I love freezing cakes and cupcakes. I actually think they taste better and are more moist when they’re frozen first. If you freeze them the right way, there is no way anyone can tell that they’ve been frozen…as long as you follow these tips.
I like to do things ahead of time. I’m not really a procrastinator and I’m not one of those people who thrive on last minute stress. I like to bake my cakes in advance and I thought why not share with you how I freeze them. I think there are a lot of people who don’t realize that you CAN freeze cakes and cupcakes successfully.
Freezing cakes and cupcakes is such a time saver, especially if you have a cake business as a side job, or if you just like doing things ahead of time.
How to Freeze Cakes & Cupcakes:
I never have freezer burn on my cakes, probably because I go a little overboard on wrapping them, but I thought I’d share with you my tips and tricks.
By the way, you can get to two of my favorite cake recipes by clicking these links:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can see links to my website policies in the footer.
Freezing Cakes:
When I pull my cakes out of the oven, I set them on racks to cool for 10 minutes. I don’t let them sit in their pans any longer than that.
After ten minutes, I then turn them out of their pans and onto the racks to cool completely. I’ve heard of people actually wrapping their warm cakes and sticking them directly into the freezer, but honestly that makes me a little nervous. Isn’t it moisture that causes freezer burn? I just don’t want steam in there when I wrap them up, so I let them cool almost completely.
I may have mentioned it a time or two, but I have a love-affair with Press-n-Seal Wrap. I can’t seem to work regular saran wrap. Call me weird, but it always just crinkles up on me and sticks to itself. I find TOO clingy. Press-n-seal is just so much easier to use.
I take a large piece of press-n-seal and set it sticky side down on the counter, set my cake layer on it and wrap it up. (Oh, yeah, I also go ahead and cut the domes off the cakes, if there are any. You don’t have to do this right now though. You can certainly do this after you’ve defrosted them.)
I then set a second piece of press-n-seal sticky side up on my counter, set the cake (seam side down) on it and wrap it up.
Next I take a strip of foil and wrap them up. Here’s my method: I press down the ends of the foil, fold them in like a present and then roll up the ends. Wrapping it like that, keeps the foil from denting into the cake, or causing the cake to get misshapen.
After I’ve wrapped it once with foil, I’ll place the cake layer (seam side of the foil face down) and then wrap it up all over again.
I’ll then put a piece of tape on the top and write what kind of cake it is, the size and the date.
Yes I do use a lot of materials, but like I said, I never get freezer burn. It’s possible you only really need one layer of foil, and that’s totally okay if you’re making cakes for home, but when I was selling cakes, I wanted to be dang sure, they were as fresh as I could get them and just went the extra mile.
By the way, you can find the video on the process toward the end of the post!
How to Freeze Cupcakes:
Yes, you can make cupcakes ahead of time and freeze them. Freezing cupcakes is almost the same procedure as freezing cakes. I take my cupcakes out of the oven and let them set in the pan, on the rack for ten minutes.
Then I take my cupcakes out of the pan and set them on the racks to cool almost completely.
I spread out a strip of press-n-seal (sticky side down) and set 6 to 8 cupcakes on it and then wrap it up.
I then set another strip of press-n-seal on the counter (sticky side up) and wrap them up again.
Next, I place one or two of these cupcake packets into a gallon freezer bag. I label the bag with the flavor and date.
Again, it may be a little overkill with the wrapping, but I’d rather be safe than sorry and I’ve never had a cake or cupcake come out of the freezer with freezer burn. Another tip is that I don’t like to keep my cakes frozen over three weeks.
How to Defrost Cakes and Cupcakes:
I think most people would assume you just take the cakes or cupcakes out of the freezer and their packaging to let them defrost, but YOU DON’T WANT TO DO THAT! Ok, I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I had to get your attention.
Here’s what you DO want to do: Take your cakes or cupcakes out of the freezer, but leave them in their packaging to defrost. The reason? Well, defrosting will cause some condensation and if you leave them in their packaging, then the condensation will form on the outside of the packaging and NOT on your cakes or cupcakes.
Too much moisture on your cakes can cause air bubbles when you try to ice it. The icing may go on smoothly, but a couple hours later, you’ll look at the cake and there will be a blow out or icing bubble on the side of it.
As for cupcakes, if you allow condensation to build on the actual cupcake, it could cause the liners to pull away from the cupcake, or perhaps the icing won’t stick to the cupcake.
Ok, now it’s your turn to try freezing your cakes and cupcakes and tell me what you think! I think you’ll be surprised at how fresh they taste…liked you just baked them actually.
Oh and here’s a quick video I made to show you the whole process!
FIND ALL MY BAKING TIP POSTS HERE: Cake Baking Tips
Don’t Forget to Pin it Below!
I know this is an older post but I see you are still replying. Anyway, I am planning on making and taking cupcakes for my sons out-of-town wedding and wanted to bake ahead of time and freeze. I need to travel (wedding is 3 hours away) on a Friday so will need to take them out of the freezer Friday morning, and the wedding is Saturday afternoon. My thought is to keep them wrapped as you suggest, and on Saturday morning, unwrap and transfer them to 24 count cupcake boxes. Then frost with buttercream before the wedding. (which I plan to pre-make as well – maybe make Friday morning before hitting the road, or make ahead and freeze too). My questions are: will the cupcakes dry out after being out of the freezer for 30 or so hours?; will the cupcake papers loosen as a result of freezing and thawing?; does this sound like a crazy plan?; if I make and freeze the buttercream, do I need to take a mixer to cream it up again before piping on or will whipping it up with a spoon work? Thanks for your input.
