Hello, I have been decorating cakes for a few years now. However, I have yet to freeze a cake that I have decorated. But now I wonder if it would be worth it and help with time restraints. With that I have LOTS of questions, I hope you all are willing to help. I was wondering everyone's thoughts on a frozen cake compared to one baked a day before? Which do you prefer? Is one better than the other? Can you tell a difference? Can the customer tell a difference? How do you all freeze your cakes? Are they filled, crumb coated, on a board, or just separate layers wrapped and frozen? How do you thaw them? Still wrapped, in the fridge or out on the counter, or do you just start filling and crumb coating then? Basically all the advice and instructions I can get would be greatly appreciated! Also, any DON'TS would be appreciated as well! Thanks so much!

Hi there. I don't have all the answers but I'll tell you my experience. I almost always freeze cakes. I don't have time to bake and decorate all within a day or two so I freeze the cakes to keep them fresh. I let them cool and then wrap each layer individually in saran or press n seal and then a layer of foil and then put them in the freezer. I feel like it seals in the moisture! I thaw the cakes on the counter still wrapped up or sometimes I just ice them frozen. My only issue with icing them frozen is that the buttercream hardens up from the cold so I don't have a lot of time to get it smooth. I did freeze some already iced cakes a couple weeks ago and I felt like the buttercream was a little weird when it thawed. Not bad and I dont' think anyone else noticed but me. I don't think anyone would notice a difference between a cake that had been frozen and one that had not.

You will get some that would never freeze a cake and then you will have some like me.. I freeze ALL my cakes. I usually bake the week before it is due...... I used to wrap mine in syran and then foil but the foil was always denting my cakes so I stopped and just double wrap in syran. I never let it thaw completely before I start to ice.. just about 5 minutes or so. I think, and have heard from this site, that the freezing adds moisture to the cake. My clients are always saying how nice and moist the cakes are so there must be some truth to it!!!

If you do a search on this site in the forums for "freezing", you will find lots of information that has been discussed in the past

I used to not freeze my cakes, but then my mom told me to do it as it is easier to level a frozen cake than it is a non frozen cake, less crumbs. I now can not get away from my freezer.. I bake, cool, freeze.. then level, then freeze again, then fill/stack and crumb coat, then freeze again, then ice and decorate.. I think it makes the flavor taste better, adds more moisture.. i'm a hobby decorator, but those who i make cakes for say they love my cakes. HTH

I wrap mine in saran wrap, then put it back in the baking pan to quick freeze so it's dent free, then out of the pan and wrap in foil. They are very moist.

I had a fully decorated, tiered cake that i could not deliver due to bad weather and the party was cancelled. The customer and I both were reluctant to freeze, but we decided to take a chance. I disassembled the two tiers and boxed up each one, and put in the freezer for 6 days. I wasn't able to wrap the cakes. all i could do was box them up. i thought about it later, i could have wrapped each box in plastic wrap and put them in plastic grocery bags, but i didn't. The day before the party i took the cakes out the freezer and let them thaw out in their boxes. I re-assembled, fixed damage and delivered the next day. The cake got absolutely rave reviews for taste and moisture and generated several more orders from people at the party. I used the WASC recipe. Maybe some recipes are different when frozen. I don't know. Since then, i have frozen single layers, thoroughly wrapped in plastic wrap, foil and ziploc bags and they came out VERY good and moist. I was totally opposed to freezing cakes before this happened.

I had tried searching for freeze and I thought freezing but I done it again and am finding some forum posts!
I have another question though, has anyone baked, cooled and wrapped the layers in saran wrap and then placed them into like tupperware containers in the freezer? I am wondering if that would help with the cake not being smashed in the freezer? Any thoughts? THanks!

I am definitely going to try this out. I am making a cake for this weekend. (Easter with the family) and what better guinea pigs can a decorator have than her family! lol. I am also planning on attempting my first mad hatter, so why not freeze it ahead of time! Anymore advice on the freezing and thawing please post! Thanks.

Is it safe to say that most of you only freeze one or two weeks out? No more than that?

I froze 1-2 weeks, so that's the only time frame i can relate to. I've read where others freeze for up to 30 days. The top portion of my wedding cake (from a cake shop) was frozen for over 3 weeks after the wedding, then we gave in and ate it and it was just as good. The best advice i have is to let it cool completely after baking, double wrap in plastic wrap and double wrap in foil. If it fits in a freezer bag, plastic grocery bag, or plastic container that's even more protection. Some people say if you can afford to be without the pan, loosen the cake from the pan, leave it in there and wrap it really well. Helps keep it from getting crushed in the freezer. When it's time to thaw, just remove it from the freezer and let it thaw wrapped up. It will only take several hours, not even a whole day to thaw out. Ice and decorate as usual.

I usually only freeze for a week to a week and a half. BUT I had an event delayed an entire month and I found out 2 days after I put the cakes in the freezer. Well 5 weeks later those red velvet cakes were yummy and moist (used the red velvet WASC variation).

I probably wouldn't do this as a regular thing but I feel less confined to strict timelines when freezing cakes now.

Yeah - it was a heckuva lotta batter! Had to do it in 2 batches and mix them together before I poured it into the pans.

Had enough left over to make my own birthday cake too!

I put the cakes in the freezer (unwrapped) on a flat surface (cookie sheet or something) and completely freeze it. Then I remove them from the freezer, wrap in a layer or two of press n seal or saran wrap, then wrap in a layer or two of foil and put back in freezer. When I need it, I take it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, and continue with the decorating.

I have also used this method on dirty iced cakes and it won't dent the cakes at all because they are frozen before wrapped.

Lots of useful info here! I have a cake that I don't want to go to waste (2 layers, already iced in vanilla frosting). Could I wrap it and freeze it? Would there be any problems with the frosting when I thaw it? (sliding off of the cake).