My team and I have frozen our fair share of cakes and have made enough mistakes to know what really works. Let’s learn how to freeze cakes so that they taste the freshest and that you’re the only one who knows the cake was previously frozen!
I originally published this tutorial in 2019 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and additional success tips.
Making cakes in advance and freezing them is a great way to get ahead and have less to do on the day of a party or celebration. Today I’m sharing my tried and true method for freezing cakes.
I’ve tried many techniques over the years, and the way I’m showing you today is the best way to ensure the cake tastes fresh and delicious after freezing and thawing. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let me tell you…
My #1 Tip for Freezing Cakes
My number-one tip for the best-tasting results is to freeze the cake layers before frosting, and make the frosting fresh the day you plan to assemble and serve the cake.
You can freeze a cake with frosting, but the texture is just never quite the same after thawing. Plus, a completely decorated cake will contract and expand during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. That’s why I recommend freezing the cake on its own, and then making frosting (fresh frosting really does taste best!) and assembling the cake after it’s been thawed.
That said, it’s fine to freeze leftover frosted cake. It’s just left over and doesn’t need to impress anyone! And obviously, ice cream cake is an exception to this rule as well.
How to Freeze Cakes
First, here’s a complete video tutorial so you can understand the method:
The cake pictured here is my vanilla cake, but you can also freeze something with add-ins, such as carrot cake, or this dark chocolate peanut butter cake (which has chocolate chips in the cake batter).
STEP 1: Bake and cool your cake(s). It’s important to make sure the cakes are completely cool before you wrap them to freeze. Otherwise, the steam from the cooling cake will condense on the inside of the wrapping, leaving you with a very soggy cake after thawing. Let’s avoid that!
If you’re making a layer cake and the layers require leveling, level them off now before you freeze them. (Learn more about how to level cakes in this tutorial on How to Assemble a Layer Cake.)
STEP 2: Wrap each cake layer individually in a layer of plastic wrap. I like to use Glad Press & Seal to wrap cakes for freezing. I’m not working with this brand, but this is truly the best product I’ve tried for wrapping cakes.
STEP 3: Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in case the ink seeps through. (It has before!)
STEP 4: Wrap each cake layer in a layer of aluminum foil.
The double layer of wrapping is key to preserving flavor and texture.
The first layer keeps the cake tight and fresh and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation will seep in. This is also how I wrap banana bread and other quick breads, too. Double layer = maximum freshness and no freezer burn.
You can place your labeled, double-wrapped cakes in the freezer now, but for even more protection, place them inside an airtight freezer-safe container.
STEP 5: Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don’t have a big enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. Of course make sure the foil with the date on it is what’s on the outside.
Feel free to stack the individually wrapped cake layers on top of one another if that works best for your freezer space:
STEP 6: Freeze for up to 3 months. Again, I recommend writing the “use by” date on top of the foil, 3 months from now.
Remember, the sooner you thaw and enjoy the cake, the fresher it will taste.
You can use this same freezing method for round or sheet cakes, any size or shape. Bundt cakes and loaf cakes, too! For cheesecake instructions, see “How to Freeze Cheesecake” in my classic cheesecake recipe.
How to Thaw Frozen Cake
To thaw the cakes, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator a day in advance to give them time to thaw. Or you can thaw them at room temperature for several hours.
Either way, leave them in their wrappings to thaw, to prevent condensation from forming and making the cakes soggy.
The amount of time it takes to thaw depends on the size of your cake, but be sure to allow at least 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator.
Once they’ve thawed, you can simply unwrap the layers and proceed with your cake recipe‘s directions for frosting, assembling, and decorating.
For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes.
You can freeze just about any cake after they’ve cooled completely. Mega-flavorful cakes such as banana cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and pumpkin cake freeze and thaw beautifully when wrapped in a couple layers, as detailed above. I find their flavor is even better after the freezing/thawing process! Bundt cakes and pound cake freeze wonderfully as well, just make sure they’re completely cooled and wrapped tightly before freezing.
Delicate cakes like angel food cake, vertical cake, and pavlova don’t hold up well in the freezer because their texture tends to suffer. It’s best to enjoy these fresh.
The amount of time it takes to thaw depends on the size of your cake, but be sure to allow at least 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Or you can thaw cake at room temperature for several hours.
