Yum, yum, yum, one of the best parts of any wedding is sampling the wedding cake. It’s fair to say we’ve tasted our fair share of cake over our 15 years in the industry so we regard ourselves somewhat as wedding cake connoisseurs.
But what do you do with your cake after the wedding? Why would you want to preserve it? And Is it even safe to do so? Well, as always we’ve got you covered. We’ll answer those questions and more as we provide you with the best advice on how to freeze wedding cake.
How to Freeze Wedding Cake
So, before you make the cardinal sin of just whacking your wedding cake in the freezer hoping for the best. Listen up! because we’ve got some of the best tips and tricks for preserving that sweet ass dessert long after the day of your ‘I do’s”.
Reasons to Freeze Your Wedding Cake
Whether you freeze your wedding cake or not will come down to your own choices as a couple. Here are some popular reasons why couples do this after their weddings.
The one year anniversary
Yeah, that one year anniversary will be knocking on your door before you know it. One year of wedded bliss. It’s time to celebrate! Woop woop!
It’s long been a tradition to freeze the top layer of your wedding cake so you can dive back in on this momentous date. That taste of your wedding cake will bring the memories of the best day of your life flooding back to you.
Equally, if you’re into your superstitions, doing this is said to bring good fortune and prosperity to your marriage. Whilst we like the sound of that we also like the sound of EATING CAKE!
Upholding tradition
This tradition dates back centuries and has come across the pond from the U.K. If you weren’t having your tasty cake on your anniversary you could eat it at the christening of your first child.
Of course, we understand that this tradition is a little outdated these days but it’s up to you if you want to uphold it. If you’re having a classic white wedding anyway you may as well go all the way and stick to this tradition.
This a memento for people who couldn’t make the wedding
As you’ll no doubt know not everyone you invite will be able to attend your wedding. There may be various reasons why they’ve declined your wedding invitation. However, if you still want them to feel part of your day you could offer them some of your wedding cake. By freezing it you’re ensuring it’s still in great condition for the next time you meet up.
To avoid waste
Simply put, you’ve probably paid a lot of money for your wedding cake. You don’t want to just throw it out, do you?! By freezing it you’re ensuring you can dive back in for a tasty treat anytime you want.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Freeze a Wedding Cake
So how on earth do you freeze wedding cakes? And no, as we’ve already said you don’t just whack it in the freezer. That’s a recipe for disaster (no pun intended).
Instead, we think you need to consider our 7-point process so that you can best enjoy your frozen wedding cake whenever it takes your fancy.
You’ll need the following pieces of kit in order to best freeze your wedding cake. A knife, plastic wrap, large container, labels, or marker pen.
- Remove anything from your cake that is inedible: Things like cake toppers, ribbons, and flowers. For one this will make it easier to wrap up and two we don’t like the idea of your cute cake toppers being cryogenically frozen.
- Timing is key: You want to start the process of freezing your cake as soon as possible to prevent any degradation. You’re likely to be busy the day after your wedding so make sure you’re well prepared with all the tools and accessories you’ll need.
- Divide up your cake: If your venue hasn’t already done this for you we recommend dividing your cake into manageable portion sizes. This will mean you can defrost just one or two at a time when you fancy a little treat. It will also make it easier to freeze and thaw than putting the whole top layer of cake in the freezer.
- Refrigerate overnight: Place your pre-cut pieces of wedding cake in the refrigerator overnight. This will help it to fully set before its trip to the freezer. If your cake is coated in icing this process will help it to harden. You should also clear out smelly refrigerator food. That curry you had last night. Get it out of the refrigerator. Unless you want your wedding cake tasting of curry. No thanks!
- Plastic wrap: Now it’s time to wrap your cake up. This should be relatively easy if you’ve followed our steps as the refrigeration process will prevent the cake from sticking too much to the plastic wrap. Make sure it’s tight and has no air bubbles as you don’t want it drying out. DO NOT JUST USE ALUMINUM FOIL you’ve been warned. This will encourage freezer burn and will ruin your cake.
- Tupperware is king: We love some Tupperware products. Once your cake pieces are all wrapped up it’s time to place them in a Tupperware box. You want to choose a size that won’t dominate your freezer. The box size can even be scaled down as you consume your cake.
- Label it: Finally, we suggest adding a label or marker pen to the lid “WEDDING CAKE TO BE CONSUMED ON XX.XX.XXXX”. This will just help you to remember it’s in there and prevent you from throwing it out.
The Best Way to Defrost Your Wedding Cake:
Now you know all about the best techniques on how to freeze wedding cake you’ll also need to know what to do when you fancy a bite.
Here are the 4 steps we recommend taking when it’s time to thaw out a piece. Trust us we’ve tried this and it works every time.
- Thawing and the 24 to 48 hr rule: Remove your cake from the freezer and allow it to thaw out in the refrigerator. This process usually takes between 24-48 hours and will depend on the portion sizes you previously cut. The bigger your pieces the longer they’ll take to defrost. It’s best to thaw it slowly so the refrigerator is the perfect place.
- Remove the plastic wrap: Carefully unwrap your cake pieces from their cocoon. Be careful not to damage it and try to preserve its shape. They say you eat with your eyes first so make sure it looks nice and presentable.
- Bring up to room temperature: You’re getting close. No one in their right mind wants to each cold cake, do they?! Bring your cake up to room temperature by placing it in a Tupperware to prevent contamination. Placing it on your kitchen countertop for a few hours should be good enough
- Enjoy it!: Finally! The moment has arrived one year after that amazing day you can relive it all over again!
What Are the Best Cake Types to Freeze?
