There are three steps on how to preserve wedding cake to ensure that it will taste as good as it was at your wedding. Couples can use these techniques when keeping the top wedding cake layer as tradition dictates, but they are also helpful if you have many wedding cake leftovers after the reception.
You can read about why you save the top tier of the wedding cake as it also talks about some tips regarding storing the wedding cake. So without further ado, let’s get started.
How To Preserve Wedding Cake After Wedding
Step 1. Assess the cake
- Identify the type of wedding cake you have to know the proper preservation process for it; you can also talk to the baker if they have instructions for storage after the wedding
- Set your expectations accordingly regarding the texture and taste of the wedding cake after you preserved it
- Do not try to store delicate cakes because they’ll turn stale when frozen; instead, consider giving the leftover wedding cake to some of the guests
- Wedding cakes with cream, cream cheese, custard, or fresh fruits are best eaten after 1 to 2 days when you refrigerate them
- Wedding cakes with ganache or buttercream are best eaten at a maximum of 4 days after being refrigerated
Read when to order a wedding cake, so you can talk to the baker earlier and ask all your queries accordingly.
Step 2. Pre-chill the cake
- Talk to your caterer to chill the leftover wedding cake immediately to harden the icing
- Remove the other decorations such as candies and sugar adornments on the cake so they won’t affect the pre-chilling process
- It’s possible to freeze wedding cake, usually the top tier, then eat it after a year; however, the best maximum time for freezing cakes is four months
- Never freeze a cream-based wedding cake or those with meringue, as they will eventually spoil
Does your caterer know when to cut the cake at a wedding? Learn the traditional timing so they can also keep the leftover cake until you’re ready to take it home.
Step 3. Store the wedding cake
- After the initial pre-chilling, remove the cake from the refrigerator and prepare it for the more extended storage process
- Wrap the wedding cake in cling film as a whole, then put it inside an airtight resealable container to protect it from the other liquids and aromas in your freezer
Is It Safe To Eat Wedding Cake A Year Later?
It’s possible and safe to eat particular wedding cakes a year later if you and your partner want to participate in the tradition of keeping the top tier and eating it on your anniversary. However, expect that even if the wedding cake retains its looks, it might taste bad from being frozen despite being “edible.”
Nonetheless, here is how you can eat a preserved wedding cake after it has been frozen:
- Take the wedding cake out of the freezer
- Remove the wedding cake from the container and cling wraps
- Allow the wedding cake to thaw inside the refrigerator, then put it on the countertop to reach room temperature
Some wedding cakes can taste good even after a year, but use your judgment to decide according to its color, texture, and taste before eating. For your peace of mind, why not just order a smaller version of your wedding cake on your anniversary?
How Long Can You Keep Wedding Cake?
When packed and frozen correctly, and if it doesn’t have ingredients that may spoil, a wedding cake can last for up to a year. However, eating a preserved cake after four months is recommended if you still want the original taste and texture.
Long-term storage
You can keep the wedding cake for as long as a year inside the freezer. However, this requires initial chilling of the icing, so it hardens before you freeze the cake for a more extended period.
You also want to remove the other decorations and ornaments on the wedding cake before storing it. Note that some icings and fillings made with cream and fresh fruits are incompatible for long-term storage.
Short-term storage
Most cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, and they’ll still taste as good as they did at the wedding. You can refrigerate wedding cakes made with whipped cream, buttercream, or cream cheese frosting to ensure they won’t spoil or melt.
On the other hand, fondant, ganache, royal icing, and marzipan are very stable, and some don’t require refrigeration on the first day. Fillings, on the other hand, like custard or curd, must be refrigerated, or they’ll spoil.
Can You Freeze Wedding Cake?
You can freeze the wedding cake to make it last longer if it’s made from fondant, buttercream, or ganache. Cakes with cream cheese frosting, on the contrary, are not good for freezing because the texture will be different, and the high-fat content makes it tricky to freeze to ensure that it won’t spoil.
Conclusion
And that’s it! To recap how to preserve wedding cake, you’ll start with removing its decors then pre-chilling it to harden the icing.
Then, wrap it in cling film before putting it in a container. Note that four months is the ideal consumption period of stored wedding cake, but some can last for a year.