My staff and I’ve frozen our fair proportion of muffins and have made sufficient errors to know what actually works. Let’s study how you can freeze muffins in order that they style the freshest and that you simply’re the one one who is aware of the cake was beforehand frozen!
I initially revealed this tutorial in 2019 and have since added new pictures, a video tutorial, and extra success suggestions.
Making muffins prematurely and freezing them is an effective way to get forward and have much less to do on the day of a celebration or celebration. At the moment I’m sharing my tried and true methodology for freezing muffins.
I’ve tried many methods over time, and the way in which I’m exhibiting you as we speak is the easiest way to make sure the cake tastes recent and scrumptious after freezing and thawing. Earlier than we get into the nitty-gritty, let me let you know…
My #1 Tip for Freezing Desserts
My number-one tip for the best-tasting outcomes is to freeze the cake layers earlier than frosting, and make the frosting recent the day you intend to assemble and serve the cake.
You can freeze a cake with frosting, however the texture is simply by no means fairly the identical after thawing. Plus, a very embellished cake will contract and broaden in the course of the freezing/thawing course of, ruining a few of your onerous work. That’s why I like to recommend freezing the cake by itself, after which making frosting (recent frosting actually does style greatest!) and assembling the cake after it’s been thawed.
That mentioned, it’s advantageous to freeze leftover frosted cake. It’s simply left over and doesn’t must impress anybody! And clearly, ice cream cake is an exception to this rule as effectively.
The best way to Freeze Desserts
First, right here’s a full video tutorial so you’ll be able to perceive the tactic:
The cake pictured right here is my vanilla cake, however you too can freeze one thing with add-ins, equivalent to carrot cake, or this darkish chocolate peanut butter cake (which has chocolate chips within the cake batter).
STEP 1: Bake and funky your cake(s). It’s necessary to ensure the muffins are fully cool earlier than you wrap them to freeze. In any other case, the steam from the cooling cake will condense on the within of the wrapping, leaving you with a really soggy cake after thawing. Let’s keep away from that!
For those who’re making a layer cake and the layers require leveling, degree them off now earlier than you freeze them. (Study extra about how you can degree muffins on this tutorial on The best way to Assemble a Layer Cake.)
STEP 2: Wrap every cake layer individually in a layer of plastic wrap. I like to make use of Glad Press & Seal to wrap muffins for freezing. I’m not working with this model, however that is actually the most effective product I’ve tried for wrapping muffins.
STEP 3: Write the kind of cake and use-by date on a big piece of aluminum foil. For greatest style and texture, don’t freeze muffins for longer than 3 months. You would stretch it to 4 or 5 months, however the sooner you serve it, the brisker it tastes. I write on the aluminum foil earlier than wrapping the cake simply in case the ink seeps by means of. (It has earlier than!)
STEP 4: Wrap every cake layer in a layer of aluminum foil.
The double layer of wrapping is essential to preserving taste and texture.
The primary layer retains the cake tight and recent and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation will seep in. That is additionally how I wrap banana bread and different fast breads, too. Double layer = most freshness and no freezer burn.
You’ll be able to place your labeled, double-wrapped muffins within the freezer now, however for even extra safety, place them inside an hermetic freezer-safe container.
STEP 5: Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or in case you don’t have a sufficiently big container, wrap in one other layer of aluminum foil. In fact be sure that the foil with the date on it’s what’s on the surface.
Be at liberty to stack the individually wrapped cake layers on high of each other if that works greatest in your freezer house:
STEP 6: Freeze for as much as 3 months. Once more, I like to recommend writing the “use by” date on high of the foil, 3 months from now.
Keep in mind, the earlier you thaw and benefit from the cake, the brisker it’ll style.
You need to use this identical freezing methodology for spherical or sheet muffins, any dimension or form. Bundt muffins and loaf muffins, too! For cheesecake directions, see “The best way to Freeze Cheesecake” in my basic cheesecake recipe.
