We were overflowing with desserts at our family Christmas party, and my aunt said she would just put her cupcakes in the freezer, and we could defrost them later. My question is, how do you defrost cupcakes without ruining them? And now that it is 6 months later, is it even possible? We tried the tradition of saving a piece of wedding cake in the freezer and eating it at our 1st anniversary, and it was terrible! Everyone else I know who tried it said the same thing.
Thanks everyone! I defrosted the cupcakes today and tried one, and they are fine! I guess we kept the air out of them better than we did for my wedding cake. Also, we kept them in my mother's back-up freezer, which doesn't get opened every day, so from what I read of your advice, that would keep the temperature more consistent. I wish I has stashed my wedding cake there! :)
Just take them out and let them thaw on the counter or in the fridge. Usually, they last a few months if they were sealed properly.
Let them thaw in the fridge for several hours then let them come to room temp on the counter. Keep them in their container the entire time for this. Don't be surprise if the papers come off them though because of the condensation.
The risk for food poisoning is relatively low with most baked goods given the amount of sugar but of course it can happen when something is left out in extreme conditions or has perishable frostings/fillings. Wedding cakes sit out for hours but the bakers know which frostings and fillings are sturdy enough.
As a baker, I always give my brides instructions on how to preserve their top tier so it will still be tasty. The entire cake needs to be placed in the freezer for about an hour so it's easier to handle then wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap then placed in it's box then the box needs to be wrapped in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. I recommend changing these layers every 2-3 months to help maintain the cake.
Man, my wedding cake was better tasting a year later. We actually made it into a birthday/father's day cake. LOL. We often freeze cupcakes (my sister in law makes a ton, and they are so darm good we don't throw them away. The trick it you have to make sure its air-tight. then we let it defrost in the fridge rather then the freezer. Good Luck!
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For the future... frozen cupcakes are actually more delicious than fresh! Try eating them straight out of the freezer next time! The cake feels more dense in your mouth like a brownie and the frosting becomes like thick, rich gelato ice cream!!!
Whether or not the cupcakes will still be good depends a lot on what kind of cake they are. I think the longest it's recommended to keep cakes frozen is 4-6 weeks. 6 months is way longer than it's recommended to keep baked goods frozen.
The best cake to freeze and still be good is carrot cake, I think, or one that has a solid texture and no frosting. Many bakeries will make the top layer of a wedding cake carrot cake so that it will hold up better after a year. And the cake needs to be frozen at as low a temperature as possible and the temperature needs to stay consistent. These conditions are not possible in the freezer combined with a refrigerator or in a self-defrost freezer.
The only way I know of defrosting them is to take the cover off and let them sit on the counter. Take the cover off because there will be some moisture adhering to it. If there are chunks of crystals on the frosting, lightly brush that off too.
The reason that cakes don't hold up well with being frozen for a long time is that ice crystals form and alter the texture. If the cake warms and freezes the texture is altered each time the crystal is changed by the change in temperature. This happens even tho the cake is not totally thawed.
I hope that your cupcakes are good enough to be tasty tho they won't be top notch.
I have some recipes that say I can freese the muffins/cupcakes for later, but they all say to use them with in 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge. Rule of thumb for freezing anything- 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap, then a ziplock bag. Or for wedding cake add a layer of foil before ziplock bag.