How about cookies? See my post on How to Freeze Cookie Dough for more. Because you should ALWAYS have chocolate chip cookies at the ready 🙂
Print
How to Freeze Cakes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use this video tutorial and step-by-step guide to freeze your cakes so they taste as fresh as possible.
Ingredients
- baked & cooled cake(s)
- Press & Seal wrap or plastic wrap
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- Bake and completely cool a cake/cake layers. These step-by-step photos show round cakes, but you can freeze square, rectangle, Bundt cakes, etc. See my 10 best Cake Baking Tips for best practices on baking and cooling cakes.
- Once the cake(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. This is the best product for wrapping cakes. Thin plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. Regular plastic wrap definitely works, but Press & Seal is so much easier to use and I’ve honestly found that it keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this brand, just really love it.)
- Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in case the ink seeps through. It has before!
- Wrap the cake in the aluminum foil.
- Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don’t have a big enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. (Make sure the foil with the date on it is what’s on the outside.)
- Freeze for up to 3 months. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes.
- When ready to thaw: Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator one day before decorating/serving. Take them out of the freezer container to thaw, but leave them wrapped in Press & Seal/aluminum foil. The cakes take at least 8 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Make sure you’re thawing the cakes while they’re still in the wrapping. Condensation forms as foods thaw. This way the condensation will form on the wrapping, not the cake.
- Assemble, decorate, and serve cake.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Press & Seal | Aluminum Foil | Freezer-Safe Container
- Don’t Freeze Decorated Cake: For best taste and texture, assemble and decorate the cake as close to serving as possible. A completely decorated cake will contract and expand during the freezing/thawing process, ruining some of your hard work. You can make the frosting ahead of time and refrigerate it for 1 day, but fresh frosting really does taste best.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello! I’m getting married next year and I would love to make your wedding cake that’s on this site.
I’d be needing to freeze it so I’m not running around like a headless chicken when I should be relaxing before my wedding
I would like to make it a semi-naked cake. On your page for the wedding cake, it mentions that each of the crumb coated/semi-naked layer cakes can be frozen as entire cakes to be defrosted and decorated before needed.
My question is that if I want the cake to be semi-naked, I’d it okay to just freeze the whole cakes and then defrost them and layer them up? Or is the defrosting of the cakes that are crumb coated only okay if there is going to be additional frosting added on top of the crumb coating?
So could I make each cake, crumb coat it and freeze it, for it to be defrosted and eaten as it is without adding anything else to them (barring flowers etc) or should I be making the individual layers within a cake and then do the crumb coating before my wedding?
I hope this makes sense! I’m just worried that if I just defrost and eat the crumb coated layer without adding additional frosting, it will be dry.
Thank you so much in advance from a very worried bride
Hi Jade, Our preference would be to freeze the individual cake layers as described in this post, and then frost them the day before serving (icing just tastes a little bit better fresh and you don’t have to worry about the frosting getting messed up if it gets bumped around in the freezer). However with the stress of a wedding you can certainly freeze the crumb coated cakes and then defrost and stack them for a naked/semi naked cake without adding more frosting. Congrats on your upcoming wedding!
Hi there! Have you ever tried freezing a red velvet cake or a hummingbird cake? Hummingbird bird cake has bananas and crushed pineapple in it so I wasn’t sure how it would taste after being frozen? Also, have you ever made pies ahead of time and frozen them?
Hi Marla, we’ve never had issues freezing our red velvet or hummingbird cakes – we always include freezing and/or make-ahead instructions in the notes of our recipes. For pies, it really depends on the pie. You can browse our pie recipes and see the recipe notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
I appreciate your helpful tips! I’m making your strawberry cake for my daughter’s first birthday on Sunday. I’ve already baked and frozen the layers. Would it be ok to assemble and frost the cake late Saturday night, if the party is around lunch on Sunday? Would the cake frosting be noticeably less fresh? I have a lot of other things to handle the morning of the party and worry I won’t have enough time as the recipe calls for (i.e., time to make the frosting, frost the cake, then let chill 45 min). Thank you!
