Does Freezing Really Dry Out Your Cake

Decorating By sweetneice Updated 30 Sep 2008 , 12:56am by mclean

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sweetneice Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 2:31pm
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Hey guys! I have been dying to ask this question! I'm killing myself baking and decorating my orders the day before so my clients can have the fresh moist cake taste. I've had frozen cake before and it's been dry. I don't want them to have dry cake. I want to keep the fresh moist taste but don't want to keep killing myself doing it. Am I stuck doing this to get the results I want? What's your opinion on freezing? icon_confused.gif

45 replies
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DianeLM Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 2:34pm
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Well, I freeze ALL of my cakes at least overnight. I think it actually makes them MORE moist. But -- and this is important -- I use a doctored mix. Many scratch recipes do not respond well to freezing. I think you need to do some experimentation!

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ccarroca Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 3:04pm
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Diane - OMG your cakes are beautiful. What do you do to your make your "doctored mix" cake. I got a recipie for 4 eggs, 1 envelope dream whip, 1/4c oil, 1 package cook and serve pudding, and 1 cup water - bake at 325 - Is this what you do - I haven't ttried it yet, but thought I would give it a whirl.

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bashini Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 3:35pm
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Hi sweetneice, I also didn't like freezing cakes before. But I did froze a cake ones and when I thawed it, it was perfectly ok. It was so moist as a freshly baked cake. If the cakes get dry, its because its not wrpaed properly.

A member ones said that you can wrap a cake as soon as it comes out from the oven and freeze it.

HTH. icon_smile.gif

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sweetneice Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 3:38pm
post #5 of 46

Thanks for the information. I've heard that you can freeze right out of the oven as well, but was always afraid of something going wrong. I think I'm going to make one and freeze it, then thaw it out, make another one fresh and do a taste test to see if I notice a difference.

What IS the correct way to properly wrap a cake?

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DianeLM Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 4:13pm
post #6 of 46

I use the White Almond Sour Cream (WASC) recipe almost exclusively. Cakes that have been frozen for 6 months are as fresh as the day they were baked.

I wait for my cakes to cool, then wrap them in several layers of plastic wrap before freezing.

Oh, and thank you for the nice compliments!

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bashini Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 4:14pm
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Hi, what I did was, wrpaed in saran wrap/ cling film and then wraped it again with silver foil. And then put it in a resealable freezer bag. icon_smile.gif

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DianeLM Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 4:30pm
post #8 of 46

Oh! I just remembered something very important! I do NOT recommend freezing your cakes in a frost-free freezer. The temperature fluctuations can wreak havoc on baked goods. (Don't keep your bread in there either, if you can help it.)

Again, experimentation is the key. You've got to find out for yourself how YOUR recipe responds to YOUR freezer.

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sweetneice Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 5:21pm
post #9 of 46

You're absolutely right, experimentation is the key and I'm going to try it. All I have is a Frost Free Freezer though.

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millermom Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 5:35pm
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As soon as my cakes are cool, I wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. I have had them in there for as much as 5 or 6 days when I needed to do them in advance, and they always come out fresh! I get lots of compliments on how moist they are. icon_smile.gif

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dragonflydreams Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 5:46pm
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. . . this has been a very interesting topic before . . . http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-240821-freeze.html

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MacsMom Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 5:53pm
post #12 of 46

I do exactly as DianeLM does. Freeze overnight and I use the WASC recipe as a base for all of my cakes. VERY moist.

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Momkiksbutt Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 6:04pm
post #13 of 46

Thing to remember is to always wrap your cake in plastic before putting it in the freezer and then leave it wrapped until it is completely thawed when you remove it. This will give you a yummy moist cake every single time.

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aundron Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 6:05pm
post #14 of 46

I freeze my cakes all the time and they always come out moist. It might have to do with the fact that I let them thaw out while it's still in the saran wrap; and the condensation goes into the cake!!

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mellormom Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 6:07pm
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I have a frost free freezer and my cakes are never dry. I just wrap mine in aluminum foil and use freezer tape to make sure it won't open. They are always moist and yummy.
Jen...

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vanillabean Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 8:33pm
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Diane, may I ask what brand of mix you use in your WASC? Thanks!

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DianeLM Posted 25 Sep 2008 , 11:17pm
post #17 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by vanillabean

Diane, may I ask what brand of mix you use in your WASC? Thanks!




I use Duncan Hines. thumbs_up.gif

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MrsLev557 Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 10:35am
post #18 of 46

How do you thaw it out?

Do you leave it wrapped on the counter? Do you torte and crumb coat it frozen? I am so confused.

I would love to try and freeze cakes but never understood the process of thawing.

Thanks for any help!!

