How to freeze cakes correctly: This is what you need to pay attention to

We reveal how you can freeze cakes and defrost them properly so that you can enjoy fresh pastries whenever you want!

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“I have prepared something for you”, when you say this sentence and then serve your guests the most delicious cakes out of nowhere, their eyes and joy are wide. The freezer compartment makes it possible. Most cakes can be easily frozen and then defrosted in portions when a spontaneous visitor arrives.

When it comes to preserving cakes, nothing beats the freezing method.Pastries last around four months in the freezer.without losing taste. Perfect for making cakes in advance or for keeping leftover cakes from coffee klatches fresh.

Here you can find out which cakes are suitable for freezing and how you can defrost the pastries quickly without the cake becoming soggy.

Which cakes can you freeze?

Simple sponge cakes freeze particularly well.The drier, the better.A lot of fat and juicy ingredients such as creams, fruit fillings, glazes or sugar sprinkles draw water when it thaws and soften the cake. A topping with fruit, on the other hand, doesn't detract from the whole thing.

The following pastries freeze well:

  • Cake bases made from sponge cake or
  • Puff pastries
  • Choux pastry
  • Quark pastries
  • Pound cakes (and muffins)
  • Yeast cake
  • cookie
  • Cream cakes
  • Cheesecake

This pastry is less suitable for freezing:

  • The macaron
  • Kisses
  • juicy
  • Cake with gelatin or agar agar
  • Cake with chocolate or icing
  • Puddingkuchen
  • Strudel

Tipp:You can also have rolls orfreeze. The shelf life of rolls in the freezer is eight months. Light bread lasts around five months frozen, while wholemeal bread lasts up to a year.

Also read:

Can you freeze raw cake batter?

You can also freeze raw cake batter. Above all, they are suitableraw puff pastry, yeast dough, shortcrust pastry and strudel pastry- regardless of whether it is unshaped or as a ready-made but unbaked cake base. Most other cake batters are mixed together so quickly that it's not worth freezing.

Tipp:You should let the cake batter thaw before baking.

Freezing cakes: step-by-step instructions

If you want to freeze cakes for the long term, you should use oneTemperature of at least -18 degreespay attention in the freezer. It's best to cool down the freezer before you put the pastries in it. This way you can be sure that the cake retains its flavor.

Important:Freeze the pastry as quickly as possible. So don't let the cake sit around for a few days before you decide to freeze it. The fresher it goes into the freezer, the fresher it comes out again. This applies especially towith cream.

Step 1: Portion the cake
Your freezer may be too small to freeze a whole cake. For this reason alone, it is worth portioning the cake before freezing. You can layer the cake pieces on top of each other with some baking paper in between. This saves space and you don't have to let the cake thaw whole.

Step 2: Wrap the cake

To prevent the cake from drying out, it must not come into contact with air or oxygen. You can wrap the cake or cake pieces individually with extra-strong aluminum foil (approx. 0.05 mm thick). Freezer bags with a zip closure are also suitable for single use.

The sustainable alternative is reusable freezer containers with lids. Make sure that as little air as possible gets in here. If in doubt, simply fill the gaps in the freezer container with baking paper.

Tipp:If there is enough space, you can also freeze cakes in baking tins. You should wrap them well all around with foil.

Step 3: Label containers

Especially in large freezers, you quickly lose track of the frozen food. So write down the cake name and date with a waterproof pen. This way you can easily calculate whether the cake is still edible. As a reminder: frozen pastries can last three to five months.

Defrosting cakes: This is how it's quicker!

The most energy-efficient way is to let cake thaw at room temperature. However, this can take a while - especially with whole cakes or thick pieces. On average, you should expect around five hours to defrost. However, for those who are impatient, there are ways to defrost cakes more quickly.

1. Defrost cake in the oven
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the frozen cake on a baking sheet and let it thaw in the hot oven. The cake will be ready to eat in 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness).

2. Defrost cake in the toaster
Individual pieces of cake can even be warmed up in the toaster. To avoid making a mess, you shouldn't try this with cream cake!

3. Defrost cake in the microwave
Place the frozen cake on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels. The paper will later absorb the moisture when it thaws. At 600 watts, the cake or bread defrosts in around 4 minutes. Then let the cake cool for another 10 minutes. Always check the manufacturer’s information about the machine in advance.

Reading tips:

Do not refreeze thawed cake!

You should eat the thawed cake straight away if possible. Not only because it is freshest then, but also because once the cake has been thawed, it cannot be frozen or thawed a second time.

Defrosting changes the composition of the cake, causing the cake to spoil more quickly. There is also an increased risk of salmonella with cream cakes.

Therefore, only defrost as much cake as you can use within the same day. Another reason why we recommend freezing the cake in portions.

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