I have a big wedding cake for July and I want to go ahead and bake it. I'm using the WASC recipe. I was told recently I could level the cake in the pan and go ahead and freeze after I take it out of the pan. I know plenty of people freeze warm cakes, but do they level it first? I'm worried that leveling it will make it lose some of it's moisture. Anyone have experience with this, specifically with the WASC recipe? Thank you!

Unless you have a totally empty freezer, you shouldn't freeze a warm cake because in doing so, you compromise the safety of everything else in the freezer.  

But if that isn't an issue, then levelling the cake won't make any difference. You can level first or afterwards.

Personally, I find that wrapping cakes while warm makes them gummy and rubbery, but that is just my opinion. If you have a good recipe, mix it properly and don't overbake it, it will be moist. This recipe is moist enough when baked and cooled the traditional way.

That is also my experience that wrapping warm cakes make them gummy, I would not recommend it. Much better to let the cake cool first. Good Luck!

Thank you ladies! Well I ran an experiment and froze a warm cake about two weeks ago, and I thawed it last night - yuck! No way. I don't know how the person that told me about it gets away with it. So my next question - if I level a cooled cake and then freeze it, will it lose moisture (if I wrap it well, obviously)? My reason for wanting to freeze it while warm  was to retain moisture. Thanks!

No it isn't going to be dry unless it was dry to begin with. You can level the cake when warm and then let it cool. Or you can freeze the cooled cake and level it frozen or defrosted.

You can use a simple syrup prior to freezing or after frozen and defrosted but it isn't necessary. 

I make a cross with two long pieces of plastic wrap and wrap well. Then I wrap in foil wrap. Then I enclose the cake in a large plastic bag tied tight. Sometimes I use unscented garbage bags if the cake is big.

One thing to remember, always turn out your hot cake and flip so that the top of the cake when it was in the pan is also the top of the cake while it is cooling. And if you didn't level prior to freezing, you want that cake top to also be sitting in the freezer and also defrosted with that top on top. Otherwise the cake naturally tries to flatten out and you will end up with misshapen sides and will compromise the cake stability. Once your cake has been levelled, it doesn't matter.

Cakes freeze best in a true freezer and not as well or fir not as long in the top or bottom of a refrigerator freezer section. Cakes can be frozen for up to three months but I prefer to freeze for less than a month before using. Cakes can be frozen longer but there is a bit of deterioration the longer they are frozen.

Ok, thank you so much SquirrellyCakes! Lots of good info!!!

You are very welcome.

I freeze my cakes warm and i don't have that gummy issue.  But it could be the recipies i use.  They don't seem any different from the ones i've seen posted here.  I do let the "cool" for 10min in the pan, then take it out and cool for another 10.  And then I wrap it in plastic wrap a few times and then with foil.  And then i wrap the foil in the plastic wrap a few times! May be i over wrap! lol.  But it works for me.  So i say, go with what works for you.  Looks like your experiment worked, thats awesome!

Good luck! :)

Actually cake-o-holic, her experiment didn't work. Read post #4. 

If people have an empty freezer to put a hot cake in that won't compromise the safety of other food by raising the freezer temperature, that is fine.   I agree that whatever someone feels works for them is fine for them as long as there is no food safety issue. But I don't think it is good advice to pass on to others unless that condition is added. 

We all have different opinions and experiences and mine is that  wrapping hot cakes makes them gummy and rubbery and leaves a scum on the exterior of the top. If you are happy with your results I am happy for you.