Freezing cake

[Autumnlily14]

Hi all,
I'm looking to freeze a cake for Christmas. I know how to freeze and defrost it safely but I'm a bit unsure about how long it lasts once it's out of the freezer? There will be children eating it too so I'm very conscious about making sure it's only put for as long as is safe.
Thank you in advance.

I would assume a similar time as unfrozen cake, assuming you put it in the freezer almost as soon as it was baked and cooled. I have frozen cakes before, but how long it lasts after defrosting hasn't really been an issue, as it's not lasted long enough to be a consideration.

If you think it will be a problem, I'd probably do a loaf cake, cut into slices before freezing, and then only take out as many slices as I wanted at a time to defrost.

What sort of cake and filling/covering? Mostly with sponge and buttercream cakes for example the cake is well stale before the buttercream would go off. Now if you have fresh cream/fruit in it that's another story.

@EBearhug I plan on frosting it afterwards so unfortunately can't cut into slices though that would have been great thanks.

@marylou25 so it will just be a plain chocolate sponges as I'm decorating the top afterwards.

Do either of you know how long a simple sugar syrup lasts on a cake as well at all?

Most chocolate cakes in general last well, there is a huge variation in recipes and a standard victoria sponge type with just some cocoa subbed in for flour will stale quicker than some of the other ones with a more batter like consistency made with buttermilk etc.

As for the sugar syrup I can't help, I have never put it on a cake, I'm of the opinion that if you have to put sugary water on your cake you have the wrong recipe!

That said it's sugar and water so how could it go off either.

It should just keep like normal cake after it’s defrosted.

It will go dry/stale before it goes mouldy or “off”.

I don’t think I’ve ever had the problem of cake being around for so long it went bad!

Thank you both. I'm only concerned because I'm hoping it will last around 4/5 days. I don't have to add syrup to my cake, though it is dairy free as both of my dc are allergic. I more just wanted to try something different than cake and buttercream (using dairy free spread obv)

I think it would go a bit stale after 4-5 days.

Can’t you just take it out the day (or night before) you’re going to use it?

You can ice it still frozen - might even be easier. And cake doesn’t take long to defrost.

@DuploTrain thanks for your reply. It doesn't matter too much of it doesn't last that long I can always cut the cake in half and only defrost half. The only reason I want it out before hand is everything I've googles says it takes a day wrapped in the fridge to defrost and I want to do some intricate piping on top to make it look Christmassy so thinking to defrost Saturday 23rd, decorate 24th and eat 25th and 26th.

That's absolute rubbish anyway about it taking a day in fridge to defrost, it's not a high risk food and I wouldn't even put it in the fridge, I defrost on counter and a cake layer only takes about an hour or so in a warm kitchen to defrost. I would fill and start to decorate straight out of freezer as it's easier to deal with firm sponges, if you are not quick with your buttercream then maybe let it thaw fully after filling before covering only because a cold cake makes the buttercream firm up quickly so you can't be slow doing it.

A sponge cake made with butter, frozen on day of baking then taken out and iced with buttercream icing or plain glace icing or even chocolate fudge icing will 'last' well over a week. I say 'last' because invariably it's eaten within a couple of days. I do this lots! I presume the same with royal icing.

If you start to decorate while still frozen, it's often easier because in a warm kitchen the frozen cake holds the icing better. SO take it out either day and crack on and decorate.

Thank you both for replying. To be fair I wouldn't know this will be my first time ever freezing a cake. The only reason I'm taking it out the day before Christmas Eve is because I won't get chance to do it that day. I am a newby at icing so plan on taking my time so is it best waiting for it to be fully defrosted?

Are you baking it in layers? If not and baking one cake and splitting then split before freezing so that you can fill it easily straight out of freezer. When you have filled between the layers then you can let it thaw a bit before putting on the outer coat of buttercream in case you find the cold cake firming up the buttercream too quickly for you to smooth.

@marylou25 thank you for the advice I think that's how I will do it.