I hate the extra step of using a syrup. I think the WASC recipe is the most moist I've ever had so I use variations of it for everything.

I did the taste test with my family on Halloween between a cake that was frozen for a week (after it cooled but still warm) and one that I had made the day before: The frozen cake won hands down with a 100% preference. (It was the same chocolate recipe).

Thanks, and your right when it comes to plastic wrap it messes up shape of cake when it shrinks because of heat. Thanks for other info I guess we share the same info.

I too am looking for the buttercream recipe from cakes divine!

I have always used a similar method but never freeze the cake. As soon as the cake is taken out of the oven, I cover it with foil, then cover with the cooling rack and flip it right side up. So the foil is between the cake and the rack. I leave the cake in the pan on the rack for at least an hour. THEN I take the pan off and cover the cake with regular plastic wrap to cool completely. I wrap the edges of the foil around the plastic to lock in any remaining heat/steam. This way, the cake has cooled enough so that the wrap doesn't shrink and the pan retains the moisture after baking until it's uncovered. I will sometimes wrap the foil up around the pan so that no steam escapes. The cake is always very moist. I don't have freezer space for the amount of cakes I make each week.

Cakesdivine,

How do you handle cakes that need to be carved?

Pam

I originally tried Scott Woolley's method not because of a need to retain moisture, but because I sculpt a lot of cakes and freezing makes the cake easier to cut. The moisture retention was a bonus, but it really does work.

Concerned about bacteria...the cake put directly into the freezer cools down very quickly. It's also a great way to cool a cake quickly for a rush order. There's probably more bacteria on the sponge you washed the pan with .

I think that what we've discovered is that there are loads of different ways to obtain fantastic results. It's always nice to learn something new, and it can't hurt to try something new. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you.

Oh, I posted my recipe right here on the forum for recipes & tips.

As far as bacteria, freezing kills bacteria, and placing in the freezer flash cools the cake as well, a method all food handlers learn in food management courses. Bacteria breeds between 42 degrees F. and under 140 degrees F. Food left in this temp range is always open for bacteria. Also a hot cake fresh from the oven also has killed any bacteria present during the baking process. So freeze away without concern.

Mike, I personally don't care for cakes that use simple syrup, I'm not saying it is wrong I just don't think adding more sugar to your cake is not the best way to make it super moist. Yes you can still have a moist cake scratch or other without using this method, but this method makes the cake super moist and it lasts at this moisture (if covered properly) for up to 7 days.

Not sure why you seem so abrasive about this tip, try it or not, matters not to me. This method works wonderfully for me & my clients swear by me because of it. I now live 200 miles from where I started my business, and have had to reopen a location in my former city, with my daughter at the helm just because my former clients there keep begging me to come home...LOL! And I live in a tourist town now and the majority of my wedding clientel tends to still be from my home town, so many brides come here to get married because there are so many beautiful outdoor wedding venues here (right on the river). I have even had a few brides purposely get married here just so I will do their cakes because for years I have been doing their birthday cakes & other special occasion cakes.

Frozen cake carves easier, I either use my buttercream or a ganache to hold the cake layers together before carving, then ice with my butter cream before decorating or covering with fondant. I always re-freeze as needed so cake doesn't tear apart.

Sorry guys, I am new to this site, just found the recipe submission tab. I have also posted this here in the recipe & tips forum as well.

Not abrasive at all, just dfference of opinion. I don't agree with steaming a cake for moistness when I can do it with flour, eggs, and sugar.

Mike

No harm no foul Mike...to each his own. Bake ON!

Thanks for this tip. I can't wait to try it, but my freezer space is limited. If you don't have enough freezer space, what is the next best option - would you still cover it in press-n-seal and just leave it out until it cooled? or put it in the fridge?
Thanks!

The freezing is pretty crucial, if you just cool it the cake will be too moist to handle and will break apart when moved. I have at times had to place other freezer items in a cooler temporarily to give room for cakes.

Thanks,

Hey there cakesdivine, sounds like you are quite the pro... I can't find that buttercream recipe that you posted. Do you have a certain method you use for smoothing your buttercream since you said it doesn't crust? Please let me know, desperate for a great cake and buttercream recipe! Theresa

cakesdivine, I found the recipe! YEAH... Can this buttercream stand out at room tempature for a long period of time? If not do you have one that tastes good that can stand out?

Also, I would love to know if you have tried it with pasturized eggs whites.

Thanks for posting!

amy

Why is it that you can't freeze it while it's still in the pan? That's how I always do it, albeit it's after the cake has been out of the oven for about an hour. It's easy to get out of the pan when frozen.

The pan holds so much heat that the baking process will continue for a few more minutes, plus it take the cake longer to cool down. Also trying to dump the cake frozen, at least in my experience, the cake side stick unless I use a knife to loosen it, and many time tear up the side of the cake in doing so.

On the icing...it works fine at room temp & can last for up to 3 days on the counter with no problem, and yes, you can buy the pasturized egg whites in a carton - omit the cream of tartar if using the pasturized egg whites, just don't try to use meringue powder, it deflates too quickly.

o.k. cakes divine, did you say you just posted your bc recipe tonight and people are able to find it tonight? I posted a recipe for Key Lime cake and Key Lime bc several days ago and I can't find it yet. I was told it can take several days before I will see it. What am I doing wrong? Anyone?

I posted it first on the recipes & tips forum (this forum actually) first. It may not be showing on the recipes tab yet but it is showing on the forum topic Butter Cream Icing Supreme - Super buttery flavor (I think that's what I put...LOL!)

not trying to stir up trouble...just thought i'd share what i've been taught. when making scratch cakes, the extra moisture trapped in by wrapping a cake immediately after baking will make the cake more prone to the growth of bacteria, since there are no preservatives (like in a box mix). i feel like its better to be safe than sorry and cool the cakes fully before wrapping.

(just read that this was already discussed *)

Thanks everyone for posting your comments - this has been very informative.

Ok, I'm drawn in by the critter talk and have to add a few comments. Freezing does not kill bacteria. They hibernate under adverse conditions and start reproducing like rabbits as soon as they get toasty again. Also, bacteria and fungus can produce spores to survive colder temps. They quickly "bloom" at room temperature. Any bacteria in your kitchen, on your hands, or on your wrap can contaminate a cake fresh from the oven. That being said, you will find higher bacteria counts in a sponge (ewww) and in the kitchen sink (seriously the drain is worse than a toilet). But I'm not eating or eating out of either.
Jodie