Baking a cake is a big deal for a lot of us. I make them just for special occasions, like birthdays, and I bake from scratch. So when I go through all that trouble, I want everyone to enjoy every last crumb. And I'm not throwing any of it out -- I'm saving the leftovers to enjoy later.
So for those of us who want that last bite to taste every bit as good as the first (maybe even a little bit better?) here are 4 tips for storing cake so it stays fresh and yummy.
1. Cut your cake from the center, horizontally. You have to try this cake-cutting hack -- it's brilliant, and it'll make you stop slicing your cake into wedges forever. Instead, cut from the center horizontally, and then do additional slices the same way on either side. When you're ready to put the cake away, you just put the (hopefully equally-sized) sides back together and hold it shut with an elastic or kitchen twine. This keeps it from drying out -- and really works!
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
2. Frost the cut sides. So the aforementioned cake-cutting method might work best for fondant cakes. You don't want to smoosh your lovely frosting, right? In that case, frost the cut sides of your slices with more icing -- hopefully you've kept extra so you can do this! Otherwise, you'll want to cover those cut sides with cling wrap -- but don't cover the frosted parts.
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3. Store at room temperature. You can store your baked dessert unrefrigerated for 4-5 days unless your kitchen is especially hot, pastry chef Stella Parks tells The Kitchn. Put an inverted bowl over your cake. Cold cake is not delicious.
4. Refrigerate cream cheese or whipped cream-frosted cakes. These aren't going to hold up at room temperature, so store them in the refrigerator. Let them reach room temperature before eating.
Does your cake ever last long enough to save the leftovers? Do you have any tips for keeping it fresh to add?
Image ©iStock.com/Angelafoto