Two day old muffins?

October 29, 2023 4:20 AM

If I bake some basic chocolate muffins now, how do I keep them succulent and delicious for Halloween? (Yes, I am a fairly inexperienced baker)
posted by Omnomnom to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

As soon as they cool, put them in an airtight container and you should be good!
posted by Eyelash at 4:35 AM on October 29, 2023 [7 favorites]

Cakes can also be frozen. Professional bakeries freeze cakes often. Wrap well, of course. If the cake is soft, let it freeze first and then tightly wrap.
posted by tmdonahue at 5:09 AM on October 29, 2023 [3 favorites]

Cool them completely, don't rush it. Before you put them in the airtight container lay a paper towel down under them. Put another paper towel on top before you put the lid on. The towels will help keep them nice and fresh.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 6:45 AM on October 29, 2023 [4 favorites]

No need to freeze since it’s only two days. Nthing putting them in an airtight container with paper towels once completely cool.
posted by slkinsey at 6:54 AM on October 29, 2023 [6 favorites]

Professional bakeries freeze cakes often.

Just commenting on this - it's possible to freeze cakes, but you would need to thaw them out a day before serving, and since you're serving on Halloween (Tuesday) it doesn't make sense to freeze things you're only making today (Sunday).

Letting them cool completely, like Robinofrocksley says, and then just keeping them in an airtight container would work fine.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:55 AM on October 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

Better recipe writers will give you guidance on which baked gioods store well and the best means of keeping them fresh. (IME, two days for something moist like a chocolate muffin will be fine, stored at room temperature in an airtight container. A quick rewarm in an oven with a pan of water for steam them help)
posted by crush at 9:54 AM on October 29, 2023

I would definitely freeze them. They will taste much better! Freeze them the day you bake them, and they'll be that fresh when you thaw them.

Muffins are small, so they'll thaw reasonably quickly. If you're giving them to kids with bags of candy, being frozen could help them stay intact. You can warn your recipients to "not eat them before midnight" or something to make sure they're at their best. Warming frozen muffins in the microwave for 45 seconds-1 minute should work too.

Your recipients will have a couple of additional days to eat them before they expire, too.

Honestly, you could leave them out for an hour and they'll thaw.

Even if you're serving them at a party: freezing will mean that, once thawed, they'll be as fresh as they were the day you baked them. Second day, third day muffins are still good, but not the same.
posted by amtho at 12:12 PM on October 29, 2023

The hard part of making muffins is measuring everything and cleaning up. Consider putting together the dry ingredients in a covered container, and putting the uncracked eggs in a container. Even the fluid and oil could be put in a jar. Prep the muffin tin(s). The actual mixing of pre-measured ingredients, and baking, is pretty easy. I have started measuring a 2nd jar of dry ingredients, with a not about what to add, every time I make muffins. Future self is always pleased with this. Happy Halloween!
posted by theora55 at 4:46 PM on October 29, 2023

To add to what I wrote about freezing. Refrigerating baked goods will accelerate staling until the baked good is frozen. This seems contradictory but it's the current state of food science. (Covers yeast bread as well.) I think folks who commented that it's only two days and freezing is excessive are right but when you put the cupcakes in an air-tight container, don't refrigerate it.

Also, about professionals freezing cakes: the cakes are usually not yet frosted.
posted by tmdonahue at 5:15 AM on October 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

Muffins typically have plenty of sugar in them which helps keep them moist and resistant to going stale. Bake them, let them cool and keep them in an airtight container and I'd expect them to keep well for a good week at least. Any longer than that and I'd freeze them. Agree with others about freezing rather than refrigerating; they'll go stale faster in the fridge than the counter.
posted by Aleyn at 2:09 PM on October 30, 2023