Hi Allison…all good questions and I don’t think that’s a crazy plan. Ok, so it’s possible that the cupcakes could dry out a bit within 30 hours, but it depends. If you keep them really well covered, they may be just fine though. As far as the cupcake liners pulling away…Some cupcake liners are worse than others. So, I suggest trying an experiment first. Just bake one small batch and then freeze for a couple days, then defrost them and see what happens. If the cupcake liners pull away, you may try a different brand and see if that helps. I am big on experiments and testing out first. Also with defrosting cupcakes, you’ll get a bit of condensation on the top of the cupcakes. I usually dab that off with a paper towel.
So for the buttercream, I’ve done it both ways. You don’t necessarily have to whip it again unless you want a super light and fluffy buttercream. I’ve just mixed it with a silicone spatula once it defrosted and it worked just fine. I hope this helps! I think it will be just fine…just make sure those cupcakes are well covered in the containers. You could even add some extra plastic wrap over them inside the containers and then pop on the lid. The less space and air in the container, the better. Also, if they’re chilled in the fridge, they tend to dry out faster.
Hai.. I’ve read all the tips about freezing cupcakes. I’m really worry because I got cupcake order for 1300pcs! This is my first time. Can you advise me when should I start bake? Wrapping and unwrap cupcake is going to be one hell of a work. So I really need a good time management for me. Thanksss❤️
Wow that is a huge order! If it were me, I would estimate how many cupcakes you can bake in one day. That’s different for each person, so I’d figure out how many you’re comfortable making. Then figure out from there how many days before the event you’ll need to start baking. Give yourself some extra time to decorate them (that amount of time depends on the type of decorations that will go on them). It’s always helpful to get pen and paper and write out your plan…like literally write out every task you have to do. That’s what I do. Then sort of divide it out into how many days you need to get it all done. I wish I could give you exact times and a schedule, but that just depends on what else you have going on and what type of decor will go onto the cupcakes. My best advice is to just write down everything you have to do to complete the order and then divide it out among how many days you have to complete it. Give yourself some leeway time though in case you run into issues. Hope this helps!
I am making my banana cake layers on Tuesday to have for cake done and ready for Sunday. If I freeze Tuesday using your fool-proof method, would I defrost in refrigerator or on counter fully wrapped on Friday to torte, fill and frost on Saturday? Also can cream cheese frosting be made in advance and kept refrigerated in an airtight container? If so, how many days before Saturday when I will need it? If you are able to reply, I am very grateful. If not, still grateful for your wonderful tips, recipes and tutorials.
Hi Marie, I’m happy to help. Ok, so freeze the cake layers before torting them. I usually just set my cakes out to defrost on the counter in their wrappings. Before torting them though, you might chill them a bit so they don’t fall apart on you. Defrosting on Friday to serve on Sunday should be just fine. Just make sure you keep everything covered well, so the cake doesn’t dry out. For the cream cheese frosting…yes you can make that ahead of time. It’s probably fine to make it a couple days before you need it, just keep it chilled.
Hi, thank you for the tips, very helpful.
How long can they stay in the freezer for and taste great after defrosting? I’m going to do some cupcakes for our christening in one month, and i will be crazy busy just before the event… thank youuuu
Technically they can stay in the freezer for months, but I don’t like to keep them frozen for longer than 3-4 weeks for best taste.
Hi,
I found that when I take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost in the packaging, once I take them out, they have a goey layer on top. Is there a way to prevent this?
Yes this sometimes happens. I haven’t really found a way to prevent this though. What I do sometimes is once they’ve defrosted, I set them out for about 15 minutes or so and then dab a paper towel on top of them and that sort of takes off that thin gooey layer. Generally you won’t be able to see that part anyway, since it’ll have buttercream on the top of it. Hope this helps!
Hi! I’m planning on baking some mini Yule log cakes for the holidays. Some will be eaten on Christmas Day, but I’m saving others for Sunday. Do I need to freeze the ones I’m saving for Sunday? Is it better to freeze them already rolled with the ganache inside or as a flat sheet cake and then roll it and fill it after thawing? Thanks!
Hi Alexis, if you’re baking them on Thursday night or Friday, then they’ll probably be fine for Sunday. You’ll just need to wrap them real well so they don’t dry out and keep in the fridge if they have a perishable filling. As far as freezing them, you could do that if you want. I don’t make a lot of cake rolls, but I’d probably fill them and roll them up and freeze them that way, then once defrosted, you can frost and decorate them…although I guess it really depends on what you’re putting inside them though. Not sure I was a huge help, but those are my thoughts at least. 😉
Hi there !
Can I please ask you. Once you defrost a frozen cake, how long can it last ? Will it still last say 3-4 days like if you were to bake it fresh?
Thanks ! 🙂
Hi Anne, It will just depend on the type of cake, but generally cake can last for several days or a bit longer. I think you’re asking whether it will last longer than a freshly baked cake? I don’t think so. Once it’s defrosted, it lasts about the same amount of time as a freshly baked cake would. I have a post on how long cakes last etc. if you want to check it out. It goes into more details: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/how-far-in-advance-can-i-bake-a-cake/
Hey from the UK,
I want to freeze some cupcakes I made on the wrong day….we don’t have press n seal (i wish we did) here would the same rules apply with conventional ‘cling film’ (which I think is your ‘seran wrap’)?
Thanks!
Hi Elaine! Yes, regular plastic wrap (cling film) will work just fine. 🙂