Hi Sarah! After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with
Thank you for the awesome directions and tips on how to freeze cake layers. My husband’s birthday is right at Thanksgiving and with all the other cooking and baking, I really needed to get a head start on his birthday cake. He asked for a chocolate peppermint cake this year and I always bake my cakes from scratch so this is really going to be helpful.
Can I freeze it with a crumb coat and ice after defrosting?
Hi Sarah! We find the above method is the best for guaranteeing fresh cakes. A crumb coat will help keep some of the cake’s moisture in, but it may still dry out. You can try wrapping your crumb coated cake with Saran Wrap to keep it from drying out in the freezer.
thank you for such an informative page on thawing cakes, amazing.
I have frozen a sponge for shaping into a camera (I think I am attempting toooo much). I understood that I can thaw in fridge for a few hours to carve the shape and that I can refreeze again/, is this correct? I so, can I then defrost fully to crumbs and fondant cover at a later date?
Hi Pauline, for best taste and texture, I wouldn’t refreeze it. I would thaw the cake, shape it how you need it shaped, and then keep in the refrigerator until ready to decorate. Sorry if I’m misunderstanding the question!
Great information. I too freeze my cakes for up to 2 months and no taste difference at all. I double wrap in plastic wrap (from Sam’s) then once cake is thoroughly frozen I stack them in a large thick plastic trash bag (unscented of course). This works wonderfully as well for extra layer of freshness. I bake several up at one time and this makes it simple to take out and frost!
Hi, how long does a defrosted cake last. I want it for Sunday and made and froze on Tuesday but i am busy Saturday so can’t frost then so want to thaw tonight (thursday night) and decorate tomorrow evening. will it still be okay? Thank you!
Hi Sim, it really depends on the recipe. Once a cake is thawed, we recommend enjoying it within the time stated in the specific recipe. If the cake is thawed overnight tonight, it should still be okay to enjoy on Sunday but may lose a bit of freshness.
Would this method also work for freezing pies?
Hi Margaret! In general, yes, but it’s best to defer to the freezing instructions for a specific pie recipe. We include these in the recipe Notes for all of our pie recipes!
Hey. I’ve baked a cake tonight. Wrapped it and will freeze it. I am travelling with it on Friday for it to be eaten Saturday. Will it be ok to defrost Wednesday to decorate Thursday or should I hold off to Thursday and decorate quickly on Friday morning?
Thanks
Hi Natasha! We would defrost and decorate as close to serving as possible. So the second option would be better – hope it’s a hit!
Hi! Was just wondering what your thoughts are on freezing an iced cake/cupcakes? How long can those be frozen for?
Hi Shauna, Cupcakes are easier to freeze as they don’t dry out as quickly. Bake and cool cupcakes completely, then place in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Once they are relatively frozen, you can remove them and then layer them between sheets of parchment paper if your container is large enough. You can individually wrap them too, if desired. We usually don’t.
Excellent video, just what I was looking for!! Thank you!!
Recommendations for freezing quarter sheet and sheet cakes? Do you need to turn them out of the pan, or can you just press and seal over the whole pan and wrap the pan in foil?
Hi Kassandra, if you’re able to easily turn the cake out and wrap the entire layer, that would be best. If not, be sure to wrap the top of the cake as close to the actual cake as you can, so that moisture doesn’t form between the cake and the wrapping.
If icing the cake do you ice it frozen or thawed?
Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, we typically wait until the layers have thawed, although you certainly can decorate the frozen layers (some bakers swear by it). You may find the buttercream/frosting hardens when it sits on the cold cake – so try to decorate quickly if you can.
Any recommendations for freezing cupcakes? Wrap each one individually with Press and Seal? Thank you for all of the freezing tips!
Hi Amy! Cupcakes are easier to freeze as they don’t dry out as quickly. Bake and cool cupcakes completely, then place in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Once they are relatively frozen, you can remove them and then layer them between sheets of parchment paper if your container is large enough. You can individually wrap them too, if desired. We usually don’t.
Awesome article! Quick question…how long would you recommend to defrost the layers prior to icing? If they are still a bit frozen and assembled will moisture between the cake and icing be an issue? Thanks!!!
Hi Melissa! See step 8 above, you want them completely thawed.
Where can I find round Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers for 9 inch cakes so I can freeze them.
I’m having no luck. I don’t know who sells them .
