Can You Freeze Dirt Cake?

Dirt cake might not sound appetising but it’s actually the easiest and most delicious dessert. An Oreo crust is topped with a cream cheese pudding mixture and then sprinkled with more Oreos for good measure.

Kids often go wild for this cake and it can be served at birthday parties, but if you somehow end up with some leftovers, could you keep the dirt cake in the freezer to keep it fresher for longer?

How to Freeze Dirt Cake

Dirt cake is a very simple dessert to make and can be personalised to include any additional toppings, puddings or fillings you like. This may impact its ability to freeze though!

For the purposes of this article, we will give freezing instructions based on a standard dirt cake recipe. Follow the steps below for perfectly frozen dirt cake:

1. Make your Dirt Cake
   Make your dirt cake according to your favourite recipe.  
2. Portion If Needed
   If you want to, you can portion out your dirt cake so that you do not need to defrost the entire dirt cake if you just wanted a small piece.
3. Bag or Contain
   Scoop the dirt cake portions into freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags, squeezing out any excess air and sealing tightly.
4. Cover the Tray
   If you are freezing dirt cake in its original tray or tin, stretch a piece of cling film across the top, covering the surface of the dirt cake and preventing it from coming into contact with the freezer.
5. Freeze
   Place the bags or containers into the freezer and store for between 3-6 months. 

3 Tips for Freezing Dirt Cake

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing dirt cake to have the best results:

Consider the Ingredients You’ve Used
Dirt Cake recipes are very versatile, with some calling for pudding fillings, others asking for whipped cream. How well the dirt cake will freeze will be determined by the ingredients you use. 

Lay Bags on a Baking Tray
When filling your ziplock bags with sauce or anything that is very soft, open the bags and place them open on a baking tray. This will make decanting far easier and less messy! 

Experiment with Flavours
Dirt cake can be topped and filled with nearly anything, including whipped cream, gummy worms and chocolate chips. 

How Long Can You Freeze Dirt Cake?

Given that most dirt cakes have some form of dairy or cream, they cannot be frozen for too long. It is best to eat the dirt cake within 3 months or so to ensure that it is still of its highest quality.

After this time, the dairy elements may start to degrade or spoil, making it entirely unpleasant to enjoy.

You Can Freeze Dirt Cake for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Dirt Cake?

It is super simple to defrost dirt cake. All you need to do is remove either the individual portion or the original tray of dirt cake and put it into the freezer to defrost.

This shouldn’t take too long, less than an hour or so, and it will return to its nice soft texture which is easy to cut through and eating it chilled is perfect for a hot summer’s day. 

Can You Refreeze Dirt Cake?

Theoretically yes, but we would not advise this as the cake could start to spoil and lose its delicious flavour.

Whilst you can freeze an entire dirt cake if you are making it ahead of a party, you should then keep any leftovers in the fridge for a few days and ensure they are consumed quickly.

Freezing individual portions will also ensure that you can only thaw what you are going to use. 

Does Dirt Cake Freeze Well?

Somewhat, yes. Dirt cake will keep in the freezer relatively problem-free and it will last longer than it would in the fridge, but it won’t last forever. You may also have some textural issues with some elements such as cream.

Given that the recipes can also be varying, you have to be careful with what you are putting into your cake to ensure that it will freeze well. It is still a good way of storing leftovers for any emergency dessert needs, especially given it can be thawed in less than an hour.