For many, cakes are a symbol of celebration. They are used to commemorate new life, important events, holidays, and birthdays, almost any festivity that you attend is sure to have a cake involved. But even better than cake, there’s cake batter.
The cake batter is often the best part of making a cake because, even though you aren’t supposed to eat it, almost everyone enjoys licking the bowl. After all, you can’t save cake batter after the first day, or can you?
If you need to save your cake batter for more than 1-2 hours you should always refrigerate it. This will keep the cake batter from spoiling until you are ready to use it. If you need the batter to last for more than a couple of days, freezing the batter is your best bet.
How Long Does Cake Batter Last?
The length of time that cake batter lasts will depend on how the cake batter is stored. If the cake batter is stored in the refrigerator it can last for a couple of days before it should be thrown away. Keeping it at a low temperature helps to prevent bacterial growth and keep any of the ingredients from spoiling.
If you store the cake batter on the countertop, it will only last for 1-2 hours before it should be thrown away. This is because raw cake batter typically contains eggs and dairy products, both of which need to remain refrigerated. If they are left at room temperature for more than 1-2 hours rapid bacterial growth can occur which will make the food unsafe.
How to Store Cake Batter
Ideally, you’ll use cake batter immediately after you’ve finished mixing it. This will give the cake the best texture and make it the ideal temperature to go straight into the oven. However, that isn’t always realistic.
If you’ve made a big batch of cake batter your oven may not fit it all and you may have to bake the cakes over multiple days. This means that you will need to store the cake batter for a minimum of several hours, possibly a couple of days before it can be used.
If you are planning on using the batter within 1-2 days, the best way to store it is in the refrigerator. This will keep the bacteria from going bad without fully freezing it so you have to go through the thawing process before you can use it again.
If you need to store your cake batter for a longer period of time, it is best to freeze it. This will make it so that you can keep the batter fresh for several months and not worry about it going bad.
How to Refrigerate Cake Batter
Refrigerating your cake batter is a super simple process, you don’t even have to transfer the batter to a new container. All you’ll need is some plastic wrap or a different airtight container and lid.
Simply leave the batter in the original mixing bowl and cover the bowl tightly using plastic wrap. This will help to prevent the air in the refrigerator from drying the batter out and changing the texture of the batter.
Alternatively, you can also transfer the batter into airtight containers with lids if you don’t have plastic wrap on hand or need to use the mixing bowl for something else.
How to Freeze Cake Batter
If you won’t be using your leftover cake batter right away, the best thing to do is to freeze your cake batter. This will allow you to keep your cake batter fresh for a couple of months, giving you lots of time to wait until you bake your next cake.
To freeze your cake batter you will need multiple heavy-duty freezer bags and an airtight container to store the bags in.
Simply spoon the cake batter into the freezer bags, making sure to fill each of them to only 80% capacity. If you fill them up completely, the expanding batter could cause them to explode creating a giant frozen mess in your freezer.
After they are filled try and squeeze as much air out of each bag as possible then seal it.
Once the bags are sealed you should place all of the bags into an airtight container. This will provide the cake batter with an extra layer of protection against the dry air in the freezer. It will also keep the bags from breaking if they get jostled around while they are in the freezer.
With this method, your cake batter will stay fresh for up to three months before you should toss it and whip up another batch.
Thawing
Once you are ready to bake your frozen batter all you’ll have to do is transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan on baking. This will give the batter plenty of time to gradually thaw without exposing it to room temperature.
The process applies if you are thawing a frozen cake or any other food with perishable ingredients.
Make sure to beat your batter once more before you bake to ensure that there is no separation after thawing.
How to Bake Cold Batter
After your batter comes out of the fridge or freezer it will still be pretty cold. This can make the baking process slightly different since you are not going from room temperature as most recipes intend.
Once you’ve taken your batter out of the fridge you should let it sit in the pan at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but no more than one hour, before baking. This will allow the temperature of the batter to warm up enough that you shouldn’t have to alter the baking time too much.
If you want to bake the batter directly from the fridge you’ll just need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. It is also recommended to bake the cold batter in a long, thin pan to allow the batter to warm up more quickly. If you bake it in a deep pan the outer layers could begin to cook while the inside is still cold.
How Long Can Cake Batter Sit Out Before Baking?
Cake batter can sit out for up to 2 hours before it needs to be baked. Generally speaking, you don’t want to leave perishable foods that contain dairy or eggs at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. After two hours at above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rapid bacterial growth will begin which will cause the food to spoil.
If you need to save your cake batter for longer than this you should store it in the refrigerator. This will prevent bacterial growth and keep your cake better fresh for a couple of days compared to just a couple of hours.
Conclusion
The next time you have leftover cake batter, don’t think that you have to throw it away because there’s no way to store it. There are multiple ways to store cake batter so it stays fresh and can be used for future cakes.
If you only need it to stay fresh for a couple of days, storing the container of batter in the refrigerator should do the trick. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep the batter from drying out.
If you don’t know when you’ll be baking a cake next, try giving freezing a try. Freezing your cake batter in heavy-duty freezer bags can keep your cake batter fresh for several months before it should be tossed.