I need to freeze 8 9 inch cakes for my sons wedding.
Hi Sharon! A quick search on Amazon should do the trick – happy baking 🙂
So for cakes that need a syrup applied should the syrup be put first then wrap and freeze?
Hi Laurie, we recommend adding the simple syrup after the frozen layers have thawed.
If you will be cutting off the tops of the cake layers for a flat surface when putting it together, would you do that before or after freezing?
Either way works!
Hi! I have (lots!) of leftover birthday cake from my daughter’s birthday dinner tonight. Since it’s already frosted, how do you recommend wrapping it to freeze? I’d like to wrap & freeze 2 pieces per “packet”. Thank you!!
Hi Lisa, To freeze slices of cake, we recommend wrapping each slice tightly in plastic wrap and placing each wrapped slice into a freezer safe storage container. Thaw to your liking prior to serving
Hi! Does freezing the cakes dry them out at all for when they’re ready to eat?
Hi Celeste, when properly wrapped/stored, the cakes will not dry out once thawed.
There are answers to ever question except whether the press & seal sticky part should be directly on the cake?
Hi Allison! The press & seal wrap goes sticky side down (on the cake) so it can seal – but it doesn’t stick to the cake so much, just to itself so you can seal the cakes up!
Thank you for this! Wondering how you would crumb coat a frozen cut cake? I had to cut around the edges to shape it (so doesn’t have the crust anymore), will need it to be firm to crumb coat. Do I let it thaw for a little bit and then unwrap and coat? Then do I put in the fridge to firm the crumb coat before final layer of icing?
Hi Jay, you certainly can decorate the frozen layers (some bakers swear by it), but you may find the buttercream/frosting hardens when it sits on the cold cake – so try to decorate quickly if you can. Then yes, we’d recommend putting the crumb coated cake in the fridge to make sure it locks in all the crumbs before adding the final layer of frosting.
This is helpful! Just wondering if it’s worth doing for 4 days. Kids party on Sunday but working most days and can’t get the cakes done day before. If I made tomorrow (Tuesday) and froze for defrosting Saturday is it worth it? Cause they’d be dry by Sunday anyway
Hi Charlotte! Yes, we would freeze and defrost for that amount of time.
Hi, I had a question. After the cake is baked and cooled, should it then be cut into layers? Or should it be cut into layers after freezing?
Hi Persis! We always bake cake layers individually so there’s no need to cut them. If you bake thicker cakes, you should be able to cut the layers either before or after freezing, though we haven’t tested it.
Do you wrap the press n seal with the sticky side against the cake or on the outside?
Hey! I’m so glad I came across this page but I’m a bit confused. I want to shape a cake, which I know means I don’t want it to thaw all the way before decorating after I’ve frozen the individual layers. Any tips for this? I’m worried if I thaw it for 8 hours the cake will crumble as I try to shape it. Thank you!
Hi Jessica, you can simply try cutting down on the amount of time that the layers are defrosting. After a few hours in the fridge, check the layers to see that they’re slightly defrosted and then you can unwrap and start to shape them. Hope this helps!
Are cakes that include fresh whole fruits baked into them (for example, blackberries) safe to freeze and thaw like this? I know fruits can lose their texture when frozen but not sure if that’s still a risk if they’re baked
Hi Isabel! We haven’t had issued freezing and thawing cakes with fruit in them like our lemon blueberry cake.
Is the sticky part of the PressNSeal safe to use directly on food, I often feel that I should use cellophane (plastic wrap) first, then follow with the PressNSeal, and lastly the aluminum foil .
This may be a silly question: When wrapping and freezing a lemon Bundt cake do I wrap the cake around the outside only or do I wrap the inner space as well?
Hi Joanna, not a silly question! You can really do it either way. Just make sure it’s completely and tightly covered.
I’m sorry I have another question: If I’m baking a Bundt cake on Wednesday for an event Saturday morning should I freeze it until Friday night?
If you scroll down after the recipe to the Notes section, you’ll see Make Ahead Instructions there, and we include information on how to store the cake and for how long. If it says the cake keeps well at room temp or in the fridge for 3+ days, you should be fine. But if you’re worried, you could always freeze it as soon as it’s fully cooled and then thaw overnight on Friday.