Ready to get baking for the holidays or an upcoming special occasion? You may find that you have more time now than later. When you freeze cake and other holiday baked goods, you buy yourself some time and make it possible to have your cake made early and eat it, too!
Learn how to freeze cake and other holiday baked goods with this tutorial and be sure to grab the free printable to keep on hand in the kitchen. Whether you decided to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls, Spiced Pear Cake, or Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, you’ll be set for success with all kinds of delicious cakes and baked goods tucked away in the freezer.
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Ever pull something out of the freezer and find that it’s covered in a thin crust of ice? Or thaw a loaf of banana bread to find that it’s gone mushy and weird? Ever taste a previously-frozen item only to taste “freezer” instead of yummy deliciousness?
Well, as the kid says in Mr. Mom, “You’re doing it wrong.”
One of the most common critiques that I hear from freezer cooking skeptics is that the food comes out weird on the other end of freezing. Upon defrost, they find that their baked items have lost taste or texture. This is, to lack eloquence, a total bummer.
It’s important to freeze cake and other baked goods properly.
Why It Matters
When you freeze cake and other baked goods properly, you protect your investment. You worked really hard to fill the freezer, don’t let it go south. Freezer burn and other mishaps can be avoided if you properly cool, wrap, and freeze the items you’re going to store in the freezer.
What You Can Freeze & How to Do It
There is no end to all the delicious loveliness that you can bake now to enjoy later. You can freeze cake, cookies, pies, waffles, pancakes, scones, muffins, brownies, and so much more!
In fact, make-ahead and freeze is the name of the game if you want to keep your head on straight during busy seasons, the holidays, and special occasions.
#1 Rule of the game is to cool the baked goods completely (if you’re baking them first). Cold food freezes more quickly, reducing the risk of freezer burn.
#2 Wrap it well. You want to insulate the food against extreme cold temps but also make sure that they don’t absorb odors from other foods in the freezer.
Check out this list of what you can freeze and how to do it:
Fruit Pies
Freeze fruit pies such as apple or berry unbaked.
- Wrap the pie with heavy duty foil and place on a flat surface in the freezer.
- Don’t thaw it before baking; simply place the frozen pie in a 425° oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° and continue baking until the crust is brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, typically another 45 minutes.
Cake, Brownies, & Bread
You can freeze cake, brownies, and breads either whole or in single-serve slices.
- Bake your breads, cakes, or brownies and then cool them completely on a rack. In the case of a cheesecake, be sure you’ve chilled it properly, according to the recipe instructions.
- Wrap with a double layer of plastic wrap or use a single layer of plastic and slip the item into a freezer bag.
- Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.
Note about frosting and glazes: These are best added after you’ve frozen and thawed your cake, brownie, or bread as they may smear in the freezing process. However, if you really need to do the frosting first, place the finished cake or goodie in the freezer unwrapped.
Once the frosting is very firm, carefully wrap it in plastic and place in an airtight container that is large enough to protect the edges from brushing up against other items in the freezer.
This Christmas Bundt Cake freezes beautifully which I love because I can enjoy it all year long.
Waffles & Pancakes
Waffles and pancakes are great meal prep breakfasts to freeze.
- Cook the waffles or pancakes according to the recipe instructions, allowing them to brown a little less than you prefer them.
- Cool them completely on a wire rack.
- Place in a ziptop freezer bag and stash in the freezer. For pancakes, you can wrap short stacks in plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer bag.
- Reheat from frozen in the microwave or toaster.
Muffins
It’s so wonderful to Freeze Muffins as it allows you to serve a lot of variety with little work at serving time. Muffins can be frozen baked or unbaked.
- To freeze unbaked: Prepare the muffin recipe and scoop the batter into paper or silicone-lined baking cups. Do not bake. Freeze until firm. Once firm, transfer the frozen muffin pucks to a ziptop freezer bag or airtight container. To bake, place the frozen muffin pucks back into the baking pan and bake according to the recipe, adding about five minutes to the bake time.
- To freeze baked muffins: Bake the muffins according to your recipe. Cool them completely on a rack. Place in a ziptop freezer bag and stash in the freezer. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.
Cookies
Cookies are pretty versatile; there are several ways to freeze cookies and store frozen cookie dough.
- Freeze the unbaked dough in a covered container; thaw in the refrigerator before forming the cookies and baking as directed by the recipe.
- Freeze dough balls on a tray and then place them in a zippered freezer bag. Bake from frozen.
- Freeze baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature and serve.
–> Be sure to consult these 8 steps for better cookie baking.
Mixes
I love to make my own baking mixes. Quick breads, brownies, muffins, waffles, and pancakes all lend themselves well to mixes.
Simply combine the dry ingredients for the recipe in a bag marked with the rest of the recipe directions. Store the bag of mix in the pantry or in the freezer for longer shelf life.
FAQs
If the cake is not frosted, cut the slices and wrap them individually with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer. If there is frosting on the cake slices, carefully place them on a lined tray and place that in the freezer until the frosting is frozen solid. Once it’s firm, you can proceed to wrap the slices for freezing.
Frozen food is good indefinitely, provided the storage temperatures remain under zero degrees F. For best taste and quality, consume frozen cake and other baked goods within three months.
You can freeze different baked goods together provided they have similar flavors and textures. Freezing soft and crispy cookies together will cause them to negatively effect each other’s texture. Strong flavors such as banana and mint will be absorbed by surrounding baked goods. As a general rule, freeze like with like.
