The best way to preserve wedding cake is to chill it quickly to set the frosting, and then freeze it in an airtight container. Then, when you’re ready to dig into that celebratory meal on your first anniversary, all you have to do is thaw it in the fridge for one to two days. Make sure to follow best practices for thawing and consuming leftovers safely!
Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to preserve wedding cake, with suggestions for multiple types of cakes and all the need-to-know details about food safety. No one wants to celebrate their one-year anniversary with food poisoning!
If you’re still in the throes of wedding planning, make sure to keep your actual big day safe, too. Get your wedding insurance quote now, with plans starting at $125.
What You Will Learn
How to Preserve a Wedding Cake for a Year
Starting at the reception, here’s how to preserve a wedding cake for your one-year anniversary.
Step 1: Act Fast
Remove the cake, or at least the top tier you plan to preserve, from the reception space. This should be done within two hours of the cake being served if it’s at room temperature, or one hour if it’s warm, per food safety guidelines.
As you’ll likely be busy having fun at your reception, you might want to enlist a responsible member of your wedding party or a family member to help with freezing your cake.
Step 2: Remove All Non-Edible Decorations
Remove any non-food items. This includes the cake topper, fresh flowers, and any supports the baker may have used, like rods to hold the cake in place. Sugar flowers can stay, but bear in mind that they may not hold their shape in the freezer.
Step 3: Pre-Chill the Cake
Place the cake on a baking sheet or cake tray, and let it pre-chill in the freezer for one to two hours until the frosting has hardened. This ensures that the wrapping will not stick to the frosting.
Step 4: Wrap the Cake
Wrap the cake in multiple layers of plastic wrap. You don’t want any gaps whatsoever.
Step 5: Add a Layer of Foil
Over the plastic wrap, add an extra layer of aluminum foil. Then, gently place the cake inside a freezer bag or an airtight container.
Step 6: Label the Cake
Using a piece of masking tape and a Sharpie, label the bag or container with the date, the cake’s flavor and filling, and thawing instructions.
Step 7: Freeze the Cake
Place the cake into a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Ideally, you’ll want it at the very back of the freezer, where the temperature will be most stable and unaffected by the opening and closing of the freezer door over the year ahead.
How to Thaw a Preserved Wedding Cake: Defrosting Instructions
A few days before you expect to eat it, remove your wrapped cake from the freezer (still in its air-tight container!) and place it in the fridge to thaw for 24 to 48 hours. When you’re ready to eat the cake, let it come to room temperature on your kitchen counter. Only then should you remove all of the wrappings.
Remember to be mindful of food safety rules during the thawing process. You don’t want to leave the cake on the counter for more than an hour or two at room temperature once it’s thawed.
Quick Cake Preservation Dos and Don’ts
- Do: Chill the cake first to set the frosting, before properly wrapping it in several airtight layers. This creates a moisture barrier and prevents freezer odors.
- Do: label is clearly before storing it in the freezer.
- Do: Thaw the cake in the fridge first to prevent textural changes and potential bacterial growth.
- Don’t: Keep perishable cake sitting out for hours at a time.
- Don’t: Rely on just a single layer of wrapping.
Factors That Might Affect Your Success
If you pulled your year-old cake out of the freezer and aren’t really liking what you see (or taste), it could be due to a few factors:
- Cake type: Some types of cake just don’t freeze well, like sponge cake.
- Frosting and filling type: Cakes covered in a whipped or meringue frosting don’t freeze as well as those that use buttercream or ganache.
- Wrapping quality: If the wrapping allowed any air to reach your cake, it likely resulted in freezer burn.
- Freezer temperature and location: Your freezer may not be keeping food cold enough, or the cake may have been positioned too close to the freezer door, where temperatures can fluctuate.
- Time: Overall, the longer a cake sits in the fridge, the more its quality deteriorates.
Should You Freeze Your Wedding Cake?
