Can I wrap and then freeze a cake while it's still in the pan? If so, once it's frozen, will it come out the pan easily?

I have a 14 inch square coming up, white cake, and I'm a little nervous about it breaking apart when I try to remove it from the pan.

Thanks for any help.

I would remove it before wrapping and freezing. I learned the hard way why you shouldn't let a cake completely cool before removing, it sticks! Maybe it just happened to me on a fluke, but I always remove after 10-20 minutes if not sooner.
You can always remove, wrap and place back in pan for freezer if that is the way you want to store it.

Thanks for responding! I usually do remove them. I was just worried about the cake falling apart. I use parchment under them, so maybe they wouldn't stick, but I don't know. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

I'll just VERY carefully remove them and THEN wrap.

I am no expert, but i use parchment paper underneath. (let it cool off for a bit) then i use a knife and go around the edges. then i put wax paper over the cake while in the pan, then put the board on the wax paper....flip over and ta da! then i freeze it by putting it in a white garbage bag and pushing out all the air and tucking the end under the board in the freezer. I dont think the cake would fall apart unless you are trying to handle it with your hands and move it around, this way...it goes straight onto the board.....if it is the base cake, i often prepare the board as my finished board and leave off the wax paper...put it right on my finished board and then freeze. it is ready to go when i pull it out of the freezer and i dont have to move it again. good luck!

I just had that problem. I was making a huge sheet cake, when I went to wrap the cake, it just fell apart. I would really like to know how to wrap a cake in seran wrap without it breaking. I always wrap them and then freeze them. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

joe...

how long do you plan on leaving them frozen? I have left mine frozen for a week to 2 weeks in the garbage bag...no saran wrap. If I have extras that i dont know when i will use them again, i wrap in saran wrap. I have had absolutely no problems with my cakes drying out as long as when i take them out to thaw, I leave them in the garbage bag....holds the moisture in. I absolutely recommend freezing because it just makes the cakes so much more moist! I set them out on my counter in the morning so they are ready to decorate when i get home from work...
I made one cake that i ate that i didnt freeze first and it was so dry. I was so disappointed. Ever since....I make sure I freeze even if it is only for a day. I typically bake the weekend before and freeze. Set out on thursday or Friday to decorate that night! good luck!

If you just insist on wrapping in saran wrap, try freezing just enough to pick up the cake and handle it then wrap it and put it back in the freezer...i think that is just a waste of saran wrap and time myself!

OK, can you tell me step by step on how you wrap the cake in the trash bag?? Any particular brand??? Do you cut the board to fit your cake before you wrap it???
Thanks

Working with such a large tier can be frustrating at times. I no longer use the larger sizes for squares due to breaking. I opt for 4 smaller squares instead. Example: I would use 4 - 7" Square pans to create a 14" or 8 - 7" Square pans to create a 14" Tier. I no longer worry about the possibility of breaking. Plus, they take up less space in the freezer and can be used for smaller cakes as well.

I set a timer and remove cakes from the pan after 10 min. of cooling or they can tear apart when coming out. I also place them "naked" in the freezer briefly after removal to firm them up before wrapping. This also helps avoid breaking while handling.

As for freezing, I use the same bags that Sharon Zambito of SugarShack recommends. They are commerical "Bun" Bags. I bag each of them twice, removing all of the air first before bagging it a second time. I don't know if twice is neccessary...but it gives me piece of mind. I was going through way too much saran wrap and just didn't like the hassel. Hope this helps!

I didnt make this up myself....another cake baker told me her tricks after i asked her how she got her cakes so moist....so now I do the same.

1. i have 2 1/4" thick plywd boards i use that my husband cut for me, but you can use cardboard boards or anything basically that is flat and will hold a cake!
2. tear off a piece of wax paper to fit the cake. after the cake has cooled a bit (10-15 mins) in the pan....i lay the wax paper over the cake in the pan.
3. Then I lay the board over the pan and then flip the board over. The cake usually falls right out.
4. Let cool completely. I usually let cool over night because i bake late at night after my kids are in bed.
5. I take a cheap white garbage bag....like for your kitchen trash. i have used dollar store...i dont think it matters. just slide the cake into the bag.
6. when i put in the freezer i just make sure there isnt alot of excess air in the bag and then just tuck the open end under the board to seal it off.

i really couldnt imagine taking the time to wrap all the cakes in saran wrap. if i had to do that i wouldnt freeze! Like I said earlier though...i am no expert and there are some people who refuse to freeze cakes, but my experience is that the cakes taste better. just me though!

ok, i have also experimented with this. If i have a double layer cake...i have actually made my finished board, however you like it. Then get the cake nice and centered, etc when i flip so that it is placed where i want it in the end. Then i have put the filling/icing on (just between the layers - not on the sides) and then went ahead and put the next layer on top....then i have put in the garbage bag and froze like that. i was worried how it would taste until a girl who ate it at the party emailed me and told me how moist and good the cake was...then recommended me to others and it goes on and on! so i am confident with that technique and since then i have tried that and eaten it myself and it was great! I just look for ways to cut time spent and make it easier and not so much waste! oh...if you try this ever...just remember it takes longer to thaw with a double layer! dont ice unless it is completely thawed or your icing wont crust! hope i have helped!

oh sorry, about the cutting of the board....most of the time if i am in a hurry i just plop all the cakes out onto random boards....like an 8" round might be on a 9 x 13 board....just whatever. sometimes i am trying to save time when i actually go to decorate and so i will plan ahead. i will go ahead and cut the boards and wrap just as if i was about to stack the cakes then put all of that on the 9 x 13 board and freeze. just saves me a step when i get ready to decorate. If i have a big sheet cake, i would do whatever i could to keep from moving the cake by hand. so i would probably go ahead and wrap my finished board and freeze right on it...pull it out, thaw and ready to go! good luck!

This is how I wrap in saran(also, I tort pre-freeze as I've never figured out how to do it once froze and I ice/fill frozen for ease of handling): anyway, we'll use a 14" square for example. Let cool, take large cake baord, at least 12" square, and flip cake out onto board. Have seond cake board, preferably 14" or larger. Lay saran over cake making sure it hangs down on all sides at least 2 or 3 inches. Then place large cake board on cake. Pick up cake usuing both cake boards and "flip" so saran is now on the bottom. I then tort and slide saran inbetween the layer. Then I bring the saran up so the edges are coving the sides, then take ore saran and cover top making sure it over laps and needs tucked under the sides. Then I freeze like this.

Once frozen I bring it back out and make another pass of saran (if I'm storing it for more than a day or two) and wrap in foil much the same way, minus all the cake boards because it is now frozen.

When I need it I take it out, use the saran I added to easily separate the layers, fill and ice, then get next layer.

I really don't know how anyone handles anything bigger than 9 or 10 inches not frozen. I can't do it!

Hth

Please be careful using garbage bags as they aren't food safe and the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the cake. Sugarshack uses food safe bags for all of her cakes and I'm sure she'd tell yu where to get them if you're interested.