Refrigerating Cake Batter? *stupid Question Alert!*

Baking By AJsGirl Updated 21 Apr 2018 , 3:02pm by leah_s

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AJsGirl Posted 1 May 2008 , 3:41pm
post #1 of 32

Ok, stupid question. icon_redface.gif Can you make cake batter ahead of time and refrigerate it? Does it bake up the same way? How long will it keep in the fridge?

Sorry for all the dumb questions, I make so few cakes that I usually make the batter and put them straight in the oven. But I'm on a time crunch.

TIA

31 replies
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mariela_ms Posted 1 May 2008 , 3:52pm
post #2 of 32

no help here...but it's an excellent question not a stupid one! I want to know that too!!!

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punkinpie Posted 1 May 2008 , 3:54pm
post #3 of 32

I'm not 100% sure about this - but I believe that the active ingredients start to die the longer you leave them in the wet batter form and your cake won't rise well etc.

My two cents. I'll be watching to see if I'm correct in my theory.

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sweetcakes Posted 1 May 2008 , 3:54pm
post #4 of 32

i have used left over batter and added it to new batter, but it just doen;st bake up as light, it seems a little heavier. i try not to do it, and would rather make cupcakes with the left over now.

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2sdae Posted 1 May 2008 , 4:01pm
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I used wasc cake batter 1 day for small layers and then for cupcakes 3 days later and they were awesome, no probs.

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TaylorMadeSweetz Posted 1 May 2008 , 4:12pm
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I totally agree with sweetcakes. I've done it before and it does not bake the same. Anytime I have batter left over I just bake little loafs or cupcakes.

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tonimarie Posted 1 May 2008 , 6:03pm
post #7 of 32

Not a stupid question! I have wondered the same thing icon_rolleyes.gif

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tabitwhe Posted 1 May 2008 , 6:27pm
post #8 of 32

I dont think its a stupid question either.

As a matter of Fact, I have a container of batter in my fridge I didnt know what to do with LOL

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AJsGirl Posted 2 May 2008 , 1:21am
post #9 of 32

Ok, so everyone is right. icon_redface.gif The answer to this question is NOOOO.

I knew I would be pushed for time this evening, and I have a cake due tomorrow, so I got up early and made the batter and put it in the fridge. Hubby wakes up and says, "Can you do that? I don't think it will bake right." I hadn't even thought of that. So I posed the question to the endless knowledge that is CC.

I went ahead and baked it, because, let's face it, I didn't want to waste materials. And it didn't rise AT ALL. So now I have a pathetic looking 1/2 inch (yes, that says a half inch) tier cooling in my kitchen. icon_lol.gificon_cry.gif

So hubby is off to the store for some box mixes. At least that will save me a little time tonight. icon_rolleyes.gif

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Mike1394 Posted 2 May 2008 , 1:25am
post #10 of 32

Tha baking powder pooped out.

Mike

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kakeladi Posted 2 May 2008 , 1:38am
post #11 of 32

It's the chemical reaction that starts to work the instant you mix up the batter.
Ifyou can put it in the baking pan, then into the frig while you wait for the oven space it's not too bad, but for the most part it will NOT work as you found.

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AJsGirl Posted 2 May 2008 , 1:41am
post #12 of 32

kakeladi, if I mix the batter and leave the baking powder out and refrigerate, then just give it a good whipping and mix the powder in before I put it in the oven, will it work that way?

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vacakediva Posted 2 May 2008 , 1:49am
post #13 of 32

I do it all the time when I'm baking lots of layers but it's not an overnight thing.I fridge it for about 40 minutes while I'm baking other layers.

I have freezed cake batter also.and it still baked up the same!!
Grocery stores get frozen muffin batter in already packed in bakeable plastic pan.They pop it right out of the box and into the oven!! you can FREEZE it also.

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Cake_Princess Posted 2 May 2008 , 2:00am
post #14 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJsGirl

Ok, stupid question. icon_redface.gif Can you make cake batter ahead of time and refrigerate it? Does it bake up the same way? How long will it keep in the fridge?

Sorry for all the dumb questions, I make so few cakes that I usually make the batter and put them straight in the oven. But I'm on a time crunch.

TIA





Boxed cakes are more forgiving than scratch cakes when it comes to this. You can refrigerate box cake batter for a few hours or so. (The manufacturers have actually done this in their test labs.) With scratch cakes this is not recommended as the leavening agents start to work almost immediately.

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bafishr Posted 2 May 2008 , 3:13am
post #15 of 32

Interesting that I just saw this post.
I'm probably a late getting my two cents in, but I put batter (box) in the fridge last night. It was there all day until I got home, just took it out of the oven and it rose nicely.
Like Cake_Princes said, "box mixes are more forgiving". I had a little left and made cupcakes they tasted wonderful icon_biggrin.gif

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JanH Posted 2 May 2008 , 3:40am
post #16 of 32

Most baking powders (in the U.S., anyway) are double-acting. Double-acting means that while they begin working immediately, they are also heat-activated (by baking):

http://tinyurl.com/2p7fd4

Here's another thread where members have successfully both refrigerated and frozen cake batter:
(Unfortunately, previous threads on this subject were lost in THE CRASH.)

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-580334-.html

Freezing cakes & cake batter:
(And lots of other food stuffs.)

http://tinyurl.com/5dcn4n

HTH

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AJsGirl Posted 2 May 2008 , 2:39pm
post #17 of 32

Mine was scratch. It was in the fridge for about 10 hours, so I guess that was too long. *sigh* Maybe I'll try freezing it next time.

