Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?

[Anonymous]

Title says it all. Looking to bake a birthday cake, but I need the cake (and frosting) to last a few days. Can potentially refrigerate it after a day or so, but it won't be eaten until 4 days after its baked. Long story. Any good recipes?

[Anonymous]

No, just buy a cake day of.

[Anonymous]

Maybe a depression cake? They're egg and dairy free.

[Anonymous]

I would bake the cake layers (anytime within a couple months) and freeze after cooled. You can make buttercream frosting a few days ahead, store as airtight as possible in fridge, bring to
Room temp and beat a few minutes before frosting cake. Day of all you have to do is thaw the cake layers and frost it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, any cake can do this. The enemy is air.
4 days is pushing it though.

How many people do you need to serve? Do you usually make a meringue-based buttercream or one that’s mostly powdered sugar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, any cake can do this. The enemy is air.
4 days is pushing it though.

How many people do you need to serve? Do you usually make a meringue-based buttercream or one that’s mostly powdered sugar?

Sorry I hit send too soon.
If this were me, and the cake didn’t need to be big, and I really had no time except for 4 days before, I would make the whole thing, frost it, and freeze it. You’d want to put the whole thing in Tupperware big enough for it, then wrap that in plastic wrap. 24 hours before serving, take the whole thing out and leave it, wrapped, on the counter.

The other option is to bake and freeze the cake layers (wrap well in plastic wrap, thaw wrapped) and then frost it closer to serving.

It doesn’t matter who made the cake and this sounds like a situation where it would be easier to just buy one.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the suggestions. It's a complicated story, but my child's birthday is coming up and she loves my homemade cakes. We're driving to another state to celebrate her birthday with her grandfather who is unfortunately terminally ill, so I need to bake the cake before I go, pack it in the car for the day-long drive, then I can put it in their fridge if need be when we arrive to celebrate her birthday a few days later.

So yes, the easiest path forward is of course to just buy a cake when we get there, but my kid really wants me to make it, and I can't really bake it at my in-law's house for a variety of reasons but could store it there.

A lot of details, but maybe the context/details might help.

[Anonymous]

I think it will be fine. If she would like a pound cake that will probably hold up better in terms of taste.

[Anonymous]

Would she agree to brownie sundaes? Make brownies and wrap tightly with plastic wrap (maybe even freeze before travel) and get ice cream and hot fudge. Could do something similar with pound cake and ice cream or some other warm glaze, fruit sauce. You could even pop what you make back in the freezer for a day or two once you get there. Think any dense kind of cake. She will be happy with whatever you make.

[Anonymous]

Can you at least assemble/decorate it there? Freeze the cake at home, bring in a cooler on the drive, put it in the refrigerator when you get there, and decorate day of.

[Anonymous]

You can bake any cake, wrap in several layers of plastic wrap, drive to the location, and then put it in their freezer. On the day of the celebration, take the cakes out and frost them immediately --- it is so easy to do when they are cold, you don't need a crumb coat or anything -- and then within a few hours, the layers will defrost.

We did this for a party this summer with two different cake recipes (a nut/chiffon and a regular sponge/lemon cake) and it worked out amazingly for both.

You could make the frosting ahead and bring in a cooler in the car or make the frosting the day-of. Frosting lasts forever in the fridge.

[Anonymous]

(you could also frost and assemble, drive there, and then freeze, but it is a lot easier to store in the freezer in separate layers, unless your relatives have a lot of empty freezer space)

[Anonymous]

this is my go-to cake recipe. it tastes even better the second/third day, and it lasts about 5 days, covered tightly. Note: I do not add frosting to this cake, just a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moms-chocolate-cake

and here are the answers to your cake storage questions: https://www.southernliving.com/food/desserts/cakes/how-to-store-cake

[Anonymous]

OP could you do cupcakes? Cupcakes in a box, I would get one from Amazon or a craft store or whatever that’s made for cupcakes. I can’t remember if it was Georgetown cupcakes or sprinkles but they ship with lollipop sticks in the cupcakes to keep them from hitting the top of the box. Wrap the box well with plastic wrap. Freeze them. Put it in a cooler bag for the drive but just do the best you can and then put it in the freezer when you get there. Thaw, wrapped, for idk but at least 4 hours I’d say before serving.

I’m the one who said to freeze the cake but cupcakes would be easier and a smaller box to put in a strange fridge. It’s crucial that it stays wrapped for thawing so any condensation forms outside the wrapping.

PS any cake recipe you like can become cupcakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, any cake can do this. The enemy is air.
4 days is pushing it though.

How many people do you need to serve? Do you usually make a meringue-based buttercream or one that’s mostly powdered sugar?

Sorry I hit send too soon.
If this were me, and the cake didn’t need to be big, and I really had no time except for 4 days before, I would make the whole thing, frost it, and freeze it. You’d want to put the whole thing in Tupperware big enough for it, then wrap that in plastic wrap. 24 hours before serving, take the whole thing out and leave it, wrapped, on the counter.

The other option is to bake and freeze the cake layers (wrap well in plastic wrap, thaw wrapped) and then frost it closer to serving.

It doesn’t matter who made the cake and this sounds like a situation where it would be easier to just buy one.

How do you freeze a cake without refrigeration?