While it’s a common anniversary tradition to eat the preserved top tier of your wedding cake, this is a tricky process and not suitable for all cake types. You might want to consider other ways to celebrate, just in case it doesn’t work out.
If you’re considering hanging on to your wedding cake for the full year, ask yourself the following:
Does the Cake Feature Buttercream, Cream Cheese, Ganache Frosting, Whipped Cream, or Meringue Icing?
The first three icings freeze well; the latter two may not hold up the way you’d hope.
Did the Cake Sit Out at Your Reception for More Than Two Hours at Room Temperature, or One Hour in Hot/Summer Conditions?
If so, play it safe and don’t preserve it. The USDA advises never leaving food unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour if temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do You Have Freezer Space for the Cake?
Freezing the entire top tier of a wedding cake can take up a lot of freezer space, and over the course of a year, you might find yourself growing annoyed with organizing all your other food around it. Even if you just freeze a couple of slices, they end up taking up more space than you think.
Will You Be Fine with the Cake Not Being Super Fresh After a Year?
After a year, no matter what freezer burn prevention steps you’ve taken (or methods you’ve used to try to keep the cake moist), the cake will not taste bakery-fresh as it did on your wedding day. Will you be okay with that, or will it be a big let-down?
If your emotions are tied up in recreating the exact experience you had enjoying your cake at your reception, you may want to skip the freezer and find another alternative.
An Alternative: Work with a Baker to Replicate Your Wedding Cake
If your responses to the above questions have you thinking that you probably shouldn’t bother learning how to preserve a wedding cake, you do have another option. Work with a baker to create a mini replica of your original wedding cake.
Coordinate with the baker who originally made your cake or consult another pro so they can use the same cake flavors, icings, and decorative elements to create a fresh cake for your anniversary.
Freezing the Top Tier of Your Cake vs. Freezing a Few Slices vs. Getting a Replica
| Option | Effort | Best Outcome | Main Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze the top tier of your cake | Medium | Most traditional option and comes with no cost | Freezer burn and/or textural changes |
| Freeze only a few slices | Low | Easy and takes up less deep freezer space than the entire top tier | Less traditional |
| Order a fresh remake | Low | Best tasting and looking | Added cost and coordination |
FAQs About How to Best Preserve Wedding Cake
How long can you keep a wedding cake in the freezer?
You can keep a properly stored wedding cake in the freezer for up to a year, but most experts agree that you shouldn’t keep it much longer than that. The quality deteriorates the longer the cake is frozen.
Is it safe to eat wedding cake after a year?
As long as the cake was stored quickly and correctly, then, yes, it is safe to eat wedding cake after a year.
Do you have to freeze the top tier of a wedding cake?
While it is tradition, it’s not a requirement, and you have other options. Freezing a few slices of the cake or having a baker recreate a small version of your cake might be more practical.
Can you freeze a fondant-covered wedding cake?
Yes, but take care to properly wrap the cake to prevent the fondant from cracking or sticking.
Should you thaw a frozen wedding cake in the fridge or on the counter?
Always thaw frozen wedding cake in the fridge for 24–48 hours. This will result in the best texture and also prevent bacterial growth.
To Freeze or Not to Freeze?
Now that you know how to preserve a wedding cake top, you can decide if this tradition is a good fit for you and your new spouse. If you do go this route, make sure to take the necessary food safety precautions. Store the cake quickly, chilling it first to prevent sticking. Then, wrap it tightly and freeze it at a stable temperature.
As you plan out elements of your marriage celebration, remember to purchase wedding insurance as well. Your cake is but one tiny element of a very valuable event!
BriteCo’s comprehensive liability coverage protects you against costs arising from accidental damages to your venue, and also includes automatic protection from the risks of serving alcohol at your wedding, ensuring the policy purchaser (e.g., you, your parents) is not liable.
Comprehensive cancellation coverage offers additional peace of mind by protecting your investment if your wedding is canceled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Get your wedding insurance quote, with plans starting at $125, now.
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