to freeze one's cake and NOT eat it too
March 25, 2010 7:57 AM Subscribe
Cake that freezes well, but isn't edible when frozen?
somewhat embarrassing filter: I sort of can't help finishing cakes. I thought I'd get around this by freezing my cakes and later defrosting pre-cut portions. As fate would have it, the first two cakes I've tried this with (chocolate beet cake, olive oil and polenta cake) are (not as good as fresh but) quite edible frozen, and within 2 days no longer existed.
Which cakes will this work with?
somewhat embarrassing filter: I sort of can't help finishing cakes. I thought I'd get around this by freezing my cakes and later defrosting pre-cut portions. As fate would have it, the first two cakes I've tried this with (chocolate beet cake, olive oil and polenta cake) are (not as good as fresh but) quite edible frozen, and within 2 days no longer existed.
Which cakes will this work with?
Response by poster: but are they inedible when frozen?
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:02 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:02 AM on March 25, 2010
Most straightforward cakes will freeze pretty well, although I've never heard of anyone eating them whilst still frozen.
If you have such a problem with food that you can't stop yourself from eating frozen cakes, I'd sincerely suggest that you just stop making or buying cakes. Or failing that, give the excess away.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 8:03 AM on March 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
If you have such a problem with food that you can't stop yourself from eating frozen cakes, I'd sincerely suggest that you just stop making or buying cakes. Or failing that, give the excess away.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 8:03 AM on March 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
Water freezes, fat stays edible and delicious.
Think outside the icebox (groan), like give your cake to a friend and invite yourself over for a slice.
posted by domnit at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2010
Think outside the icebox (groan), like give your cake to a friend and invite yourself over for a slice.
posted by domnit at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: I'm fairly certain there's no such thing as a cake that not edible while frozen. Sorry - I understand where you're coming from.
You could try portioning the batter into muffins, and only baking what you want to eat, then freezing the unbaked batter. While frozen batter might be technically edible, I don't think it would be appealing at all. Continue to bake only 1-2 muffins at a time (you can use a toaster oven).
posted by insectosaurus at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
You could try portioning the batter into muffins, and only baking what you want to eat, then freezing the unbaked batter. While frozen batter might be technically edible, I don't think it would be appealing at all. Continue to bake only 1-2 muffins at a time (you can use a toaster oven).
posted by insectosaurus at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Wondering how you're freezing them (wrap), and thawing. It shouldn't be much different than bread. Defrosting on the counter, in a ZipLoc works quite well. You're always going to lose some quality when freezing.
posted by JABof72 at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by JABof72 at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
My grandmother used to make lemon drizzle cake (actually more of a loaf than a cake IMHO) which freezes really well, and was like bloody concrete frozen. You could probably eat it frozen, but you'd need a plasma cutter to hack a slice off...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 8:08 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 8:08 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: My suspicion is that you won't find anything suitable. That said, if you can find a cake that freezes well and has relatively little oil, I think it'll be less likely to be tasty when still frozen. At the very least it'll damage your teeth when you try to bite into it.
posted by tavegyl at 8:11 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by tavegyl at 8:11 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: It's the oil: "This slow increase in hardening as the temperature is lowered is in sharp contrast to a pure substance such as water that switches from a liquid to solid phase at an exact temperature." When it's distributed in a cake like it is it'll probably never get hard, thus the popularity of eating Allie's Donuts (old fashioned with lots of fat) straight from the freezer. Lowering the amount of oil should do it.
posted by jwells at 8:11 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by jwells at 8:11 AM on March 25, 2010
Frozen toffee (and similar things) is very hard to eat. The best you can do is gnaw on it at the edges. Maybe you can use that fact somehow, like as a mix-in.
posted by smackfu at 8:13 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by smackfu at 8:13 AM on March 25, 2010
Seems like the very things that make cake cake-y (relatively dry, dense crumb, high fat content) shoudl also make for edibility in both unfrozen and frozen condition.
Instead of trying to make the cake inedible, could you use a barrier method to make it inaccessible instead? Maybe try baking cupcakes, then putting each one in a ziploc bag, submerging in water in small Gladware containers, and freezing. You'd end up with a nice row of ice blocks, each with a cupcake suspended in the middle, and defrosting each one would probably take too much time for you to blow through an entire cake's worth in a single evening.
Alternatively, try freezing mini-portions of ingredients instead (separating dry from wet), mixing and baking individually when you're feeling peckish?
posted by Bardolph at 8:13 AM on March 25, 2010
Instead of trying to make the cake inedible, could you use a barrier method to make it inaccessible instead? Maybe try baking cupcakes, then putting each one in a ziploc bag, submerging in water in small Gladware containers, and freezing. You'd end up with a nice row of ice blocks, each with a cupcake suspended in the middle, and defrosting each one would probably take too much time for you to blow through an entire cake's worth in a single evening.
