Every now and then, we have leftover foods sitting in our fridge. This time you have this heavenly, fluffy angel food cake from last weekend’s baking session.
This airy cake has been a few days in the fridge, and now you’re concerned about this delicate cake going to waste. Is there any way to preserve angel food cake?
Fortunately, angel food cake freezes gracefully. Freezing cakes is no rocket science. You only need to do it right.
Keep reading to learn more about storing, freezing, thawing angel food cake, and everything in between. Sounds like what you’re looking for? Well, read on!
The Best Way To Store Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is a type of spongy cake known for its light, airy, and fluffy texture. Unlike most other cakes, angel food cake is not prepared with egg yolk, butter, or other fats. That’s why it has a light, cloud-like texture.
It is mainly made from egg white, cake flour, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and flavoring extracts.
Angel food cake is served in various ways—plain, dusted with icing sugar, glazed, frosted, or topped with fruits and jams.
When it comes to cake storage, you have a few options. If you plan to eat this delicate cake within a day or two, you can keep it in a cake box or a food container and store it in the cupboard.
Does angel food cake need to be refrigerated?
If the cake is topped or filled with dairy and eggs, it should be refrigerated immediately.
For longer storage, keep it refrigerated in a sealed airtight container up to a week. If you need extra time, freezing is your ultimate option.
One thing to note, cakes freeze well without any filling, icing, or topping. So, add fillings or toppings when it’s ready to serve.
Angel food cake can be frozen as a whole or slices. Freezing a whole cake takes up more space. But, this trick allows you to decorate the cake beautifully. It’s worth trying if you want to impress a crowd.
Meanwhile, freezing pre-sliced cake saves space. Plus, you can always take an appropriate amount instead of a whole bunch of cake.
Without further ado, let’s check our step-by-step guide on freezing angel food cake.
How To Freeze A Whole Angel Food Cake
1. Allow the cake to cool down after baking and remove it from the pan carefully. Skip this step if you’re freezing a store-bought cake.
2. Wrap the cake tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
3. If the cake is baked in a tube pan, fill the hole with crumpled freezer paper.
4. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer-safe container.
5. Seal tightly and label with a freezing date.
6. Place the package in the freezer until it’s time to serve.
7. Maintain the freezer’s temperature at 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.
How To Freeze Sliced Angel Food Cake
1. Let the cake cool down after baking. Skip this step if you’re freezing a store-bought cake.
2. Cut the cake gently into individual pieces. Use a sharp, serrated knife and avoid pressing the cake too much to retain its fluffiness.
3. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. This double layer of protection helps to prevent freezer burn and avoid the cake from picking up odors from other foods.
4. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer bag.
5. For extra protection, place the package in a freezer-safe container (optional).
6. Expel as much air as possible from the package and seal tightly.
7. Label the bag with a freezing date or a use-by date to keep track of your frozen foods.
8. Transfer the prepared cake in the freezer.
9. Maintain the freezer temperature at 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.
How Do You Defrost Frozen Angel Food Cake?
When it’s time to serve, you can defrost frozen angel food cake safely in the refrigerator. Thawing a whole frozen cake takes much longer than the sliced one. Make sure to consider the required time to prevent from having a late dessert.
Add your favorite fruits or frosting after the cake thaws entirely and enjoy it immediately.
How Long Can You Freeze Angel Food Cake?
With proper preparation and freezing, angel food cake retains its optimal flavor for up to 6 months after freezing. This fluffy cake is prepared with egg whites only and lasts longer than other cakes made with whole eggs or egg yolks.
It is possible to keep the cake longer, but the texture and flavor are likely compromised.
FAQs
Fortunately, most cakes freeze pretty well. However, you should only freeze cakes without icing, filling, or toppings. Instead, decorate your cake later when it’s ready to serve. Make sure to wrap the cake properly and keep it protected from freezer burn. Check out our guide above on how to freeze angel food cake, which also works well for other cakes.
Angel food cake is prepared with egg whites, while sponge cake uses both egg white and yolk. Sponge cake has a slightly more dense texture than angel food cake.
Freshly-baked angel food cake usually stays up to 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge. If continuously frozen, it retains its freshness up to 6 months.
he best scenario, nothing terrible happens. On the worst side, you might suffer from food poisoning. Angel food batter is prepared with raw egg whites and flour. As you might have known, eggs are prone to Salmonella contamination. Next to that, flour may contain E. coli. Both can cause food poisoning. Therefore, it is generally not recommended to taste raw cake batter or cookie dough.
Summary
As you might have expected, cakes don’t last very long in the fridge. Luckily, most cakes—including angel food cake—freezes beautifully up to 6 months to maintain shelf life.
Whether you have leftovers or want to bake in advance, you can always freeze angel food cake. Freeze cake as a whole or pre-sliced. The former works well if you’re going to impress your guests, while the latter is handy for serving.
So, no more reason to discard leftovers of this light, delicate cake. Wrap it properly and toss it in the freezer. Whenever your craving strikes, pull out a slice and enjoy it with your favorite toppings!
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