Shirl

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tcturtleshell Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 11:01am
post #19 of 46

I'm a freezer girl too. I have baked cakes 2 months in advance & frozen them. They have always came out perfect. If the cakes are going to be frozen longer then a month, after all the layers of saran wrap I use I will cover in a garbage bag. The cake are always fresh tasting. Oh, another tip, make sure you squeeze out all of the air from the covered cake before freezing. The air can cause ice to form on your cake, causing water after it thaws. That's from experience icon_smile.gif When you thaw just leave the cakes wrapped & set it out on the counter. I usually thaw my cakes overnight. IMHO cakes that have been frozen & then thawed are easier to level, torte & carve. Don't know why but I do see a difference. I think they are moister but also denser (is that a word? LOL). Hope that makes sense~ Like Diane said, you just need to experiment thumbs_up.gif

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tcturtleshell Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 11:04am
post #20 of 46

Oh, I don't crumb coat or ice when the cakes are frozen. I tried that once & the icing just melted down the cake when the cake started to thaw out. It was a huge mess. I think the moisture from the cake thawing caused moisture to mix with the icing. I was able to scrap the icing off, mix again then re-use but that was extra work because I had to start all over~ icon_sad.gif

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momma28 Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 3:37pm
post #21 of 46

I use simple syrup (sometimes flavored) and pour over my cakes before chilling. They thaw wonderfully moist. Another method from the Cake Bible (man I love that book LOL, best gift I ever got)

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millermom Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 5:57pm
post #22 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsLev557

How do you thaw it out?

Do you leave it wrapped on the counter? Do you torte and crumb coat it frozen? I am so confused.

I would love to try and freeze cakes but never understood the process of thawing.

Thanks for any help!!

Shirl




I ALWAYS crumb coat frozen. It takes longer to crust, but it is so much easier when the cake is harder! I just wait until the frosting has crusted/can be touched without sticking, and then frost. I've never had the frosting slide down my cake.

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mhill91801 Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 6:18pm
post #23 of 46

Just my two cents...I almost always freeze my cakes. Working full time and with two young boys, it's almost impossible not to. Anyway, I always crumb coat my cake before I freeze it. For some reason I think it will hold the moisture in...no facts on that, just some notion I had in my head and stick by icon_lol.gif

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kakeladi Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 6:22pm
post #24 of 46

mellormom said:.....just wrap mine in aluminum foil and use freezer tape to make sure it won't open.....

Not a good ideaicon_sad.gif Foil can very easily develop pin holes that will lead to the cake drying outicon_sad.gif If you have a layer of plastic wrap 1st there is no problem.
Also, if the cake is iced, the icing will cause a chemicel reaction that makes the foil rot icon_sad.gif

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bashini Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 8:51pm
post #25 of 46

I thawed the frozen cake with the wrapping on.

I wanted a cake to be used for a saturday, so took the cake out from the freezer on friday morning and put it in the fridge. By evening it was properly thawed. icon_smile.gif

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indydebi Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 9:25pm
post #26 of 46

I went years without freezing cakes because I thought "fresher is better". I believe the key is not just wrapping it correctly, but also thawing it correctly.

Like some other previous posters, I wrap the cake in saran when it's cooled but still slightly (!) warm to touch. I use the Sam's saran wrap (not the crappy grocery store kind) and only use one layer of saran. To thaw, I just throw it on the counter, leave it wrapped until it's thawed enough to work with. I crumb coat it when it's still every so slightly frozen (easier to do last minute trimming and leveling "touch ups" when you can stand the cake on end!).

I love it when brides are here for their sampling and they ask if I freeze my cakes? I tell them, "You tell me .... 2 of those cakes were baked this morning and one has been in my freezer for 3 weeks. You tell me which is which." They ALWAYS guess wrong. ALWAYS.

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springlakecake Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 9:41pm
post #27 of 46

I freeze all the time! It is the greatest thing! I do the same, wrap in saran (and foil if it is for longer than a day or so) and thaw in the wrapping for several hours or over night.

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pastrylady Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 10:16pm
post #28 of 46

Here's a link to an article that explains why freezing is the best way to store baked goods. I've referred to this before....but I think it's worth showing again. Unless you are going to eat the cake the same day (which, of course, makes it impossible to decorate) freezing properly is the best thing you can do for your cake.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/foodscience.asp?foodscienceid=221

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indydebi Posted 26 Sep 2008 , 10:26pm
post #29 of 46

that link doesn't take you to an article ... takes you to a sign in page.

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dogluvr Posted 27 Sep 2008 , 2:07am
post #30 of 46

I also wrap my cakes with saran wrap while it is very warm. All the moisture goes back into the cake and it is just like it was baked when thawed. When I heard this, I thought the steam would make it gooey or 'wet'...but it definitely added moisture to the cake....no one has to know it was frozen!!!!

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