Many people enjoy the tradition of keeping the top tier to be used for either their first anniversary, or their first child’s christening.
If you want to avoid disappointment of finding out the cake has spoiled as you take your first bite, then you will need to know how to store it properly.
Fortunately, it is not as difficult as you might think. However, ensuring that you wrap it in enough layers will avoid the cake from becoming freezer burned, or having a ‘freezer-like taste’.
So, before you get married, you may want to take a look at this article first. What are you waiting for?
Let’s go!
Is it Okay To Freeze The Top Tier Of A Wedding Cake?
It is absolutely fine to freeze a wedding cake. So long as you take the necessary steps to do so, you can put a wedding cake into the freezer to help preserve it.
This does not mean just putting a tier or two into the freezer and that is that.
You will need to prepare the cake ready to be in the colder conditions without it suffering from freezer burn or going very dry.
Both sponge and fruitcake type cakes can be frozen, with the latter being able to be in the freezer for a much longer period of time.
However, if you are planning ahead and would like the top tier of the cake frozen, make sure to keep it whole. You will want to avoid having this tier cut into slices.
How Long Can A Wedding Cake Be Frozen For?
More often than not, sponge cake cannot be frozen for more than 3 months. After this time the cake is likely to become spoiled and dry.
However, do not be deterred. There are many couples who enjoy a year old defrosted sponge cake.
So long as you take the appropriate steps to ensure the cake is ready to be frozen for a long time, you should be able to eat a delicious cake a year later.
If you are only planning to preserve the cake for a month or two, then placing it into an airtight container will do the trick.
If you have a fruitcake-based wedding cake, then it will be able to freeze for a year with no problems at all. You may still want to prepare the cake to ensure that it stays fresh still.
However for both styles of cake, once the 3 month mark has passed, check on the cake often. Over time it can suffer from freezer burn, and you will want to avoid this as much as possible.
How To Freeze Wedding Cake To Preserve It?
If you are wanting to keep the wedding cake fresh, then follow these steps to ensure that it can be eaten in a few months time, and still taste freshly baked:
Step 1
Before you place the wedding cake into the freezer, make sure to remove all of the decorations.
However if the decorations are small and edible, you can keep them on. You may want to remove any edible toppers though because they might be too big.
Step 2
If the cake is already on a foil based bottom, leave as is. If the base is cardboard, then transfer it to a foil base. If plastic is your only option, then this will work fine too.
Unfortunately cardboard is likely to become soggy in a freezer, and this will make the base of your cake soggy too. Removing the cardboard will also avoid the cake tasting like cardboard as well.
Step 3
Put the cake into the freezer upright for around an hour to ensure it fully freezes. This helps the plastic wrap (next step) to not stick on the cake.
Step 4
Once the hour is up, remove the cake out of the freezer. Using plastic wrap, place it around the cake tightly. Add a second later and do the same thing.
Make sure that the plastic wrap is tight up against the cake.
This will make sure that no air can get to the cake and cause freezer burn. You can also add a layer of foil for extra protection if necessary.
Step 5
You can now place the cake into the freezer and not look at it again for at least 3 months.
What Is The Best Way To Defrost A Wedding Cake?
Defrosting the wedding cake is the second most important thing you can do to preserve the cake. Once it thaws, condensation is likely to form which can cause marks on the icing.
To make sure the cake does not go into ‘shock’, once taken out of the freezer move it to the fridge to start the thawing process.
You want it to be slow, so do this in the morning on the day you plan to eat it.
Once it has thawed in the fridge for around two hours, move it into room temperature to thaw even more. After a few hours, it should be ready to eat!
Once fully thawed you can cut it into slices. It should look as fresh as the day it was made. However, there may be a chance it is not as moist or tasty as it once was.
So long as you tightly place plastic wrap around it and follow some other necessary steps, you can ensure that your cake can be preserved to eat at a later date.
However, while every bit of care is taken, you may still find that the cake isn’t as fresh or as tasty as it could be.
