My team and I have frozen our fair share of cakes and have made enough mistakes to know what really works. Letโs learn how to freeze cakes so that they taste the freshest and that you’re the only one who knows the cake was previously frozen!
I originally published this tutorial in 2019 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and additional success tips.
Making cakes in advance and freezing them is a great way to get ahead and have less to do on the day of a party or celebration. Today Iโm sharing my tried and true method for freezing cakes.
Iโve tried many techniques over the years, and the way Iโm showing you today is the best way to ensure the cake tastes fresh and delicious after freezing and thawing. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let me tell you…
My #1 Tip for Freezing Cakes
My number-one tip for the best-tasting results is to freeze the cake layers before frosting, and make the frosting fresh the day you plan to assemble and serve the cake.
You can freeze a cake with frosting, but the texture is just never quite the same after thawing. Plus, a completely decorated cake will contract and expand during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. That’s why I recommend freezing the cake on its own, and then making frosting (fresh frosting really does taste best!) and assembling the cake after it’s been thawed.
That said, it’s fine to freeze leftover frosted cake. It’s just left over and doesn’t need to impress anyone! And obviously, ice cream cake is an exception to this rule as well.
How to Freeze Cakes
First, here’s a complete video tutorial so you can understand the method:
The cake pictured here is my vanilla cake, but you can also freeze something with add-ins, such as carrot cake, or this dark chocolate peanut butter cake (which has chocolate chips in the cake batter).
STEP 1: Bake and cool your cake(s). It’s important to make sure the cakes are completely cool before you wrap them to freeze. Otherwise, the steam from the cooling cake will condense on the inside of the wrapping, leaving you with a very soggy cake after thawing. Let’s avoid that!
If you’re making a layer cake and the layers require leveling, level them off now before you freeze them. (Learn more about how to level cakes in this tutorial on How to Assemble a Layer Cake.)
STEP 2: Wrap each cake layer individually in a layer of plastic wrap. I like to use Glad Press & Seal to wrap cakes for freezing. Iโm not working with this brand, but this is truly the best product Iโve tried for wrapping cakes.
STEP 3: Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in case the ink seeps through. (It has before!)
STEP 4: Wrap each cake layer in a layer of aluminum foil.
The double layer of wrapping is key to preserving flavor and texture.
The first layer keeps the cake tight and fresh and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation will seep in. This is also how I wrap banana bread and other quick breads, too. Double layer = maximum freshness and no freezer burn.
You can place your labeled, double-wrapped cakes in the freezer now, but for even more protection, place them inside an airtight freezer-safe container.
STEP 5: Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don’t have a big enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. Of course make sure the foil with the date on it is what’s on the outside.
Feel free to stack the individually wrapped cake layers on top of one another if that works best for your freezer space:
STEP 6: Freeze for up to 3 months. Again, I recommend writing the โuse byโ date on top of the foil, 3 months from now.
Remember, the sooner you thaw and enjoy the cake, the fresher it will taste.
You can use this same freezing method for round or sheet cakes, any size or shape. Bundt cakes and loaf cakes, too! For cheesecake instructions, see “How to Freeze Cheesecake” in my classic cheesecake recipe.
How to Thaw Frozen Cake
To thaw the cakes, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator a day in advance to give them time to thaw. Or you can thaw them at room temperature for several hours.
Either way, leave them in their wrappings to thaw, to prevent condensation from forming and making the cakes soggy.
The amount of time it takes to thaw depends on the size of your cake, but be sure to allow at least 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator.
Once they’ve thawed, you can simply unwrap the layers and proceed with your cake recipe‘s directions for frosting, assembling, and decorating.
For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes.
You can freeze just about any cake after they’ve cooled completely. Mega-flavorful cakes such as banana cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and pumpkin cake freeze and thaw beautifully when wrapped in a couple layers, as detailed above. I find their flavor is even better after the freezing/thawing process! Bundt cakes and pound cake freeze wonderfully as well, just make sure they’re completely cooled and wrapped tightly before freezing.
Delicate cakes like angel food cake, vertical cake, and pavlova don’t hold up well in the freezer because their texture tends to suffer. It’s best to enjoy these fresh.
The amount of time it takes to thaw depends on the size of your cake, but be sure to allow at least 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Or you can thaw cake at room temperature for several hours.
How about cookies? See my post on How to Freeze Cookie Dough for more. Because you should ALWAYS have chocolate chip cookies at the ready ๐
Print
How to Freeze Cakes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use this video tutorial and step-by-step guide to freeze your cakes so they taste as fresh as possible.
Ingredients
- baked & cooled cake(s)
- Press & Seal wrap or plastic wrap
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- Bake and completely cool a cake/cake layers. These step-by-step photos show round cakes, but you can freeze square, rectangle, Bundt cakes, etc. See my 10 best Cake Baking Tips for best practices on baking and cooling cakes.
