How to Freeze Your Wedding Cake to Preserve It
Lots of couples choose to freeze part of their wedding cake to extend their celebration and use it as a special way to mark their first anniversary. Whether you’re freezing the entire top tier of your cake or just a slice or two, knowing the best way to preserve your wedding cake can mean the difference between a sweet celebration or a disappointing flop. The trick is to use the right wedding cake freezer container to set you up for success and to follow a few simple steps to help keep your cake fresh and flavorful, even after spending some time on ice.
Here, we break down how to freeze your wedding cake, from the initial steps you’ll need to take, to how to execute the storage situation so that you can continue to enjoy it long after your big day has come and gone.
Why Should You Freeze Your Wedding Cake?
Although you don’t have to freeze your cake if you’d prefer not to, freezing the top tier of the cake is a bit of a tradition. If you prep and store the cake appropriately, it should keep its flavor and texture, but if you just pop it in the freezer in a cake box, it’s not going to last. That’s why the correct wedding cake freezer container is so important. It’ll prevent freezer burn, dulled and staled flavor, or changes in texture.
A Step-by-Step Guide For How to Freeze Your Wedding Cake
Prep the Cake For Freezing
You’ll want to start prepping your cake for freezing when your wedding day celebration ends. The first thing you’ll need to do is remove any decorations on the cake that you can’t eat. These non-edible cake decorations include things like ribbon, fresh flowers, and your cake topper.
Wrap the Cake You Want to Freeze
One of the most important steps, if you want to freeze your wedding cake, is to tightly wrap the entire cake portion you want to freeze to protect it and prevent harsh freezer burn. Wrap the cake you’re freezing with two tight layers of plastic wrap or cling film, then follow up with a layer of foil to give it some extra protection and keep the cake from drying out.
Put the Cake in a Wedding Cake Freezer Container
After you’ve wrapped the cake up tight, you’re going to want to pop it into a proper wedding cake freezer container to protect it until you’re ready to thaw it and enjoy. Look for a container that’s closest in size to the amount of cake you’re storing (don’t forget to take any frosting or edible decorations into account when selecting the right size!) so there isn’t a ton of extra space in the container. Using an airtight container is critical to keep your cake as fresh as possible.
Place Your Cake in the Freezer
Make sure you make space in your freezer where you’ll be able to safely place your cake. While the container will help keep the cake protected, you really don’t want to pile things on top of the cake or place it in a spot where it could fall or be unstable. Put it in a part of the freezer where the temperature stays relatively constant for best results (make sure to avoid the door!).
Thaw Your Wedding Cake
When you’re ready to enjoy your cake, pull the container out of the freezer at least 24 hours before you’re going to eat it and place it in the fridge to thaw slowly. When it has thawed, unwrap the foil and plastic wrap and then let the cake sit for about 5 hours at room temperature before you eat it so that the taste and texture are at their best when it’s time to serve it.
How to Select the Right Wedding Cake Freezer Container
Ready to pick out the best wedding cake freezer container? Here’s what you need to consider before you buy:
Airtight: You want to make sure that the container you use to freeze your wedding cake has an airtight seal to help prevent freezer burn and keep your cake from getting stale.
Food-Safe: Not all containers are made to store food. Make sure the one you pick is designed to use in the freezer and is food-safe. Either glass containers or BPA-free plastic containers can be a good choice.
The Size Matters: When you’re choosing any food storage container, but especially a wedding cake freezer container, you want to make sure that the container is the correct size. It should have enough room to accommodate any decorations on your wedding cake without leaving too much extra space in the container for air to hang out inside.
Tips for Freezing Your Wedding Cake
Some Frosting Work Better Than Others: The type of cake you select can make it easier or more difficult to freeze the top of your wedding cake. It’s really hard to freeze whipped cream frosting or a fresh fruit cake without compromising their texture and flavor when you thaw them. Buttercream and fondant hold up much better and freeze well, so if you know you want to freeze a portion of your cake, it may be something you want to take into consideration when planning your cake.
Mark the Container: You don’t want to lose your cake in the freezer! Use a piece of masking tape and write down what’s in your cake container as well as the date you froze it so that you can keep track of it in the freezer and know exactly when you froze it.
Freeze a Trial Piece: If you’re making your own cake, you can freeze a bit of that exact recipe, but otherwise, you can go through the process with your best approximation of your wedding cake so you can try to guess how your wedding cake will freeze, how the texture and flavor will hold up, and make you more confident when it comes time to freeze the real thing.
At ECBG we will ask if you would like to save your top tier and if so, we will provide a box for you to take home the top tier in. Some people will “meal prep” their cake and freeze individual slices in order to have one piece a month. Some people will have it all the morning after their wedding.
About 30% of people still freeze their top tier. Most people don't have enough freezer space, and we do provide a fresh anniversary cake for couples!
Whether you’re freezing the top tier of your wedding cake as a nod to tradition or you’re freezing leftovers for sweet treats later on, you’ll want to make sure that the flavor and texture of the cake stay as fresh as possible so it’s enjoyable to eat after it’s thawed. By taking your time to carefully prep your cake for freezing and using a good wedding cake freezer container, you’ll set yourself up for a fresh, delicious, and beautiful slice of your wedding cake on your first wedding anniversary.
