Let’s Chat … How to Freeze your Bakes

I get asked so often if you are able to freeze certain bakes. So I have decided to write this post, detailing the best way to freeze all of your bakes.

This blog post does contain affiliate links and some products were gifted to me for this post.

Cakes

Unfrosted Cakes

This is by far the most popular question I get asked, is if you can freeze cake and the short answer is yes. Yes, you can freeze cakes, you can freeze both freshly baked cakes and final decorated cakes.

Once you have baked your cakes leave them to cool in the tins for 15-20 minutes and then transfer them onto a wire cooling rack until they are completely cool.

Now that the cakes are completely cool, we can think about freezing them. I personally wrap the cakes in cling film twice to ensure they are completely sealed. After this I then pop them into the freezer. If you have any stickers, I will pop the flavour of the cake on it as well as the date you baked it too.

You can keep cakes in the freezer for up to two months. When you are ready to eat/decorate the cakes put the cake in the fridge overnight to thaw. Once the cakes are completely thawed you can eat/decorate them!

Decorated Cakes

If you make and decorate a cake then realise you have made it for the wrong week or you are just trying to be organised, you can also freeze these. There are certain decorations that freeze better than others, for example, I wouldn’t recommend freezing meringue-based frostings. However, buttercream or cream cheese frostings freeze perfectly.

Now, the only difference between freezing a decorated cake and an undecorated cake is I would pop the cake into the freezer without wrapping it for around half an hour to 45 minutes, until the buttercream has frozen.

I would then remove the cake from the freezer and double wrap it using cling film and pop it back into the freezer. Again, a frosted cake will last around 2 months in the freezer.

The best time to freeze a decorated cake is as soon as possible after decorating this way it will remain super fresh when you defrost it.

To defrost the cake, pop it into the fridge or leave it on the kitchen counter overnight.

Cupcakes

Unfrosted Cupcakes

So, I already have covered a little bit about freezing cupcakes in my post The Ultimate Guide to Making the Perfect Cupcakes, so I will just cover this one quickly here. Freezing cupcakes is similar to freezing cakes.

Once you have baked your cupcakes and cooled them wrap them in cling film or a plastic wrap twice. This just ensures that they are completely sealed.

Now, place the cupcakes into an airtight container. This just ensures that they don’t get squashed when they are in the freezer. All that’s left to do now is pop them into the freezer.

These will be good to freeze for around three months. When it is time to defrost them remove them from the freezer, take them out of the airtight container and remove the plastic wrap from them.

Leave them to defrost on the counter or in the fridge. Cupcakes defrost a lot quicker than cakes, of course, they are a lot smaller. So, it should only take a couple of hours for them to defrost fully.

Frosted Cupcakes

If you have decorated the cupcakes and want to freeze them that is 100% doable too. Just as with a cake once you have frosted the cupcakes pop them onto a tray and into the freezer for around half an hour to 45 minutes. This just gives the buttercream a chance to freeze so we don’t smush it when we wrap it in plastic wrap.

Once the frosting has frozen take the cakes out of the freezer and double wrap it in plastic wrap. Pop them into an airtight container and put them back into the freezer. The container just ensures that they don’t get squashed or ruined in the freezer.

These will be good to freeze for up to three months. When you are ready to eat the cupcakes remove them from the freezer and take them out of the airtight container and plastic wrap. Then leave them to defrost either in the fridge or on the counter. This should take around 1-2 hours.

Once you have defrosted the cupcakes, they are best eaten the same day, but they should last 3-4 days if you store them in an airtight container.

No-Bake Cheesecakes

Cheesecakes are another delicious bake that can be frozen. I have a few no-bake cheesecake recipes on my blog like my No Bake Summer Berry Cheesecake all of them would be suitable for freezing.

I wouldn’t recommend making the cheesecake and then popping it into the freezer to set. It can change the consistency of the cheesecake. I know leaving the cheesecake overnight to set is a pain, because let’s face it, when we bake something, we just want to eat it straightaway.

To freeze the cheesecake, I would recommend following all the steps and leaving the cheesecake to set overnight or for the time stated in the recipe. Once the cheesecake has set wrap it in plastic wrap twice to ensure that it is completely covered and pop it int o the freezer. You could also freeze any leftovers in the same way.

The cheesecake will stay good for up to three months after freezing. To defrost remove it from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Put the cheesecake into the fridge and leave to defrost for around 2-4 hours.

