My team and I have frozen our fair share of cakes and have made enough mistakes to know what really works. Let’s 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 I’m sharing my tried and true method for freezing cakes.
I’ve tried many techniques over the years, and the way I’m 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. I’m not working with this brand, but this is truly the best product I’ve 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 “use by” 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 🙂
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): 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 assembling and frosting a still-frozen layer cake? We return from vacation the evening before our son’s morning birthday party. I know I won’t have time to decorate the cake in the morning, and won’t be home to take the two layers out of the freezer until we return the previous evening. Thanks!
Hi Catherine! You certainly can assemble the frozen layers (some bakers swear by it), but you may find the buttercream/frosting hardens when it sits on the cold cake – so try to decorate quickly if you can!
Hi Sally!
Normally I will freeze my layers overnight and then frost the next morning with fresh icing. I typically do a crumb coat and set the cake in the freezer for the icing to harden. Is this okay to do or will it dry out my cakes? Sometimes I notice the cake being drier but I also haven’t tried your method of wrapping the cakes!
Hi Kaylie! A crumb coat will help keep some of the cake’s moisture in, but it may still dry out. You can try wrapping your crumb coated cake with Saran Wrap, or try the method we describe above to see if it makes a difference!
Thank you for these freezing instructions. I have 2 questions:
1) By following these instructions will the cake still taste identical to when fresh?
2) If I need cakes for Saturday, can I bake them Thursday and cover with press n seal and refrigerate them, frost them Friday and remain refrigerated until 2 hours before serving Saturday?
Or shall I freeze the freshly baked cakes on Thursday?
Thank you!
Hi Nav, if properly wrapped, cakes should taste fresh once thawed from the freezer. Your plan should work well, no need to freeze the layers. Hope this helps!
Hi, I’m planning to make your carrot cake to bring to a family week-long gathering that is an 8 hr drive way My plan is to bake the layers and freeze them to prep, but then transport in an ice chest with other cold foods. Once there can I put back in the freezer until the day before we will use it? Or can it not be REfrozen?
Hi Emily, If it’s already frozen going in your cooler for 8 hours, it will likely stay frozen enough to put back into the freezer when you arrive. Even if it defrosts a little it should still be fine. Enjoy!
Can I freeze a nut cake torte cake made with walnuts and 12 beaten egg whites?
Hi Paulette! We’re unsure as we haven’t tested freezing that particular cake, but let us know if you give it a try!
I’ve made several of your recipes so far, including 3 layer vanilla, white cake cupcakes, buttercreams, and lemon curd. All are fantastic!!
I am curious when freezing can I use a large freezer bag (ziplock) in place of the airtight container?
We’re so happy to hear that you’re enjoying our recipes, Matthew! Yes, large freezer ziplock bags work great here as well.
Hi, I just made a lemon loaf and will pour over it a lemon/sugar syrup. Can I freeze it or is it bast to freeze the loaf before I pour lemon over it and if that iis the case, do I rewarm the cake on another day and por over the lemon. then? Thanks so much
Hi Sheila, it’s best to freeze the cake without the lemon/sugar syrup, then add it after the cake has thawed – just like we instruct in the recipe notes of our glazed lemon poppy seed bundt cake!
If I make a gluten free cake. Could this be frozen?
Hi Emma, we don’t have much experience with gluten free baking but don’t see why the freezing process would be any different than what we’ve detailed in the post above. Let us know if you give it a try!
Thank you for the great site! I’ve made a sponge cake with rapeseed oil instead of butter and it turned out great. Can I freeze cakes made with rapeseed oil?
Hi Daniel, Sure can!
What is the English equivalant to the product Bake and Seal
Thank you
Hi Jan, Any type of plastic wrap should work.
Hi! In your wedding cake recipe, you mention crumb-coating a cake and then putting it in the freezer, but here it says not to frost it at all. Which is the better option for a wedding cake? Thanks!
Hi Beth! Freezing the crumb-coated cake works well for a large cake like our wedding cake recipe – we recommend sticking with those instructions!
Hi Sally, May I ask: for shorter time periods, i.e. a few days between baking and serving, what would you recommend? Do you ever refrigerate cakes for shorter periods or always freeze?
Thanks in advance. Regards, Natalie
Hi Natalie! If making cake layers one day in advance, we usually cover and leave at room temperature overnight. Any longer than that and we’ll always freeze, as cake layers will dry out in the fridge. Hope this helps!
Question, I placed a practice cake in fridge (in twice plastic wrap) rather than freezing for just overnight but the layers became very dense. Do you think the fridge instead of freezer made the cakes dense/hard? Because they were light and spongy out of oven and cooled? Thank you.
Hi Keat! How was the texture after bringing back to room temperature? Storing cakes in the fridge will dry them out – especially if not covered in buttercream/frosting. If you’re making cakes ahead just one day in advance, you can cover them and let them sit at room temperature instead.