Best Baking Equipment
Before you freeze cake, cookies, or other baked goods, you want to bake it well. Here are our recommendations for baking equipment:
a food scale – I’ve been using this food scale for years. It’s lasting and durable and I love it. Since I learned about weighing flour instead of measuring it, it’s been a game changer. Weighing Flour can greatly affect your finished product!
silpat mats or parchment paper – Whenever possible, I line my baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment. This ensures that I can get the baked good off the pan AND spend as little time as possible scrubbing pans.
sturdy baking sheets – Amazing – nothing sticks to this pan! You can even bake without parchment.
a Kitchenaid mixer – It took me a long time to fall in love with my mixer, but it is now my go-to for bread and pizza doughs as well as cookie batter, tamale masa, frosting, and whipped cream.
quick-release cookie scoops – These are super helpful in making lots of cookie at once that are more or less the same size. (They also make great meatballs, too.)
wire cooling racks – Super key when you’re baking to freeze cake, cookies, and other goodies. You must cool your baked goods completely before you even think of wrapping them up.
Freezer-Friendly Packaging
Zip-top freezer bags – These are available in disposable and reusable varieties. Be sure to grab the ones designed for freezing as they are thicker and will better protect your cakes, cookies, and brownies from freezer burn.
Glad plastic containers with lids – Gladware comes in a variety of designs and sizes. I use the XL for storing frozen muffins in the freezer and use another one as a sourdough boule box on the counter.
Ziptop Freezer Containers – New to the market in 2021, these silicone containers are fully reusable and don’t require lids.
parchment paper or deli wrap – These are great for wrapping smaller items as well as dividing layers of cookies or brownies in a larger container.
plastic wrap – If you’re going to freeze cake or brownies or coffee cake, whether whole or in single-serve portions, it’s good to wrap it in plastic first to protect the surface of the baked good. Then store it in a large container or wrap in a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.
Heavy duty aluminum foil – If I don’t have a lid for a dish, like a pie plate, be sure to use heavy duty aluminum foil, extra long if possible. Regular foil breaks down too easily in the freezer.
foil pans with lids – These are wonderful for freezing cakes and baked goods that you want to give away and don’t care if you get the packaging back. They can be reused, but are also considered “disposable” or recyclable if need be.
Get the Free Cheat Sheet
If freezing cake and other baked goods is new to you, be sure to download our free printable to help you remember exactly what and how to freeze it.
Sign up for our free newsletter and get instant access to the Good Cheap Eats printable library where you’ll find this free printable as well as loads of others to help you eat well and save money.
How to Freeze Cake & Other Baked Goods
Equipment
- parchment paper
- ziptop freezer bags
- large airtight container
- plastic wrap
- heavy duty aluminum foil
Ingredients
- your favorite cake or baked good
Instructions
- If freshly baked, cool the cake or baked good completely on a wire rack.
To freeze pie:
- Wrap the pie with heavy duty foil and place on a flat surface in the freezer. Don't thaw it before baking; simply place the frozen pie in a 425° oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° and continue baking until the crust is brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, typically another 45 minutes.
To freeze cake, brownies, and bread:
- You can freeze the cake, brownies, or bread either whole or in slices. To freeze the whole thing, wrap it well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in a large ziptop bag. To freeze slices, place them in an airtight freezer container, separating layers with parchment paper, or wrap each piece with plastic wrap and place them in a ziptop freezer bag.
To freeze waffles and pancakes:
- Cook the waffles or pancakes according to the recipe instructions, allowing them to brown a little less than you prefer them. Cool them completely on a wire rack. Place in a ziptop freezer bag and stash in the freezer. For pancakes, you can wrap short stacks in plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer bag.Reheat from frozen in the microwave or toaster.
To freeze muffins:
- To freeze unbaked: Prepare the muffin recipe and scoop the batter into paper or silicone-lined baking cups. Do not bake. Freeze until firm. Once firm, transfer the frozen muffin pucks to a ziptop freezer bag or airtight container. To bake, place the frozen muffin pucks back into the baking pan and bake according to the recipe, adding about five minutes to the bake time.
- To freeze baked muffins: Bake the muffins according to your recipe. Cool them completely on a rack. Place in a ziptop freezer bag and stash in the freezer. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.
To freeze cookies:
- Freeze the unbaked dough in a covered container; thaw in the refrigerator before forming the cookies and baking as directed by the recipe. Freeze dough balls on a tray and then place them in a zippered freezer bag. Bake from frozen. Freeze baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature and serve.
To freeze baking mixes:
- Simply combine the dry ingredients for the recipe in a bag marked with the rest of the recipe directions. Store the bag of mix in the pantry or in the freezer for longer shelf life.
For all baked goods:
- Label the package well with the date and the name of the recipe. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published November 15, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Jude
Very useful – thanks, Jessica!
Simone
This is great! Thanks for sharing and many blessings on your Thanksgiving.
Jessica Fisher
Thank you! Same to you!
Charlotte
You can freeze fudge! (At least the recipe I use freezes well) Thank goodness, because when I make it, we end up with three pie pans of it. One is left out for eating, and I freeze the other two.
This probably only works because my preschoolers don’t like chocolate though!
Jessica Fisher
I wish my people didn’t like chocolate. Ha!
Sarah P
Can I just tell you, I love your blogs more and more! I have followed a long time and each time I start thinking of something you seem to produce a great post!! Just the other day, I thought about starting Christmas cookies etc to freeze and voilà this post appears. Thanks for so many tips and terrific recipes!!
Sarah
Jessica Fisher
So fun! Thanks for the encouragement!
Kathy in Illinois
I always make my Christmas cookies early and freeze them. If I don’t freeze them they would be gone in a couple of days!!! I ration them out during the Christmas season. Have a thankful and blessed Thanksgiving with your sweet family, Jessica.
God bless, Kathy in Illinois