Thanks everyone, for your input. icon_smile.gif

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TsSweetPresentations Posted 21 Apr 2011 , 1:33pm
post #18 of 32

Helpful info from:"thekitchn.com"
"Freezing Cake Batter"

Here are three ways to freeze your batter to make sure you have rave results three days, three weeks, or three months down the road:

1. Freeze the Batter In the Wrapper: Line your muffin trays like normal and fill the cups. Cover with plastic wrap tightly (so it doesn't drag on the surface) and freeze. Once frozen, remove tray and toss the cupcakes into a zip top bag and remove as much air as possible. You can either allow them to come to room temperature before baking or leave them in the oven for an extra 5 to 7 minutes. How simple is that?

2. Freeze the Batter In Zip Top Bags: This one requires a little bit of leg work, but it can be well worth it. You can freeze your batter into larger bags, therefore having fewer roaming around in your freezer, but we actually prefer smaller quart size bags instead. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, place 6 scoops of batter inside each bag (roll the zip edge back before starting so it stays clean). Remove the air, seal and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator and snip the tip to pipe the batter back into the cups. Add 2 minutes additional baking time (unless batter is at room temperature).

3. Freeze the Batter Disposable Muffin Pans: Although this isn't our most frequently used option by any means, when we're catering for large groups, this method has come in handy on more than one occasion. Line cups and freeze batter in the pan in the cups and then the trays can literally go straight from the freezer to the oven without any extra steps in between. Plus, the pans give a little structure to the chaos of your deep freezer and keep things in line and neatly stacked.

We've tried this method with all sorts of cupcakes and although we've never had a problem with butter based recipes, we have had an occasional hiccup with vegan or recipes where white vinegar and baking soda create the lift in the batter. When there's no other add-ins, things turn out just fine, but say you've added chocolate chips or ginger chunks to your batter, they kill the lift in the batter while things are freezing up and aren't as sponge-y as we hope (though they are still tasty and edible).

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leah_s Posted 22 Apr 2011 , 2:59am
post #19 of 32

Oh pshaw. I refrigerate batter ALL THE TIME. I'd wager that every bakery in the country refrigerates batter ALL THE TIME. I refrigerate it for DAYS AT A TIME. Take it out of the fridge, stir it and bake. I don't even let it come up to room temp. It bakes up fine, but maybe not quite as high, so throw some extra batter in the pan.

And I'm exclusively a scratch baker.

Note - batters leavened with only baking soda or only whipped egg whites will not hold for long. Baking powder batters will hold fine.

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TsSweetPresentations Posted 22 Apr 2011 , 4:29pm
post #20 of 32

Yeah...I do the same with mine and they turn out just fine as well. I'd just never heard of freezing it.

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TishKat Posted 3 Aug 2012 , 5:08am
post #21 of 32

does it make a difference if it is a BOX Cake Mix or whether it is from scratch? icon_confused.gif

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MKBeck27 Posted 30 Apr 2013 , 3:55pm
post #22 of 32

Well, I just pulled scratch made batter from the fridge from yesterday and it did just fine. It was completely baking powder, not soda, so maybe that helped, but it looks perfectly normal. I was a little worried about it too, but not that much.

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BakingIrene Posted 30 Apr 2013 , 9:42pm
post #23 of 32

If you want to mix batter ahead, you can add the baking powder at the last minute before baking.  Keep out 1/4 cup flour and the baking powder, mix them together first, and then fold them into one batch of cake batter by hand.

 

If the recipe calls for whipped eggs, on the other hand, you have to put the batter into the pans right after mixing.  It can then sit for a few hours but I would not try to keep it any longer.

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whiteangel Posted 4 Sep 2013 , 3:17pm
post #24 of 32

I have just one home oven so being able to store the batter in the fridge while waiting on one 12" pan baking at a time will be very helpful. 

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RookieSue Posted 20 Jan 2016 , 3:06pm
post #25 of 32

Hello all,

 I used to work for a celebrity professional bakery and let me tell you refrigeration of batters must be allowed or businesses would not be an operation.  Batters are refrigerated until they are used up which sometimes can take a couple of weeks and they are completely fine. All of these batters are from scratch so trust me when I say depending on how you make them and how you store them refrigeration is absolutely possible.

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leah_s Posted 20 Jan 2016 , 4:13pm
post #26 of 32

zombie thread

but, info still good.

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sddenny Posted 28 Apr 2016 , 11:17pm
post #27 of 32

I know this is an old thread, but I came across it yesterday while searching for the same answer. I do a lot of cupcake baking and also have a full time job, so making batter ahead and refrigerating it would be awesome. I read a few comments and decided to try it with a scratch recipe that uses baking powder and today, 24 hours later I took the batter out of the fridge and scooped it into my cupcake pans and VOILA - they rose up perfectly and had nice domes and everything! Just wanted to post this for someone who's still unsure...I tried it and it works. Now I need to find out how many days this batter can stay in the fridge and still be used. Next time I'll try two days :-)

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weluvpiggies Posted 28 Apr 2016 , 11:43pm
post #28 of 32

I ran across this just recently and saw on a Betty Crocker website that you should refrigerate no more than 1 hour.  Also, as was probably mentioned, baking soda reacts to the liquid and baking powder reacts with heat, so if using only baking powder, I think it would do well.    But, if using baking soda, it would probably lose much of its height. :)

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NAvery Posted 21 Apr 2018 , 8:06am
post #29 of 32

This may be a fumb question, but does it not matter about the eggs in the batter if you are refrigerating overnight? 

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NAvery Posted 21 Apr 2018 , 8:07am
post #30 of 32

* dumb question

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