Can You Freeze Angel Food Cake?

Picture this: you just baked the most heavenly angel food cake, but there are only three people at home to enjoy your masterpiece. No matter how delicious it is, you guys probably can’t eat all of it right away, so you store it in the fridge. 

Throughout the rest of the week, you baked other desserts as well, so you got distracted with other treats. Knowing that the cake won’t last longer than a week in the fridge, what do you do?

Does this mean you have to throw out your masterpiece? Or is there perhaps another way to keep it around longer? 

Well, fortunately, angel food cake freezes beautifully! In fact, it will last 4 to 6 months in the freezer.

Unlike most cakes, angel food cake is not loaded with butter and oils. Because of this, it loses moisture and dries out much sooner. That’s why you need to freeze it as soon as possible, to keep its soft, moist, and airy texture.

How to Freeze Angel Food Cake

Here’s how: 

1. Slice the cake in individual pieces. Wrap each slice in 2 layers of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. A double layer of protection will help prevent freezer burn (that awful process of food absorbing the odor of items nearby).
2. Place the wrapped slice in freezer-safe bags. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. 
3. Label the bags with the current date to know how much time it has left. Angel food cake will keep well in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.
4. Place the bags in a plastic container such as a Tupperware and freeze. This will prevent the cakes from getting squished by other items in the freezer. 
5. Consume the cake within 6 months.

This method works not just for home-baked cakes, but for store-bought as well. In fact, baked in-store cakes are most likely shipped frozen, so they’re fine to refreeze.

If you want to freeze freshly baked angel food cake, it’s better if you freeze it without the icing. Icing, along with any other toppings, will weigh the cake down while it’s freezing.

Be sure to allow the cake to cool to room temperature before freezing. A good two hours will do. 

How to Defrost Angel Food Cake

If you’re ready to have a slice of that stunning cake, defrost it in the fridge for a few hours, or just until it has thawed to room temperature. 

Eat thawed angel food cake right away, or else it will dry out, making it all crumbly and bland.

If the sponge becomes dry, turn it into an angel food cake dessert with  sauce or fruit slices for moisture. You can also try microwaving it for a few seconds to restore some of its moisture. Do not refreeze thawed cake.

Tips & Tricks

• If you don’t intend on keeping angel food cake around for 4-6 months, just put it in the fridge. It will keep well for a week in there, as long as you wrap it in foil or plastic wrap. This will help keep its moisture in, preventing it from drying out.

• If you store angel food cake at room temperature, it will keep fresh for 1 to 2 days. 

• While these storage tips should keep you safe, it can’t hurt to check the freshness of the cake before eating it. Check the appearance. Once you see mold, it’s time to go. You can give it a sniff as well. If you smell a weird odor coming from it, just discard it.