- Once the cake(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. This is the best product for wrapping cakes. Thin plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. Regular plastic wrap definitely works, but Press & Seal is so much easier to use and I’ve honestly found that it keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this brand, just really love it.)
- Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in case the ink seeps through. It has before!
- Wrap the cake in the aluminum foil.
- Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don’t have a big enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. (Make sure the foil with the date on it is what’s on the outside.)
- Freeze for up to 3 months. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes.
- When ready to thaw: Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator one day before decorating/serving. Take them out of the freezer container to thaw, but leave them wrapped in Press & Seal/aluminum foil. The cakes take at least 8 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Make sure you’re thawing the cakes while they’re still in the wrapping. Condensation forms as foods thaw. This way the condensation will form on the wrapping, not the cake.
- Assemble, decorate, and serve cake.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links):ย Press & Seal | Aluminum Foil | Freezer-Safe Container
- Don’t Freeze Decorated Cake: For best taste and texture, assemble and decorate the cake as close to serving as possible. A completely decorated cake will contract and expand during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. You can make the frosting ahead of time and refrigerate it for 1 day, but fresh frosting really does taste best.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Have you ever tried freezing a red velvet cake?
Hi Nikki, weโve never had issues freezing our red velvet cake โ we include freezing and/or make-ahead instructions in the notes of our recipes.
Do you wrap a cake baked in 13×9โ pan differently than layer cakes? I am baking an apple cake for bake sale in 5 days and plan to frost it with a cream cheese frosting after defrosting.
Hi Diane! If your pan is safe for the freezer then you can go ahead and freeze the cake in the pan. Just wrap it as we described all the way around the pan. Or if you prefer, you can wait for the cake to cool, remove it from the pan, and wrap just as you would a round cake. Hope this helps!
Iโve found your tips on freezing cakes really helpful. I was wondering if the same method applies to mini cupcakes, or if they tend to dry out more easily when frozen. Would you recommend freezing minis, and does the type of recipeโoil-based vs. butterโmake a difference in the outcome?
Hi T! Cupcakes and mini cupcakes are a bit easier to freeze as they donโt dry out as quickly. Bake and cool cupcakes completely, then place in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Once they are relatively frozen, you can remove them and then layer them between sheets of parchment paper if your container is large enough. You can individually wrap them too, if desired, but we usually donโt. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting. Hope this helps!
Hi! If I need to cut a cake layer in half, would I do that before or after freezing?
Hi Joanna, you can do before or afterโyour preference!
I am new to your website Sally. & I can’t wait to try your vanilla cupcake recipe. I bake cupcakes for a local spaghetti dinner’s dessert and have a hard time finding the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe. Will let you know how yours turn out.
When thawing frozen layers, do you leave wrapped in both the plastic and the foil?
Thanks!
Hi Amy, You leave them in their wrappings to thaw. See the above section called “How to Thaw Frozen Cakes” for details.
Hello, Sally! I always freeze layer cakes according to your instructions. They keep well and I am comfortable with the method. I would like your opinion about how to freeze bundt cakes when the recipe calls for pouring a warm glaze over the warm cake. I have Googled it relentlessly, but would like to know your method! Thank you!
Hi Catherine! We typically add glazes to cooled cakes, but if your recipe calls for adding it to a warmed cake, you’ll want to bring it to room temperature and then slightly warm it if you can. Even just a few minutes in the oven at a very low temperature should help warm the cake without baking it any more.
Hi Sally,
When would you recommend putting simple syrup on a cake? Would you do it while the cake is still warm or right before frosting?
Hi Cassie! When the cake has completely cooled, brush a thin layer of simple syrup on top. You can read more in our post on How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake!
Hi. I’d like to make my cake a day in advance. Do I still need to freeze them? What is the way to store them so they are fresh till the next day?
Where I live it’s 30ยฐC (86ยฐF) and it is the monsoon season with 80-90% humidity. I don’t get press and seal here so I’m left with plastic cling foil and aluminum foil. What should I do?
Hi Neethi, usually you can make cakes 1 day in advance and cover tightly and store at room temperature overnight. If it is very hot and humid, it may be best to freeze the cakes (then you could make them even more in advance!). Regular plastic wrap works well too!
Thanks Trina! Is wrapping & storing in the refrigerator an option as it does get a little hot these days? It may be around 4ยฐC in our refrigerator.
Usually storing cakes in the fridge will dry them out, which is why we recommend freezing them!
Could you tell me if you can freeze a coffee walnut loaf .Thank you
Hi Gillian, you can freeze most cakes for up to three months.