Thanks so much for the tips. I was pretty spot on with how to do it, but your tip on thawing them in the fridge was so helpful!
Would drizzling eggnog be best after the layers have been thawed? I saw someone else’s question about syrupping (is that a word ) and you indicated to wait. I’m assuming it would be the same for drizzling eggnog. TIA
Hi Sonya! Yes, we would wait until the cake has been thawed.
I would like to make a chocolate cake in a 9X13 pan for my daughters’ birthday. If I make it early and want to freeze it, can I keep it in the pan or must I get it out of the pan before I freeze it? If I need to get it out, what is the best way to get it out while keeping it in one piece?
Hi Lori, 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.
We just had an event postponed for 2 weeks. Last night I finished a 14 layer cake with icing. Can I freeze it?
Hi Eloise! THere’s a risk of the frosting separating from the cake if frozen assembled, but its definitely worth a shot!
I am making an eggnog cake for Christmas, and to save time on busy Christmas day i want to make the layers in advance. The recipe calls for pouring eggnog on the baked and cooled cake layers. Can I do this before freezing the layers or should it be done after thawing?
Hi Gail, we typically recommend adding simple syrups after the frozen layers have thawed, and we imagine it would be the same with the eggnog here. Hope this helps!
Is it possible to freeze blueberry cake that has egg whites in the batter? Does freezing the cake dry it out?
Hi Wendy, it should work just fine to freeze your blueberry cake. As long as it is tightly wrapped and thawed properly, it shouldn’t dry out the cake.
Can I freeze an orange vegan cake that includes fresh orange zest in batter?
I love to bake and make all my own bread, pie’s, cakes and biscuits but have never frozen any. I look on the internet for info on if you could free Bundt cake and found the answer on this page. Many thanks.
If i need to syrup my cake layers when should i do that? Also if i need to make a 3d cake,can i sculpt thawed cake or should it be freezed when filled and shaped?
Hi Elena, we recommend adding the simple syrup after the frozen layers have thawed. We haven’t tried freezing sculpted cakes, but we suspect it would be best to sculpt it after, so that the shape and filling are not compromised during the thawing process. Hope this helps!
Do you have any specific recommendations for freezing cupcakes?
Hi Sarah! Cupcakes are easier to freeze as they don’t 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. We usually don’t.
Hello,
Is there any issues with freezing eggless Victoria sponge cakes? I have successfully frozen other types of cakes before, but this will be my first attempt at an eggless sponge (for a kids’ birthday at a childcare Centre).
Thankyou!
Hi Amanda, we haven’t tried freezing that particular kind of cake before, so we’re unsure of the results once thawed. If you do give it a try, we’d love to know how it goes!
Thanks for some great cake freezing ideas. Just one thing, can you freeze cakes with fruit or veges in the mixture eg Ube a purple yam or mango, or carrot or zuchinni.
Thanks again.
Diana
Hi,
I’m making my own wedding cake and want to get as much done as possible in advance. Can I freeze the cakes with the filling and crumb coat so that all I have to do once it’s thawed is the ‘pretty’ bit of the decor?
Thanks!
Tamsin
Hi Tasmin, that shouldn’t be a problem. I would let them thaw before frosting though.
Because of a party having to be postponed due to covid, I have quite a large decorated cake I would like to keep a couple of weeks. I know it’s not ideal but can I freeze it ?
Hi Marlene, If the cake is already decorated with buttercream or cream cheese frosting you can certainly try freezing it. Place it in the freezer until the frosting is hard and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place it back in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
When placing the frozen cake in the refrigerator to thaw, do I take off the plastic wrap so it doesn’t get stuck in the frosting when it thaws?
Should the cake be leveled before or after freezing?
Hi Isabella, either way works!
Hi,
Is it ok to freeze half a coconut cake by
Wrapping in plastic wrap, freezer paper and cover with aluminum foil?
Thank you
Sure can!
Hi! I have baked your vanilla sponge cake and have frozen the layers as suggested. I plan to serve it Saturday, however was hoping to defrost it overnight tonight (Wednesday) to them decorate tomorrow (Thursday) using fondant icing…with jam and buttercream in the middle. Would this work ok?..I can’t decorate the Fri as I am out all day and won’t have time! Will it be ok stored in a cake box or covered in foil until Saturday?..
Thankyou!
Hi Serena! We don’t decorate with fondant, but it usually is best practice for fondant to be stored at room temperature. If you can, we’d recommend decorating as close to when you’ll be serving the cake as possible. Store in a cake box as you mention for best freshness.
What happens if I freeze an unwrapped frosted cake??
Hi Abby, for best results, we recommend wrapping the frosted cake. If not wrapped, it could get freezer burn and dry out considerably.