Everyone loves easy-to-make cake recipes. The best part about it? Whether it is a cake mix or scratch cake batter, you can store your batter in the fridge for up to 2 days!
Many people love making their own cakes from scratch because they know what ingredients are mixed in. It is not like buying a cake with artificial ingredients or preservatives.
It is best to follow the recipe and bake your freshly-mixed batter immediately, but if life gets in your way, sometimes you can't always do what needs to be done.
So, no worries! In most cases, you can store cake batter (or leftover cake batter) and bake it later.
The best part is that a lot of cake batters are pretty forgiving with storing.
They include oil-based cake batter (carrot, red velvet, for example), muffin batter, cupcake batter, quick bread batter, etc. Their texture even improves a little bit with resting.
You can keep them for days and even weeks and months without losing any flavor or quality.
Sponge cakes are almost always consistently damaged by a long rest time since they are made with egg foams to rise.
Shortly, everything depends upon the ingredients of the batter: the basic batter is stored better than something more complicated.
Jump to:
Can you refrigerate cake batter?
Yes, the cake batter can be refrigerated overnight or for up to 48 hours to preserve freshness and the ability to rise.
Still, it would be best if you remembered that refrigerating the cake batter doesn't stop it from losing its rising ability.
The air beaten in slowly escapes, eventually resulting in a shorter and denser cake.
The raising agents (baking powder and baking soda) will also finally become inefficient and affect the cake rise.
So for the best results, try to refrigerate the cake batter for a few hours, or at least overnight.
How long does cake batter last?
You shouldn't leave your batter at room temperature for longer than one hour.
The batter can last for three months as maximum. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days and freeze it for three months.
The longer you store it chilled or frozen, the less chance your cake will rise properly. Mainly if your batter contains baking soda and no baking powder.
Interestingly, the scratch cake batter is more affected by chilling and freezing than the cake mix batter.
So it is best to bake the cake batter straight after mixing it up. Or refrigerate it for a few hours, maximum overnight, and bake it the next day.
How to store cake batter
You can store the cake batter in three different ways: at room temperature, in the fridge, or by freezing it.
The length of time that cake batter can be stored at room temperature depends on the type of batter, the leavening agents used, and the room's temperature.
The thumb rule is that your batter can stay at room temperature no longer than an hour.
It applies to all cake batters, especially those containing raw eggs, milk, buttermilk, or other dairy products.
If you need to store the batter for longer than one hour, you should refrigerate it.
Another question is how long the cake batter keeps its ability to rise. The longer it sits at room temperature, the more it loses this quality.
At first, the batter loses the beaten air; then, the chemical leavener decreases its activity.
So it makes sense to refrigerate your batter if you don't plan to bake it right away.
You probably wonder if the cake batter can be frozen. Yes, you can freeze most of the cake batters for up to three months.
But if the batter has risen with whipped egg whites, like chiffon or angel food cakes, the freezing process will ruin the batter.
Read the guide on how to freeze cake batter.
How to refrigerate cake batter
The best way to refrigerate the cake batter is to follow these simple steps:
- Leave your batter in a mixing bowl or transfer it to an air-tight container.
- If you leave it in the mixing bowl, cover the batter with plastic wrap in contact. It will prevent it from drying.
- Place the cake batter in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
And don't forget to write down the time of placing your bowl or airtight container in the fridge.
From the two types of food wrap, PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and PE (Polyethylene), please, choose PE food wrap with the best quality. It is what food safety experts recommend.
You can also use a Zip-top bag or safe food container (BPA-free plastic or glass).
How to bake cold batter
When ready to bake, take the chilled batter from the fridge, let it get to room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then bake.
Or you can bake your batter right from the fridge by adding a few minutes to the baking time.
If the batter was frozen, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If you use a freezer Ziplock bag, cut one corner of the bag and squeeze the batter into the prepared cake pans; then bake.
Or you can transfer the batter to a sealable piping bag and fill muffin trays.
If you have frozen your batter in a baking pan or cupcake pan, let it defrost and bake. Or bake from frozen, adding extra baking minutes.
Then use your creative ways to decorate the cake or cupcakes with cream and fresh fruit.
Conclusion
The best way to ensure a perfect cake every time is by baking your cake batter right after you mix it.
But you can store your batter at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate it for up to 48 hours.
I hope this article helps you understand all the required information about storing the cake batters.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make the oil-based cake batter in advance and wrap it with cling film to refrigerate for up to 2 days at most.
It depends upon the type of cake batter. Usually, it is OK to chill some batters that don't use baking soda for up to 24 to 48 hours. But they lose the rising ability over time. Other batters, for example, madeleine batter, must be chilled for a few hours, better overnight.
You can store cake batter at room temperature (one-hour maximum), in the fridge (up to 48 hours), and freeze it for up to three months.
You can keep the cake batter for up to three months by freezing it. The batter can be stored at room temperature for a short period of time (one-hour maximum) and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
It is best to bake the cake butter once it is mixed up, but you can leave it at room temperature for no longer than one hour.
No, you cannot leave your batter at room temperature for longer than one hour. Refrigerate it or freeze it.
Yes, you can refrigerate the cake batter overnight, 48 hours at most. But not all the batters can be frozen. Oil-based cake batters freeze very well.
The batter can be refrigerated for a couple of days (no longer than 48 hours).
Despite that the cake batter can be refrigerated and frozen, nothing will ever compare to the freshly mixed and baked right away cake. So instead of storing cake batters, bake your cakes right after mixing them up, and freeze baked cakes or cake layers. Or bake the cakes the day before, and decorate them the next day.
The shelf life of the cake mix is approximately 4 to 5 months beyond the "best before" date. A dry cake mix usually lasts longer, while a wet mix doesn't go beyond one month.
Yes, you can refrigerate the muffin batter made with baking powder. It is even recommended to chill it overnight for gluten to develop. That resting period is what makes your muffins bakery-style ones.
Sue Ellen says
Thanks for this information! We live in an RV and the oven will only hold one cake pan at a time. I need 3 layers.