Alternatively, try freezing mini-portions of ingredients instead (separating dry from wet), mixing and baking individually when you're feeling peckish?
posted by Bardolph at 8:13 AM on March 25, 2010
Response by poster: I like the idea of freezing the batter (I don't like eating batter...).
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:14 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:14 AM on March 25, 2010
(But n.b. I don't think you can just freeze batter straight-up; the leavening apparently doesn't last well in the freezer. Freeze dry + wet, then mix before baking.)
posted by Bardolph at 8:16 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by Bardolph at 8:16 AM on March 25, 2010
Because my family has historically eaten baked goods directly from the freezer (frozen chocolate chips really hurt your teeth!) I have found, in the past, that the single-serving recipe on the side of the No Pudge box was pretty much perfect for me.
posted by pinky at 8:16 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by pinky at 8:16 AM on March 25, 2010
Zucchini bread and carrot cake are inedible (at least to me) while frozen. YMMV.
posted by ColdChef at 8:19 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by ColdChef at 8:19 AM on March 25, 2010
Make smaller cakes, or make small batches of cupcakes. The less there is, the less you can steal, "Thief of Sweets" ;) I love the idea of putting the cakes in ice blocks.
posted by iconomy at 8:20 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by iconomy at 8:20 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: Panforte? It's fairly tough to eat even at room temperature, I doubt you would be able to do much with it when not defrosted.
posted by tomcooke at 8:21 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by tomcooke at 8:21 AM on March 25, 2010
You could mix the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients together and keep them separate in the fridge. Then you could just make a cupcake or two when you feel like it. Still, this would only work for a little while because of the raw eggs. I don't think freezing the entire batter works because of the chemical reaction with the baking soda/powder which produces a gas that gives cake its fluffiness doesn't last indefinitely (the gas will eventually escape), so your cakes will be flat.
I also have this problem, so I usually make cookies where it's easier to make small batches, and less messy to put in the kitchen at work when I've had my healthy fill!
posted by bluefly at 8:24 AM on March 25, 2010
I also have this problem, so I usually make cookies where it's easier to make small batches, and less messy to put in the kitchen at work when I've had my healthy fill!
posted by bluefly at 8:24 AM on March 25, 2010
Also, freezing raw eggs doesn't really work. They get a weird texture to them, so I wouldn't freeze the wet ingredients.
posted by bluefly at 8:25 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by bluefly at 8:25 AM on March 25, 2010
cinnamon rolls I wouldn't be able to eat frozen. They are also delicious when heated again.
posted by furisto at 8:36 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by furisto at 8:36 AM on March 25, 2010
Slice the cake up, put each slice in a Ziplock bag, and then put the bags -o- cake in a RubberMaid container of water. Freeze this.
The slices will be frozen in a block of water, making them impossible to eat without defrosting fully.
posted by bondcliff at 8:39 AM on March 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
The slices will be frozen in a block of water, making them impossible to eat without defrosting fully.
posted by bondcliff at 8:39 AM on March 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: anyone know what cheesecake is like frozen? does it harden enough to render it inedible?
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by ThiefOfSweets at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2010
There's nothing wrong with freezing raw eggs or batter. I often make large batches of cookie dough and freeze the extras that are already scooped and in cookie form. There are no textural issues.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:10 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by elsietheeel at 9:10 AM on March 25, 2010
And no, cheesecake is effing delicious when it's frozen.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:10 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by elsietheeel at 9:10 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: There are definitely cake-like breads that are inedible frozen, unless you have super strength in your teeth. A good friend makes a chocolate zucchini bread that's to die for, but most definitely needs to be defrosted (I've tried eating it frozen... it didn't work). It's even hard to slice frozen. I don't recall it being an unusual recipe either... maybe it was the massive quantity of zucchini in it that made it freeze so solidly?
posted by cgg at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by cgg at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2010
Unfortunately, cheesecake is delicious frozen. Not that I know from experience. I would recommend dividing all of your recipes by 10 (convert to grams and get a good scale) and make 1-3 cupcakes.
posted by fermezporte at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by fermezporte at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2010
Raise the moisture content, and it will be harder to eat frozen, but I think the batter idea is the real winner. With leavened cakes that have baking powder/soda, it doesn't get active until liquid is added, so you might even be able to make a bunch of dry cake mix, ready to add milk and maybe a bit of egg. People make really nifty jar cakes that take enough time/effort that they should slow you down.
posted by theora55 at 9:18 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by theora55 at 9:18 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: Since it's the fat that's keeping it edible, perhaps genoise would work better--a lean cake that is then soaked in syrup to make it moist. The syrup will probably make it freeze rock hard.
posted by HotToddy at 9:33 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by HotToddy at 9:33 AM on March 25, 2010
Cheesecake is not cake. It's pie. So even if this worked, it won't count!
