So you’ve successfully wrapped a buttercream cake and stored it in the freezer. Or, maybe you’ve frozen some party cake leftovers and want to enjoy a slice… or two.
In this quick post, I’ll share how to properly thaw frozen cake so that it tastes just as good as new! If you’ve prepared and frozen the cake properly, it’ll taste just as delicious out of the freezer as it did fresh out of the oven.
Whether it’s a layered cake, sheet cake, cupcakes, or just a few slices of leftover cake, you can make it last much longer than just a few days. In fact, the freezer prevents the cake from losing any moisture—and does much better than the fridge!
It’s as if you’ve “frozen” the cake in time—pun fully intended. Plus, you can use this method to preserve cakes you’ve made or purchased.
In this post, we’ll address the following FAQs:
- How to thaw a frozen cake
- How to thaw a frozen cake quickly at room temperature
- Should you unwrap a cake before or after thawing
- How to deal with condensation when thawing a cake
- When to thaw in the refrigerator
- When to thaw at room temperature
- Can you thaw cake in the microwave
…and more! So, let’s dig in.
Cover Photo By: Leyli Sadeqian
Why Freeze a Buttercream Cake?
Contrary to popular belief, freezing a buttercream cake is a great way to preserve its taste. While the refrigerator tends to dry out cakes, the freezer allows you to stop the cake “in time,” so to speak, so that it tastes fresh-out-of-the-oven delicious.
Professional and home-based bakers freeze cakes for many good reasons:
- To split up prep time for large orders.
- To make cake decorating timelines more manageable.
- To prevent food waste after last-minute cancellations.
- To make leftovers last longer.
- To practice decorating techniques without baking a new cake each time.
Psst—wondering how to freeze a buttercream cake? be sure to check out this post!
How Do I Thaw a Frozen Cake?
Thawing a frozen cake is way easier than you may think. This method works for frozen cake slices, too!
Here’s how to do it:
- Remove the cake from the freezer.
- Remove all of the layers of aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
- Place the unwrapped cake in the refrigerator.
- Your cake will thaw in 6-10 hours (whole cake) or as little as 1 hour (slices).
- Once thawed, bring the cake out to room temperature and let it sit until you’re ready to enjoy.
Make a Cake Thaw More Quickly—Room Temperature Thawing
Some people ask if it’s possible to thaw a cake at room temperature to make the process faster. The answer is yes!
You can absolutely pull a cake out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature as long as all of the cake components are room-temperature stable (such as butter cake and American buttercream.) In fact, I like to do this when I’m adding the final decorations—it’s easier to swipe accidental buttercream off of a frozen cake than a soft one!
However—I recommend letting your cake thaw in the refrigerator because the temperature change is more gradual. When the cake’s interior is freezing cold, but the exterior comes in contact with warmer, humid air, condensation can form. (Slowly thawing in the fridge prevents this from happening.)
So, heed this warning: if you thaw your cake at room temperature, make sure to unwrap it while frozen, but be prepared for some condensation to form on the buttercream. It’s more likely to happen in warmer, humid environments.
However, I live in Cleveland, which has very chilly winters and somewhat average humidity levels. It’s not the tropics, by any means, but my cakes still form condensation when I bring them straight from the freezer to room temperature.
When to Unwrap a Frozen Cake
I always recommend unwrapping a cake before thawing. As the cake thaws, the buttercream will become softer and more impressionable. Removing the plastic may leave some uneven lines and marks in your soft buttercream.
How Do I Get Rid of Condensation on a Cake?
Worry not—a little condensation won’t ruin a buttercream cake. (However, it may cause food coloring to run… more on that in the next section.)
If the condensation is starting to drip, gently—and I mean gently—hold a paper towel close to the surface of the buttercream. Without actually touching the surface of the cake, let the towel absorb the bigger droplets of condensation.
As your cake fully thaws, condensation will stop forming. Thankfully, butter (because it’s loaded up with oil) is quite water resistant—think of little droplets and how they roll right off a duck’s back. Your cake won’t get soggy. The condensation sits on top of the buttercream rather than absorbing into it.
When to Thaw in the Fridge vs. When to Thaw at Room-Temp
Wondering if you should risk condensation for a faster thaw? Trying to figure out which method is best for your cake?
Here’s the TL/DR of cake thawing:
- If your frozen, whole cake is frosted with a plain crumb coat, choose fridge or room-temperature thawing. Condensation won’t ruin anything.
- If your frozen, whole cake is frosted with plain-colored frosting in intricate designs, choose fridge or room-temperature thawing. Condensation won’t ruin anything.
- If your frozen, whole cake is frosted with colorful, dyed buttercream, choose fridge thawing. Condensation may make the colors streaky.
- If thawing individual frozen cake slices, choose fridge or room-temperature thawing. Small slices usually thaw faster than condensation can form.
Can I Thaw Frozen Cake in the Microwave?
No, I don’t recommend it. Buttercream is extremely sensitive to heat since it is in a solid state at room temperature but liquid when heated.
Microwaves heat food by causing the water molecules to vibrate, which produces an increase in temperature—a very quick increase in temperature. Microwaving buttercream tends to make it split, even if just for a few seconds.
Using the microwave to thaw a cake will cause an oily, runny, split buttercream mess outside, with a rock-hard, cold cake in the center. Even small slices will heat unevenly.
Sorry, but save the microwave for your leftover pizza!
Thawing Cake is Easy—Decorating One Is Too
Want to learn more about decorating cakes? You’re in the right place. Browse all of my cake recipes and tutorials here.
I also post tips, tricks, and behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram—let’s connect to stay in touch!
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XOXO,
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