Let's settle the debate if you can freeze cake batter. Learn different ways to safely freeze the cake or cupcake batter and defrost it whether you are making a single-layer cake, cupcakes, or preparing multiple cakes during the holiday season.
Nothing beats a freshly baked Sponge Cake once it comes from the oven. But what if your oven is already in use? Or do you have an emergency and need to stop baking after making a cake batter?
Or here is another story when you need to bake hundreds of cupcakes or 2 or 10 batches of cakes during Christmas.
Yes, you can store the cake batters for a short period in your fridge.
Also, you can refrigerate the batter without whipped eggs in a mixing bowl covered with plastic film for up to 24 hours.
Longer than that, freezing comes to help.
Jump to:
Can you freeze cake batter?
The answer is yes; you can store your favorite cake batter in the freezer for up to three months.
But, not all cake batters can be frozen. So, what type of cake batters can you freeze?
The most significant difference will be in the cake rise and texture. It is hard to expect that the frozen cake batter will rise as high as the freshly-made one, primarily if you use baking soda instead of baking powder.
The matter is that baking soda, as a leavening agent, reacts once the liquid is added to dry ingredients.
Freezing such as the batter where the chemical reaction occurred will result in a denser cake. Therefore, it will not rise enough during baking.
The baking powder as a double-acting agent reacts twice: once added to liquid and again when exposed to the oven heat.
So, losing some height of the cake is compensated due to the rise from the second act when the heat is applied. So, recipes with baking soda are more vulnerable.
The success of freezing cake batter varies depending on the kind of cake you make. For example, cake recipes with baking soda are more vulnerable.
Another case is the cake batters made with whipped egg whites, for example, chiffon cake or angel food cake. Such batters cannot be frozen.
Only oil-based cake batters, including quick bread batters, freeze very well.
You should also add all the ingredients before freezing your cake batter. It is not recommended to incorporate new ingredients after defrosting.
One more thing to remember is to avoid overmixing the cake batter. It is especially crucial while freezing the batter.
Love cakes? Discover a wide variety of delicious and beautiful cakes.
How to freeze cake butter
You can freeze the cake batter in the wrapper, zip-top bags (aka freezer bags), or directly in the baking dish: disposable loaf pan or muffin pans.
Make sure you freeze a freshly-made batter within 24 to 48 hours after preparing it.
It is also advisable to freeze the cake batter in smaller portions. So you can thaw the amount you need to bake.
Now, follow these simple steps and enjoy your cake, cupcakes, or muffins later.
Method 1: Freezing cake batter in wrappers
This method of freezing best works for a cupcake or muffin batters.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners and grease it with a cooking spray. Then fill the cups with your batter, wrap them with plastic film tightly, and freeze them for 3 to 4 hours.
Once frozen, take the muffin tray from the freezer remove muffins or cupcakes one by one.
Place them into a resealable freezer bag and squeeze as much air as possible.
Write down the type of batter, serving size, the date, and freeze it.
Method 2: Freezing batter in freezing bags
Don't you want to freeze the batter in a muffin pan since you are limited with the space in the freezer? No problem. Use freezer bags instead.
This method is also perfect if you have leftover cake batter or the batter but don't know if you want to bake cupcakes or a single cake.
Here are three simple steps to succeed:
Step 1: Portion it
Portion the convenient amount of cupcake batter for a single bake.
Use a cookie scoop to place individual scoops of batter inside a Ziploc freezer bag or a freezer-safe airtight container.
Please use reusable freezer containers or freezer-safe bags for a loaf cake or layer cake.
Step 2: Pack it
Make sure to leave some space at the top for the batter to expand while freezing and thawing.
If you use plastic bags, place them on the counter and spread the batter out to fill the bag. Then squeeze the air as much as possible and seal it tightly.
Step 3: Freeze it
Lable and bring containers filled with the cake batter in the freezer.
Using a Ziplock bag, label and place it flat on a baking pan or cooking sheet, and freeze for about 2 hours.
Once solid, bring your bag upright to save space in your freezer.
Method 3: Freezing batter in cake pans
If you are only going to be freezing your cake batter for a short time, it may help tremendously if the pan has already been prepared.
