If you bake as much as I do, you’ll know that the work in the kitchen counter does not end with getting the cake out of the oven. Preserving them is another essential procedure that should be paid attention to as well. And thankfully for all of us, there are definitely a few simple ways to store and keep your cakes fresh for a longer period.
Like most people, I am in the habit of cooking or baking ahead of time so that I do not need to rush into it later. This also means that I need to make sure that the cake I baked would still remain just as fresh for hours until I decide to frost it or lay it out on the table.
For this, make sure to first let your newly baked cake cool down at room temperature before you begin anything else. Be careful to not place the cake into the fridge or the freezer directly after you get it out of the oven, as the cake needs to get rid of the excess steam and be firm enough to hold the frosting and icing.
FOR A SHORTER TIME PERIOD, REFRIGERATE YOUR CAKE:
Of course you refrigerate your food when you aren’t planning on eating it right away, especially if you have hot, humid days ahead of you. If you need to serve it after a long stretch of hours, cover your cake with an upturned bowl or a cake keeper before putting it in. This is done so that it does not lose moisture or absorb odours from the rest of the food in the fridge.
Your cake will remain fresh in the fridge for maximum of 2-3 days, especially if you cover it with a plastic wrap to avoid the cake from drying out. The wrap should be sealed around the cake from all sides, so I would advise that you do not use it along with the plate or carrier on which your cake has been kept.
Another quick tip which I employ for shorter period of preservation is to keep the cake inside the microwave itself. If the cake has already been frosted, the frosting only further acts like a plastic wrap in protecting it from the air disturbing the texture.
FOR A LONGER PRESERVATION PERIOD, FREEZE YOUR CAKE:
Cake that needs to be kept aside for more than a week must be kept in the freezer instead. To do this, use a double layer of the plastic wrap to properly seal your cake. Top this off with a silver foil to protect it from a potential freezer burn that might damage it. Your cake can now stay inside the freezer for as long as 4 months if need be, although I would strongly suggest you against that long a time.
When you get it out of the freezer, make sure to thaw it the night before by keeping it in the fridge or at room temperature. The cake should be able to retain back its moisture gradually and evenly so that it does not end up being spongy and wet when taken out for frosting.
However, in case your cake has already been spread with frosting, make sure that you do not store cakes with cream cheese or whipped cream icing in the freezer. This is mainly because the texture worsens with time in colder temperature and does not taste to good after defrosting it later.
Now that you know how to store cakes and keep fresh, you need not worry about your cakes getting stale! If you have more questions on preserving your cake, let me know in the comment section below. Also, feel free to add in your own tips that might have worked favourably for you.
Till then, happy and fresh baking everyone!
