How do you store your cakes, biscuits and puddings when you’ve finished baking them? Once you’ve spent your precious time baking for your friends and family, you’ll want to make sure you store them properly! And thanks to this blog post, gone are the days of soggy biscuits and dry cakes - read on for some great tips and tricks to keep them fresher for longer.
Proper storage starts as soon as the sponges come out of the oven to avoid the dreaded ‘soggy bottom’. Allow the sponges to cool completely on a cooling rack before storing to help any moisture to evaporate first.
If you want to keep the sponges for a few days before icing, you can! First, wrap them tightly in cling film before putting in a ziplock bag. If left at room temperature, the sponges will keep for up to five days. If you want to keep them longer than that, you can freeze them.
Cover your sponges completely with buttercream as this helps to keep sponges from going dry in storage. Once decorated with buttercream, your cake can be stored at room temperature in a cake tin lined with greaseproof paper for up to 3 days. Alternatively, our Cake Dome makes an excellent way to store decorated cakes at room temperature.
Browse the Bake Shop for cake storage!
If you want to store it in the fridge, leave the cake unwrapped in the fridge until the frosting hardens slightly and then cover it loosely in cling film. It will then keep for 3-4 days.
Any cake that is filled or topped with whipped cream, cream cheese, custard or fresh fruit should always be kept in the fridge for 1-2 days at most. Fruit cakes covered with marzipan and icing will last much longer if kept in an airtight tin at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating cakes with sugar paste, fondant or food colouring as colours can bleed.
Sponges freeze really well before being frozen, but we recommend wrapping each sponge separately in cling film and a resealable bag before placing in the freezer for up to 4 months. Give them plenty of space in your freezer to stop the sponges getting squashed by other items!
If you want to freeze a cake that’s already iced, you can use the same method. Wrap the cake (either whole or by the slice) tightly in cling film, then place in an airtight resealable bag to stop it from absorbing other smells and flavours from the freezer.
When defrosting your cakes, take them out of the freezer and allow to defrost completely at room temperature before serving.
Read the best freezable bakes blog post for more information
Keep freshly baked biscuits at room temperature for 1 or 2 days. You’ll need to cover them with foil or cling film in a plastic bag to prevent drying out. If you want to keep them in the fridge, they’ll keep well for about 1 week when properly stored. Don’t serve biscuits that have an odd smell or appearance.
To freeze biscuits, wrap them tightly with cling film or foil or place into a freezer bag. They’ll then keep for about 2 to 3 months.
To keep cookies at their best, place greaseproof paper between the cookies and keep in an airtight container for 1 week. If your cookies have gone a little stale, restore them to their former chewiness by sprinkling a few drops of water over the cookies on a baking tray and place in a hot oven for a few minutes.
You can store uncooked cookie dough by wrapping it in cling film and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, cookie dough will store for up to 4 months in the freezer. You can either wrap a whole dough ball in cling film and then place in the freezer. To make life easier, you can roll the dough into a log and wrap it with cling film before freezing.
When you are ready to bake, use a hot knife to slice the dough into rounds straight from the freezer. Increase the baking time of the cookies by a few extra minutes and keep an eye on them to compensate for the lower temperature of the dough.
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We hope this post has helped you to plan your bake storage, keeping your bakes fresher for longer! Do you have any other advice on how to store your cakes, puddings and cookies? Share it in the comments below!
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MICHAEL MCMILLAN
February 22, 2021
I’ve made tea biscuits for years. My mom and sister both taught me, and I have developed my own tweaks along the way. Storing has always been a problem, so I usually give them away at work, which everyone loves.
I look forward to trying your freezer method, so that I can take out only what we need.
Thanks for the tips!