The best way to Thaw Frozen Cake
To thaw the muffins, switch them from the freezer to the fridge a day prematurely to provide them time to thaw. Or you’ll be able to thaw them at room temperature for a number of hours.
Both manner, go away them of their wrappings to thaw, to stop condensation from forming and making the muffins soggy.
The period of time it takes to thaw depends upon the dimensions of your cake, however make sure you enable a minimum of 8 hours to thaw within the fridge.
As soon as they’ve thawed, you’ll be able to merely unwrap the layers and proceed together with your cake recipe‘s instructions for frosting, assembling, and adorning.
For greatest style and texture, don’t freeze muffins for longer than 3 months. You would stretch it to 4 or 5 months, however the sooner you serve it, the brisker it tastes.
You’ll be able to freeze nearly any cake after they’ve cooled fully. Mega-flavorful muffins equivalent to banana cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and pumpkin cake freeze and thaw superbly when wrapped in a pair layers, as detailed above. I discover their taste is even higher after the freezing/thawing course of! Bundt muffins and pound cake freeze splendidly as effectively, simply be sure that they’re fully cooled and wrapped tightly earlier than freezing.
Delicate muffins like angel meals cake, vertical cake, and pavlova don’t maintain up effectively within the freezer as a result of their texture tends to undergo. It’s greatest to take pleasure in these recent.
The period of time it takes to thaw depends upon the dimensions of your cake, however make sure you enable a minimum of 8 hours to thaw within the fridge. Or you’ll be able to thaw cake at room temperature for a number of hours.
How about cookies? See my put up on The best way to Freeze Cookie Dough for extra. Since you ought to ALWAYS have chocolate chip cookies on the prepared 🙂
Description
Use this video tutorial and step-by-step information to freeze your muffins in order that they style as recent as potential.
- Bake and fully cool a cake/cake layers. These step-by-step pictures present spherical muffins, however you’ll be able to freeze sq., rectangle, Bundt muffins, and so on. See my 10 greatest Cake Baking Suggestions for greatest practices on baking and cooling muffins.
- As soon as the cake(s) cools fully, wrap it in Press & Seal. That is the most effective product for wrapping muffins. Skinny plastic/saran wrap is extremely clingy and irritating. Common plastic wrap undoubtedly works, however Press & Seal is a lot simpler to make use of and I’ve truthfully discovered that it retains my meals brisker. (Not working with this model, simply actually like it.)
- Write the kind of cake and use-by date on a big piece of aluminum foil. I write on the aluminum foil earlier than wrapping the cake simply in case the ink seeps by means of. It has earlier than!
- Wrap the cake within the aluminum foil.
- Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or in case you don’t have a sufficiently big container, wrap in one other layer of aluminum foil. (Be certain the foil with the date on it’s what’s on the surface.)
- Freeze for as much as 3 months. For greatest style and texture, don’t freeze muffins for longer than 3 months. You would stretch it to 4 or 5 months, however the sooner you serve it, the brisker it tastes.
- When able to thaw: Switch the wrapped muffins from the freezer to the fridge in the future earlier than adorning/serving. Take them out of the freezer container to thaw, however go away them wrapped in Press & Seal/aluminum foil. The muffins take a minimum of 8 hours to thaw fully within the fridge. Be sure to’re thawing the muffins whereas they’re nonetheless within the wrapping. Condensation kinds as meals thaw. This manner the condensation will type on the wrapping, not the cake.
- Assemble, embellish, and serve cake.
Notes
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Press & Seal | Aluminum Foil | Freezer-Protected Container
- Don’t Freeze Adorned Cake: For greatest style and texture, assemble and embellish the cake as near serving as potential. A very embellished cake will contract and broaden in the course of the freezing/thawing course of, ruining a few of your onerous work. You may make the frosting forward of time and refrigerate it for 1 day, however recent frosting actually does style greatest.