sometime in the future it works out for you, make sure to post on CC if it does!!

I freeze every cake enev if just overnight.  100% scratch baker too.  In fact I had a chocolate cake that had been in the freezer for 10 months.  I was going to a party with girlfreinds.  I baked a fresh cake and decorated both.  Asked everyone to sample both cakes and tell me the difference.  
Everyone thought I was nuts because there was no difference in the two cakes.  None at all.

As you say, we all do what works best for us.  I find that a properly baked cake, frozen is better  and moister than a fresh cake.

I remember that IndyDebi used to offer three samples at tastings and often would serve two frozen samples and one fresh sample.  When customers asked if she froze cakes, she'd say, "One of these samples has not been frozen.  which one was it?"  Not one person in all her years of business ever guessed correctly.

AThat's strange. As a professional baker, the freezer is our best friend. It's been well documented that freezing can actually improve taste/texture of some items. Very famous, successful bakers swear by it. Sorry you haven't had success freezing your cakes, because it really is a life saver sometimes.

AWowsers ten months!! That was one of the reasons I tried freezing, because I had read that the cakes taste better. But I guess those two recipes just didn't work out for me :-(

A

Oh I know it could have been a great life saver for me!! But I guess that just means more hard work for me now lol

Maybe your freezer is on too high setting or needs defrosting? I always freeze cakes and have never had one that wouldn't defrost but I did have one that dried out because the freezer was all iced up and needed defrosting x

AYou know you could be right, the freezer I used is a little too high. I have another freezer and will try it in that one, thanks!! :-)

AYes, I haven't ruled out trying again in the future, because I agree with improving taste/texture. I've had some excellent frozen cakes. In fact I enjoyed the coldness of it. (This lady obviously did not completely thaw before serving). It's funny how different everyone is, and how many threads I've read that you must absolutely thaw in the wrap, when it obviously didn't make a bit of difference with the one I had. It makes me truly wonder what makes or breaks a frozen cake. So many different methods. I promise I have tried them all, lots of trial and error, and I've never had a good one of my own. The only thing that I have suspected with mine is that my oven cooks hotter than usual, however, I've taste tested out if the oven and it has been very moist. I may need to look for a new base recipe. It's all about chemistry I suppose.