This is one thing you will mostly realize only once you have some batter leftover. Not surprisingly, the commercial establishments realized this before the homemakers because they have to start at odd hours, like 3 – 4 am, to prepare cakes that can be ready only by 8 am when the bakery opens. Still, it’s a fundamental question and a must-know for everyone attempting baking. So, can you freeze cake batter? Let’s find a comprehensive answer.
Can You Freeze The Cake Batter?
The answer will be a YES and a NO with a * for Conditions Apply.
It turns out the answer is not all that simple. There are multiple factors that affect food quality. Yes, you can freeze the batter to preserve them. The batter is nothing but food in a wet state that will spoil due to harmful bacteria if left outside at room temperature for even a few hours. The cake batter will preserve well in a refrigerated environment or even a frozen environment. Note that the fridge and the freezer have different effects on the food’s taste and texture. Freezing food items makes them almost rock hard and thus tends to alter the texture, though not always completely.
However, we can not freeze all kinds of batter. We know cakes are usually made with egg whites which are whipped to 3 – 4 times their original size and become highly delicate. Such cakes are known as sponge or chiffon cakes, made famous due to their texture more than their taste. Freezing this mix will spoil the texture entirely, and the whip effect will go bad long. Even re-whipping may not give you the same effect again. For all other cakes and batter, we recommend the freezing method.
How To Freeze Cake Batter?
We will show you a few easy methods below using which you can effectively freeze your batter, and it will not spoil.
Freeze the cake batter in the wrapper:
Take a muffin tray and line the tray with the individual cupcake papers. Just pour the batter into the individual cups of the muffin tray, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and send them to the freezer. Once the batter is frozen, the batter with the papers will easily slide out of the tray. Just toss them in a ziplock bag and send them to the fridge. As simple as that.
Freeze the cake batter in ziplock bags:
Ziplock bags are the easiest when you have to store large amounts in the least space. Just pour the batter into the ziplock bags. Pour only 90% of the bag’s capacity to ensure enough place for the bag to lock and seal properly. Vacuum all the air out when sealing them, ensuring the least space and no spoilage due to the air inside. We recommend using multiple smaller ziplock bags not thaw one large bag every time you need just a tiny quantity. Smaller bags can also fit well into the nooks and crannies of your freezer than one large bag. Before baking, thaw them and ensure you give the batter a good stir before pouring it into the baking pans.
Freeze the cake batter using disposable muffin pans:
You can try the Disposable Muffin Pans method when you have large batches. Pour the batter into the disposable muffin pans and send the tray to the freezer. Once they become completely frozen. This will ensure the product is ready to go to the oven when it is out of the freezer. When you need to bake, remove the tray and send them to the oven.
The only disadvantage with freezing cake batter is that the texture gets affected slightly even when no egg white is in use. Typically the cakes will not be as spongy, and the “lift” in the batter is also lost. The “lift” in the batter gives its nice airy and spongy texture, which we all love. However, the taste will be the same. So it’s a small price to pay compared to the ease of enjoying the cakes hassle-free for 3 months. Either defrost the cake in the fridge or let it thaw naturally to room temperature outside. Defrosting will give you a cake with a tighter texture than the thawed one.
Read more: How To Freeze Cake?
Conclusion
A frozen battery can last up to 3 months which is long enough to avoid the hassle of making one every week or so. Use the wrapper method if you have a small batch and the ziplock method if you are storing large batches. Disposable muffin pans can ease the work and dispose of the pans quickly. Therefore freezing batter is the best way to preserve it, and we have shared the correct information to freeze it.