If you’ve ever had frozen cake before you probably already know that certain ones adapt better to being frozen than others. Some may not freeze well at all, others may hold up for a few months whilst others can last well over a year.
So what are the best cake types for freezing? Here are some that we recommend.
- Chocolate cake (Our personal favorite)
- Carrot cake
- Pound cake
- Pumpkin cake
- Cheesecake (without toppings)
- Fruit cake
- Sponge cake
- Banana cake
Sally’s Baking Recipes [1] says that some of these cake flavors can taste even better after the freeze-thaw process. We’ll definitely be testing this theory at the Story Amour HQ. For research purposes of course!
What cakes don’t like to be frozen?
Okay guys that’s all well and good telling us what cakes are good for freezing but what about those that aren’t? As always we’ve got you covered. If you’ve chosen any of the types of cake on this next list it might be best to skip the freezing process altogether.
Try to consume them whilst they’re still fresh or refrigerate them for a day or two. After this period it might become obvious that the ingredients have gone stale so don’t eat them. Using your nose will give you a good indication of their condition.
Anyway, here are some cakes that don’t freeze too well.
- Cakes with cream or custard (sorry)
- Fresh fruit cakes such as ones topped with strawberries
- Cakes with intricate detailing
It’s not so much that freezing these cake types will cause you any harm. It’s more that they won’t be ideal to look at and taste.
Fresh fruit such as strawberries for instance can go soggy once frozen and thawed. At the same time what was once a gorgeous cake to look at could now look less than appealing to the eye.
Alternatives to freezing your wedding cake
What can you do then if you’ve chosen a wedding cake that isn’t suitable for freezing? First things first do not panic! There are lots of options at your disposal.
Order a replica
This can be a popular option regardless of whether or not you can freeze your wedding cake.
Speak with the baker of your original wedding cake and ask them to make you a replica. You can do this at the time of booking them for your wedding cake. That way they can have it ready for the perfect 1 year wedding anniversary treat.
Heck, you could do this every year if you want! By doing things this way you’ll ensure you’re getting a freshly made cake. You’ll also prevent any degradation of the look and taste that you thoroughly enjoyed on your big day.
Miniature cake
Rather than ordering a massive wedding cake so that there is lots leftover simply request a smaller one. This should prevent the need to freeze your wedding cake. You can then get a miniature version of the same cake from your baker on your anniversary.
Different dessert
If you want to break with tradition you can always choose something a little different. For instance, we see a lot of quirky couples having a tower of cheese (no not cheesecake) but different flavored layers of cheese.
We also see couples who choose pies, donuts are a particular favorite of ours. With these options, there’s once again no need to freeze anything.
Equally, let’s say you have individual donuts for each guest, it’ll be a lot easier to provide them all with a tasty snack rather than estimate how many pieces of cake you need to cut.
Donate it
Still not keen on freezing your wedding cake? Well, you could always donate it to a local food bank or homeless shelter. This way your cake isn’t going to waste and you’re doing a good deed for charity. It’s so much better than simply throwing it in the trash.
Pig out
Of course, there is one final option…eat as much cake as your stomach will manage before it goes off. We’re fans of this one!
Story Amour’s top tip
If you’re having a destination wedding, freezing your wedding cake might not be an option. It would require a lot of effort not to mention a portable freezer to take on the flight!
Our advice is to purchase your cake at the destination of your wedding. Say for instance you’re getting married in the Philippines you could do some research to find out the costs involved.
Related Reading: How Much Do Wedding Cakes in the Philippines cost?
Additionally, you could ask the baker for their recipe or list of ingredients. Doing so will help your local baker back home to recreate it on your anniversary.
FAQ about freezing wedding cake
How do you freeze a cake and keep it moist?
This is the number one concern of most people looking at how to freeze wedding cake. Simply put if you follow the instructions in our step by step guide it shouldn’t happen.
Ultimately you want to prevent your cake from being exposed to air.
Make sure there are no air bubbles in your plastic wrap and then make sure your Tupperware is locked tight. For extra safety, you could even wrap your Tupperware in plastic wrap.
These methods should prevent your cake from suffering the dreaded freezer burn and your cake should remain as moist as it was on your wedding day.
Do professional bakers freeze cakes?
Yes. Professionals use the same techniques we’ve discussed in this article. They do this so that they can prepare your wedding cake well in advance of your big day and then simply apply the finishing touches.
By doing so it also makes the layers of cake easier to handle. It’s also particularly useful if they’re designing a cake for you with numerous layers.
Is it better to freeze or refrigerate a cake?
Whether you freeze or refrigerate your cake all comes down to how long you want to preserve it.
Freezing gives you a lot longer and prevents the cake from drying out. An exposed cake in the freezer will quickly become dry and that isn’t something we want to eat in a hurry.
How long will the wedding cake last in the freezer?
As a rule of thumb wedding cake should last around a year in the freezer. This is ideal as you can break it out on your anniversary.
However, as we’ve already touched on, some ingredients cope better with being frozen than others. If you’re in any doubt we suggest asking your baker who will likely have years of experience to draw upon.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ll now know how to freeze your wedding cake. And if not maybe you weren’t paying enough attention (only joking)
By following our step by step guide you should ensure that your wedding cake tastes as good as it did on your wedding night.
Before you even attempt to freeze your cake make sure that it has ingredients that cope with this method of preservation.
At the same time, it’s always a good idea to speak with your baker. Ask them for their opinion on whether it will freeze well. If not you could always request them to whip you one up on your anniversary.
That last method isn’t as authentic in our opinion as freezing it but is still a cracking way to celebrate a year of happy marriage.