It is one of the best methods to freeze if you plan baking for a crowd. Isn't it helpful having ready-to-bake cakes on your hands?
Finally, disposable aluminum pans are convenient if the batter expands while freezing.
So if you plan to make muffins or cupcakes, line your disposable aluminum muffin tin with cups, fill them, wrap it with cling film and foil, and freeze.
If you bake a loaf cake, prepare your baking tin, as usual (grease it or line with parchment paper), pour in the batter, cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze.
The only downside of this method is that it takes time to freeze large portions of batter.
It might affect the quality of the cake once it is baked. That is why this freezing method is not recommended for thick cakes.
How long can you freeze cake batter?
The thumb rule is to freeze your batter as short as possible, ideally for a week.
Frozen batter will keep its quality for up to 3 months, but it will deteriorate with more extended freezing.
Shelf life also varies depending on the ingredients incorporated in the batter.
If you made your cake batter with unusual ingredients, check the freezing times for those ingredients individually, then apply this rule to the whole cake batter.
Freezing cake batter longer than three months will result in the batter picking up flavors and odors from the freezer.
How to defrost the batter
Nothing is more accessible than bringing your batter to the fridge overnight. You can also defrost it at room temperature on the counter.
But the cake batter defrosted in the fridge will have tighter crumbs than cake batter that thaws to room temperature before baking.
Ideally, thaw your batter overnight, bring it to room temperature and bake.
If you have frozen it as individual cupcakes or muffins, transfer them to the tin they will bake before thawing them. Once thawed, bake as directed in the recipe.
Or bake from frozen, increasing the baking time by an extra 5 to 7 minutes.
The same defrosting technique works for the batter frozen in disposable pans.
If you have frozen the batter in Ziploc bags, let it thaw. If the cake batter separates, you may need to give it a good stir before baking.
Then pour it into a prepared bread loaf pan or muffin pan, and bake according to the recipe.
Extra tip: cut the corner of the bag and pipe the batter filling your muffin pan or cupcake liners directly.
Please, don't use other thawing methods but those two. Also, don't defrost your cake batter in the microwave: the batter will start cooking.
Remember that once thawed, the butter should be used within 24 hours.
And you should not add any add-ins to the thawed batter. Otherwise, the batter deflates when baked.
Discover if you can refrigerate cake batter.
Conclusion
The best news is that you can safely freeze your cake batter for up to three months.
Use one of three described methods to freeze cake, cupcake batters, or muffin batter.
Write clear labels: it might be difficult to tell the difference between, for example, lemon or vanilla sponge cake batter once frozen.
And don't forget to add all the flavoring agents before freezing, whether it is vanilla or lemon extract.
Frequently asked questions
The fresh cake batter shouldn't be kept at room temperature for longer than an hour. Stored in the refrigerator, it should be used within two days of making.
The freshly-made cupcake batter lasts for 1 to 2 days maximum if stored covered in the fridge.
You can refrigerate the cake batter for up to 48 hours. Longer than that, it should be frozen.
Yes, you can freeze the batter with eggs. Once they are mixed with other ingredients, the batter is safe to freeze - so your future cake will be just as good with eggs.
Yes, you can freeze the store-bought dry cake mix until the best-used-by date. If you have an unopened box of cake mix, store it sealed in a dry, cool place. There isn't usually a need to freeze it. If you made cake mix yourself, store it in freezer bags in the freezer as long as you keep ingredients in your pantry.
Muffin batter freezes very well, even better than cupcake batter since it doesn't rely on rising. For the best results, follow the step-by-step freezing methods described above.
Yes, the cake batter can go bad, especially in a warm environment. That is why it is better to keep your batter refrigerated and use it within two days of making it.
Margaret Miller says
Thank you. That is very clear and helpful. I have wanted to make some cakes in advance and bake them when I am ready to serve them. Your guidance helps me understand what types of cake I can freeze successfully and which types I can't. Your guidance will go in my binder of cake recipes for future use. I appreciate the clear guidance.
Irina Totterman says
I’m happy to hear that you’ve found this article helpful, Margaret.