A delicious, fluffy sponge forms the basis of so many of our favourite cakes. If you like to do your baking in batches, you might be wondering if you can freeze sponge cake and defrost it at a later date?
Sponge cake can be frozen for around 3 months. Almost all types of sponge cake freeze well with very few issues, whether you freeze them whole or pre-sliced. Allow them to cool, wrap them well, and place them in the freezer.
Do Does Sponge Cake freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Sponge Cake? Yes
How to Freeze Sponge Cake
Any home baker will know that sponge cakes freeze extremely well. Whether itās a traditional Victoria sponge or something a little more daring, you can rest assured that your sponge cake will freeze extremely well for several months.
Here are the steps you need to take to freeze sponge cake:
- Cool
After youāve removed your cake from the oven, allow it to sit on a baking rack at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. This will give it sufficient time to cool. - Slice (Optional)
Itās perfectly fine to freeze a sponge cake whole, so you can skip this step if necessary. However, if you do slice your cake at this stage, it means you can remove it from the freezer by the slice, as opposed to as a whole cake. - Wrap
Next, you need to decide how you will wrap your sponge cake. The most important thing to ensure is that itās tightly wrapped, so the sponge doesnāt suffer from freezer burn. You can use either plastic wrap or tin foil, whichever you have at hand. - Place in a Bag
Once your cake is tightly wrapped, place it in a suitably sized freezer-safe bag. If your cake is multi-layered, you can freeze more than one piece of sponge in the same bag. - Label and Freeze
Write todayās date as well as the use-by date on the freezer-safe bag before sealing it and placing it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze sponge cake for around three months.
3 Tips for Freezing Sponge Cake
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing sponge cake to have the best results:
Freeze Before Topping
Although many cake toppings are suitable for freezing (such as cream cheese frosting), itās better to freeze the topping separately. This is mainly because the topping can easily get damaged in the freezer and also because it may cause the sponge to go soggy.
Defrost in the Fridge
Various sources will tell you that there are multiple ways to defrost a sponge cake, but we recommend only one: in the fridge. You need to allow your sponge cake sufficient time to thaw without drying out, which is why placing it in the fridge overnight is the perfect way to defrost it.
Flash-Freeze Smaller Cakes
If youāre planning to freeze smaller sponge cakes like muffins or cupcakes, consider freezing them on a tray initially before placing them in a freezer-safe bag once they have frozen solid. This will save you space in the freezer and will also reduce the amount of plastic wrap you need to use.
How Long Can You Freeze Sponge Cake?
You can freeze sponge cake for around three months. Some people will be comfortable with freezing cakes for longer than this, but the longer you leave a sponge cake in the freezer, the more chance it has of drying out.
As such, itās best to use your cake within three months just to be on the safe side. Most sponge cakes can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days before they start to go bad.
You Can Freeze Sponge Cake for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Sponge Cake?
As mentioned, the only way we recommend defrosting sponge cake is in the fridge overnight. While some people may defrost sponge cakes at room temperature or even in the microwave, we would advise against doing so.
Allowing your sponge cake sufficient time to defrost in the fridge before serving it is the only way to ensure it will be nice and moist when youāre ready to eat it.
Can You Refreeze Sponge Cake?
Technically, thereās no reason why you canāt refreeze sponge cake, providing you defrosted it in the fridge the first time around.
However, because the moisture content of a sponge cake is so crucial to its taste, we wouldnāt recommend doing so. The more you freeze and thaw a sponge cake, the more likely it is that it will dry out.
Does Sponge Cake Freeze Well?
Sponge cakes freeze extremely well, as do most cakes. This is great news for home bakers who like to spend a day batch baking, as it means you can get all your prep out of the way in one go.
If you do plan to freeze a sponge cake, just make sure you freeze the topping and any fillings separately to ensure your cake doesnāt go soggy in the freezer.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing sponge cake or cake in general, then these may help:
What is the Best Way to Freeze Sponge Cake?
If, however, you know you won’t eat an entire cake then slice it up and freeze it in portions to avoid wasting it in future. Refreezing sponge cake is what can cause it to dry out, unfortunately.
Does Freezing Sponge Cake Dry It Out?
If however, you end up refreezing it then you’ll notice the sponge will dry out much further.
