Are you newlyweds looking for a way to preserve the top tier or layers of your wedding cake? For centuries, preserving wedding cake has been an honored tradition to bring luck to the couple’s first anniversary. Though liqueur-soaked fruitcakes were common back then and are much easier to preserve.
So today, we are sharing how to freeze modern-day wedding cake and some tips to properly defrost it before serving.
Should You Freeze Your Wedding Cake?
Before we go detailed on freezing your wedding cake, let’s quickly answer the most dreaded question of most newlyweds. Is it safe to freeze the cake and eat it after a year?
According to experts, a year-old properly preserved wedding cake is safe to eat, given proper preservation. Although, don’t expect the same taste as it was the day of your wedding. But overall, it is safe and a perfect way to recall one of the most blissful days of your life as a married couple.
Getting The Cake Ready For Freezing
Preparing the cake before freezing is the most crucial part of the preservation. How you do it determines the longevity and success of the cake. So here is a guide to making sure you freeze it properly.
- Pre-Freeze: The first thing you want to do once you decide which part to keep is to pre-freeze it. If there are any bulky decorations like gum-paste flowers or cake toppers, you might want to remove them for uncomplicated storage. Make sure that it is cooled and firm before you start wrapping.
- Wrap The Cake: Once the wedding cake is firm to the touch and the icing is frozen, you can start wrapping it before freezing. To do it, wrap the frozen cake in overlapping layers of cling wrap. What you want to achieve is an airtight wall around the cake. Keep it snug. After sealing it with cling wrap, add a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and moisture from escaping. Of course, we don’t want a dry and ice-crystal-covered cake, right? So don’t skimp on the wrap layers if you like to preserve it for a year.
- Add A Date Label: Some days may pass quickly or slowly, and you might forget that a cake is waiting in the freezer. So adding a date label is one way to remind you when to open the cake and how long it has been in the freezer. You can write directly on the foil. But if you want to go all out, you can attach a waterproof sticker with the date label.
Freezing The Wedding Cake
Should you freeze a slice or the whole top layer? However you want it, the same wrapping rules apply to any portion. Some prefer keeping the entire top tier for a year. While others like it sliced so they can grab a piece whenever they like. But note that the earlier you freeze it, the fresher the cake will be.
“What if I want to freeze more than one tier of my wedding cake?”
To freeze more than one tier, you have two options:
- Wrap the entire cake and box with cling wrap and foil or;
- Separate each layer, then individually wrap it.
Before you pick one, it is best to consider the size of your freezer to save the time of rewrapping the cake. And to visualize the options, you can watch this video of how to freeze a two-tier decorated cake:
What Cakes To Freeze And For How Long?
Aside from the size, considering the type of cake is also crucial. Chocolate and fruit cakes like banana and carrot cake do well when frozen and thawed. Some may even produce pronounced flavor after the freezing process. But generally, the more moisture the cake has, the better.
After snuggly wrapping the cake, store it in the freezer for up to a year, and pull it out on the day of your anniversary. But if you prefer the same taste and texture, consuming it within 3 to 5 months is best.
Another thing to remember is the defrost setting. We know ice thickens after a couple of months, so defrosting once or twice a year is required. However, this may damage the cake. So best to reschedule or transfer it to another freezer if you have a spare.
Thawing The Wedding Cake
We know how excited you are to open your wedding cake. But the answer to a successful thawing process is patience. Hours of defrosting are required before you even take a slice. Proper thawing ensures that the cake’s flavor and texture are still intact. Trust us, you don’t want to eat a combination of soft and rock-solid layers and filling.
Here are four steps to follow to achieve a properly thawed cake.
- Take out the cake from the freezer 24 to 48 hours before the date of your first wedding anniversary. It will give the cake enough time to defrost slowly.
- Completely unwrap the cake. But don’t directly place it in the fridge uncovered, transfer it to an airtight container instead. Leave it for four hours or overnight to continue the thawing process.
- On the wedding anniversary, take the cake out at room temperature and allow it to sit for another 2 to 3 hours.
- Once fully thawed and softened, you can now enjoy a slice of your wedding cake.
Are you curious how your cake would end up after a year? This video shows a couple trying out their wedding cake after freezing it. They shared tasting reviews of their cake and some of its external characteristics here:
Wedding Cake Freezing Tips And Tricks
The day of your wedding anniversary is nearing, and you’re looking for a way to commemorate the remarkable moment. Aside from the photos and videos to freeze the event, you thought, why not take it literally? So to prepare yourself before freezing a cake, here are a few tips and tricks to follow.
- Time is crucial for this process. Don’t wait until it gets all mushy and soggy after the wedding. Take the layer you want to preserve and place it in a freezer immediately.
- Don’t throw the cake baseboard. Clean and use it as a support in the freezer instead. You can also reuse it to serve the cake after thawing.
- To know if the cake is ready for wrapping, gently touch the cake. There should be no icing sticking on your fingers.
- Wrap the cake with aluminum foil after layering it in cling wrap. It will help prevent freezer burn. But if you plan on eating a slice within three days, then there is no need for the extra layer.
- Air is the enemy of your cake. Ensure that the moisture is locked in by placing your wrapped cake inside an airtight container or a Ziplock bag.
- Neutralize the odor inside your freezer by placing an open baking soda box inside.
- Avoid condensation or cake sweat. Never take your cake from your freezer directly to room temperature.
Summary
Freezing the wedding cake is one method to cherish the most important days of your wedded life. Eating a year-old cake is safe if properly wrapped and stored, according to experts.
Be guided by proper preparation, freezing, and thawing of cake to pull off a successful preservation. And lastly, take into heart some of our tips and tricks to keep your cake fresh and consumable.