Brownies/Blondies

Freezing Individual Brownies/Blondies

If you have made some brownies or blondies either too early for an event or for yourself but you don’t want to eat 12 in the one go then they can be frozen.

The best way to do this is to wrap the individual brownies/blondies twice in plastic wrap. I literally wrap everything twice before freezing as it just ensures that it is tightly and properly sealed. Pop the brownies into a plastic container and put them into the freezer.

Once you are ready to eat them remove them from the freezer and leave them on the counter or in the fridge for around an hour.

Freezing the entire cake tin of brownies/blondies

This is probably the best way to freeze brownies/blondies, just don’t cut them into individual slices before you freeze them. If you have cut them follow the instructions above.

Once you have baked your brownies/blondies leave them to cool completely in the tin. Wrap the whole sheet of brownies/blondies twice with plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer.

These will stay good for up to 3 months. When you are ready to defrost the brownies/blondies unwrap them and leave them either on the counter or in the fridge for 2-4 hours until they are completely defrosted.

Millionaire Shortbread

Millionaire Shortbread is quick becoming one of my absolute favourite treats. You can check out my Millionaire Blondies here or my M&M Millionaire Shortbread here.

To freeze Millionaire Shortbread leave it to cool/set fully before you try and freeze it. Your chocolate topping and caramel must be completely set, and your shortbread biscuit base has to be completely cool.

Once it is completely set/cooled wrap the Millionaire Shortbread twice in cling film. You can either do this once you have cut the shortbread into individual slices or before you have cut the shortbread.

So I would recommend keeping the Millionaire Shortbread in the freezer for up to three months. If like me, you can be a little bit forgetful you can stick a sticker onto the plastic wrap with the date you baked and froze the shortbread on.

To defrost the Millionaires Shortbread just take as much as you need out of the freezer. Leave it either on the counter or in the fridge for around 2 hours until it is completely defrosted.

Cookies

Cookies are another delicious treat that can be easily frozen. Like the cupcakes, millionaire shortbread and brownies/blondies they are perfect if you love baking but live alone, or just don’t want to share your bakes. You can take them out of the freezer as many as you need at a time and defrost/bake.

For cookies, the best time to freeze these is before baking. Once you have made your cookie dough and rolled it into balls, either place them into a freezer safe container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer.

These will stay good for up to three months. When you are ready to eat them just preheat the oven, remove them from the freezer and put them onto an oven tray. If you are baking more than one remember and space them out as they will spread. Pop them into the oven for the time stated in the recipe and enjoy!

The Best Products to use to Freeze your Bakes

There are so many great products out there that are perfect for freezing bakes. In all of these posts I have recommended a plastic wrap like cling film or a freezer safe container. Below I have included the products I use as well as some new products and eco-friendly products that will work just as good.

Plastic Wrap

So up first is the good old plastic wrap. I wouldn’t recommend wrapping the bakes in something like tin foil. I mean you could wrap them once in plastic wrap and then wrap them a second time in tin foil, but I wouldn’t exclusively wrap them in tin foil.

Plastic wrap can be found in every supermarket. I know in my local supermarkets it is kept in the same aisle as the baking parchment, so it is pretty easy to find.

Plastic Container

I don’t know about you, but I seem to have about a million plastic containers in my cupboards and I can never find the correct lid for them. Is this just me? Most plastic containers are freezer safe, but I would always double check before you put your bakes in the freezer.

Wax Wraps

Okay, so Wax Wraps are something I am completely new too, but they are fab! They are made from bee’s wax and are completely reusable. Just cut it to the size you need, wrap your bake in it and pop it into the freezer. Once you have defrosted the bake, you can wash the Wax Wraps and reuse them again.

Compared with good old plastic wrap these are a much better eco-friendly alternative. As well as coming in rolls you can also buy them in bags. They come in so many different colours and designs too. You can find them HERE.

Reusable Silicone Bags

These products would also be great for freezing individual bakes, such as cookies or individual brownies/blondies, but I haven’t come across any that would fit a full cake. There are so many different brands of these for example you can buy them from John Lewis in different colours, you can also buy them on Amazon. 

Just like the Wax Wraps these are completely reusable and freezer safe, which is perfect if you are trying to cut back on the amount of plastic you are using.

I hope you have found this guide helpful, and it answers some of your questions. I have tried to include answers to the questions I get asked the most and include the bakes that I get asked about the most. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will try my best to answer them.