Any cake will be better within a couple days of baking it anyway, so my advice is, when you have more cake than you feel is appropriate to eat in two days: Invite a bunch of friends over to eat it, or bring it in to work or whatever. The decadent sensory benefits you will be giving up will be traded for social benefits, and the cake will eaten at its best. "Not keeping sweets around" is a common tactic for dealing with a poor ability to not eat them all at once. Stocking other less unhealthy snacks is probably a necessary component of that plan.
posted by aubilenon at 9:33 AM on March 25, 2010
Any cake will be better within a couple days of baking it anyway, so my advice is, when you have more cake than you feel is appropriate to eat in two days: Invite a bunch of friends over to eat it, or bring it in to work or whatever. The decadent sensory benefits you will be giving up will be traded for social benefits, and the cake will eaten at its best. "Not keeping sweets around" is a common tactic for dealing with a poor ability to not eat them all at once. Stocking other less unhealthy snacks is probably a necessary component of that plan.
posted by aubilenon at 9:33 AM on March 25, 2010
Best answer: Freezing the batter will work, I've done it. Make up the batter, fill paper cupcake wrappers with it, freeze them, and just pop them directly into the oven and bake as you normally would for a cupcake - they might take a bit longer than baking unfrozen batter, but not much, it'll be comparable. I also do this with cookie dough (just by smooshing a long cookie dough log in saran wrap and breaking off pieces to bake), that way you can only make the number of cookies you want to eat and they are always fresh out of the oven.
posted by yarrow at 10:31 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by yarrow at 10:31 AM on March 25, 2010
I just have to observe how eponysterical this question is.
posted by zadcat at 10:32 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by zadcat at 10:32 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just as a data point: brownie batter is fantastic to eat from a spoon when frozen; cake batter not so much. I've never tried to bake it later - it's just for eating frozen.
The other suggestion that I've seen for dieters who want cake is to go to a restaurant and order one slice. Eat it at the restaurant and don't keep cake in the house. Bakeries, including the one in my local grocery store, also sell cake by the slice.
posted by CathyG at 10:36 AM on March 25, 2010
The other suggestion that I've seen for dieters who want cake is to go to a restaurant and order one slice. Eat it at the restaurant and don't keep cake in the house. Bakeries, including the one in my local grocery store, also sell cake by the slice.
posted by CathyG at 10:36 AM on March 25, 2010
The Mexican tres leches cake is a fairly normal yellow/white cake with a whipped cream frosting, but the whole cake gets soaked in a milk/cream sauce. Such a sauce would freeze pretty solid, and render your cake a block of ice.
I have no idea if it would taste right when you thaw it out, though.
posted by aimedwander at 10:55 AM on March 25, 2010
I have no idea if it would taste right when you thaw it out, though.
posted by aimedwander at 10:55 AM on March 25, 2010
Theres no reason you're limited to baking a whole cake at a time.
The book Ratio explains simple ratios that can be scaled up or down to suit your needs. His chocolate cake recipe, scaled to fit a single 2 oz (large) egg, makes 2 ramekin/cupcake sized portions. The only catch is you need weight-based measurements, not volumetric. A kitchen scale is a great thing to have if you're watching calories anyways. Just measure everything directly into a mixing bowl on the scale, hitting tare after each ingredient. Takes 2 min.
Also, you can split an egg, if you really only want 1 piece at a time. Beat it, then weigh out 1 oz. I'd probably just toss the remaining bit, but it could be saved for omelets.
posted by fontophilic at 2:31 PM on March 25, 2010
The book Ratio explains simple ratios that can be scaled up or down to suit your needs. His chocolate cake recipe, scaled to fit a single 2 oz (large) egg, makes 2 ramekin/cupcake sized portions. The only catch is you need weight-based measurements, not volumetric. A kitchen scale is a great thing to have if you're watching calories anyways. Just measure everything directly into a mixing bowl on the scale, hitting tare after each ingredient. Takes 2 min.
Also, you can split an egg, if you really only want 1 piece at a time. Beat it, then weigh out 1 oz. I'd probably just toss the remaining bit, but it could be saved for omelets.
posted by fontophilic at 2:31 PM on March 25, 2010
Frozen cheesecake is almost better than unfrozen cheesecake. It's like eating ice-cream and cheesecake at once. Stay far away.
posted by Nattie at 10:12 PM on March 25, 2010
posted by Nattie at 10:12 PM on March 25, 2010
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posted by ColdChef at 8:00 AM on March 25, 2010