Can I Really Freeze An Iced Cake?

Decorating By Sandylee05 Updated 4 Nov 2013 , 5:32am by maybenot

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Sandylee05 Posted 12 Aug 2012 , 2:05pm
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I have an order for a wedding cake with four half sheets. Can I make the half sheets a few days early and freeze them? I'll need to score the sheet cakes and put royal icing red rose buds on each serving. I thought I'd add the buds after the cakes completely thaw, so the red doesn't bleed. Will the iced cakes thaw and be dry? How long will it take? Can I freeze and thaw the cakes without covering them? I think the plastic bag would mess up the icing.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your advice and opinions.
Sandy

11 replies
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poohsmomma Posted 12 Aug 2012 , 3:05pm
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Because of a vacation, I had to bake,decorate and freeze a cake for a friend. It was an all buttercream cross-shaped cake. I boxed the cake, wrapped the box completely in several layers of plastic wrap and then foil. They had directions to remove the cake to the refrigerator the day before, and set it out to come to room temp the morning of the party-still completely wrapped. It was frozen for about a week. It was perfect when unwrapped. I don't know about the RI rosebuds. Could you make them from bc. and let them dry?

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Sandylee05 Posted 12 Aug 2012 , 3:40pm
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I could make the roses and buds from BC. I just wanted to make them ahead of time, and I thought royal might be better and color easier. Do you think BC roses would be better?
Thank you!

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sweetcakes Posted 13 Aug 2012 , 3:56am
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decorate your sheet cakes with the red ri rosebuds, put the cake in a cake box, place in a large white plastic bag and tie it closed. freeze it, take it out the evening before its needed put it in the fridge if you have room, leave it as is,in box and wrapped. It will be perfect on opening, just like you just made it.

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Sandylee05 Posted 13 Aug 2012 , 11:52pm
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Thanks Sweetcakes! Do you think the RI icing won't bleed as opposed to BC?
Thank you,
Sandy

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sweetcakes Posted 14 Aug 2012 , 2:02am
post #6 of 12

as long as there is not alot of moisture sitting on the surface of the cake they wont run.

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WickedGoodies Posted 14 Aug 2012 , 5:08am
post #7 of 12

Hello, you can certainly freeze your cakes in advance of an event. Oftentimes bakeries freeze cakes after assembly so that they remain solid and sturdy while frosting. As long as your cakes are well sealed and aren't comingling with savory foods, freezing will keep them fresher than leaving them in the fridge for more than a few days.


Condensation naturally occurs when a cake is moved from a freezer to a fridge climate. When the warmer air hits the cold surface of the cake, water droplets form. The key to avoid condensation damaging your cake is to keep it well-sealed in plastic wrap until it's fully thawed (~6-12 hours depending on size). Then you will peel off a very wet piece of plastic wrap but the cake within will be unaffected. So I would recommend not decorating the cake until after the freeze/thaw since you probably don't want plastic mashing your work. Also you are right to assume that you might have some issues with bleeding if you decorate too soon.

Whatever you do, don't move the cake from the freezer to a room temp environment as that extreme of a temperature change will cause a significant amount of condensation. In the food industry it's called "slacking off" to defrost food in the refrigerator and that is considered the best way to thaw sensitive food, especially cakes.

It took me years of trial and error and many sweat-drenched cakes to figure this out so I hope it helps you! Good luck,
Kristen

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sweettreat101 Posted 14 Aug 2012 , 7:01am
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Poohsmama do you think it would work with a tres leches cake? They will be white so no coloring. I have to make ten so I would really like to fill and frost them and add the gum paste flowers and ribbon the morning of the event. This is the recipe I use. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-tres-leches-cake/detail.aspx

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BlakesCakes Posted 14 Aug 2012 , 10:21pm
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I responded to the thread about the tres leches cake and said NO.

That said, for the most part, yes, you can freeze a FULLY DECORATED CAKE without issue.

Box completed cake. Wrap box in several layers of saran and a layer of foil. Place in freezer.
24hrs. before display, place still wrapped box in fridge to defrost.
A few hours before display, place still wrapped box on counter to come to room temp.
Right before display, remove wrappings.

Cake should be dry & just fine.

This cake was handled in this manner--with no bleeding of the ruby red fondant decos.

Image

Rae

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CakesByMaryJay Posted 24 Sep 2013 , 12:49pm
post #10 of 12

What filling was in this cake?

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Busymomcakebake Posted 2 Nov 2013 , 9:49pm
post #11 of 12

AHello,

I need help, I am leaving for vacation this week but I'm doing a gender revealing cake for my friends baby shower the week I am away, I was wondering if I can freeze a fully decorated Swiss meringue buttercream cake? And if so, how? It will only need to be frozen for five days. Please help.. Thank you

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maybenot Posted 4 Nov 2013 , 5:32am
post #12 of 12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busymomcakebake 

Hello,

I need help, I am leaving for vacation this week but I'm doing a gender revealing cake for my friends baby shower the week I am away, I was wondering if I can freeze a fully decorated Swiss meringue buttercream cake? And if so, how? It will only need to be frozen for five days. Please help..
Thank you


Yes.  Follow the instructions by blakescakes ^^^^.

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