Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 21:42     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Anonymous wrote:Absolutely bake the cake then freeze at your home. Make the frosting and freeze. Once you're at their home you'll just need beaters of some sort to rewhip the defrosted frosting. Then you can assemble and decorate. Keep the decorations simple.


This is what I would do. Freeze the parts, then assemble at the destination.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 17:52     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Anonymous wrote:It think PP that said refrigerate before you drive, put it on ice and refrigerate after is probably right.

But I also think that a cake, when wrapped in saran wrap and then aluminum foil, will do fine for a couple of days at room tempoerature. The frosting is the tricky part. Woudl she tolerate store bought frosting in a can? Or, alternatively, does she like ganache? It is super easy to make in a microwave -- basically microwave some chocolate (can even use good chips) in a bowl, stirring often until melted, add a bunch of butter and stir until melted, add a little milk or cream to thin in. Let it cool slightly until it starts to thicken, and then you can pour or spread over the cake and as it cools it will get glossy and thicker. It is so good.

My favorite cake of all times is a homemade chocolate sour-cream cake, filled with sweetened whipped cream, and covered with ganache. (I think you could even do that and use Reddiwhip from the store as the filling -- I wouldn't do that at home, but Reddiwhip is an acceptable substitute when whipped cream is too much hassle.)

Speaking of Reddiwhip, another valid opetion is a homemade pound cake with Reddiwhip and fresh berries that you can pick up at a grocery store near them. Yum.


OP here. Thanks for your post.

I'm actually thinking that my usual birthday cake recipe, with my usual buttercream frosting, might be just fine. I'll make it the day before, keep it in a covered pan for the drive, then just keep at room temp upon arrival and throw in the fridge for the last day or so if it's looking not so great (or just celebrate/eat it early). Buttercream is pretty hardy frosting. Any thoughts on that?
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 17:41     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
It think PP that said refrigerate before you drive, put it on ice and refrigerate after is probably right.

But I also think that a cake, when wrapped in saran wrap and then aluminum foil, will do fine for a couple of days at room tempoerature. The frosting is the tricky part. Woudl she tolerate store bought frosting in a can? Or, alternatively, does she like ganache? It is super easy to make in a microwave -- basically microwave some chocolate (can even use good chips) in a bowl, stirring often until melted, add a bunch of butter and stir until melted, add a little milk or cream to thin in. Let it cool slightly until it starts to thicken, and then you can pour or spread over the cake and as it cools it will get glossy and thicker. It is so good.

My favorite cake of all times is a homemade chocolate sour-cream cake, filled with sweetened whipped cream, and covered with ganache. (I think you could even do that and use Reddiwhip from the store as the filling -- I wouldn't do that at home, but Reddiwhip is an acceptable substitute when whipped cream is too much hassle.)

Speaking of Reddiwhip, another valid opetion is a homemade pound cake with Reddiwhip and fresh berries that you can pick up at a grocery store near them. Yum.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 15:15     Subject: Re:Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
OP here. I am very grateful for all the tips. Maybe I'm cynical about DCUM these days and was expecting some snark, so I am genuinely touched by all the brainstorming. Still deciding what to do!
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 14:04     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Try a dictionary cake, it needs refrigerated but does well sitting around.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 13:57     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Bake the cake before the trip.
Put in refrigerator until ready to depart for trip.
Pack it on ice (and lots of layers) for the drive in a cooler.
Put in refrigerator at family’s house.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 12:24     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
How old is the child? Does it have to truly be celebrated on the day of? Celebrate the day you get there and call it their birthday. When I worked as a nurse, we just celebrated Thanksgiving and Xmas, birthdays etc whenever it worked best with my schedule. DD never knew the difference when she was young.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 10:51     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Absolutely bake the cake then freeze at your home. Make the frosting and freeze. Once you're at their home you'll just need beaters of some sort to rewhip the defrosted frosting. Then you can assemble and decorate. Keep the decorations simple.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 10:50     Subject: Re:Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Anonymous wrote:May I suggest buying a cake to eat that day with the grandparents and baking your child’s homemade cake on a different day when you are home? I am fairly certain a child of any age would be more than pleased to get two cakes instead of one, and this would save you a lot of cake gymnastics.


I have to say... this is the answer. Or if you must bake "the cake" (as well as buying something), I like the idea of just a small batch of cupcakes of the original recipe. If you are going to do the whole freeze, thaw, assemble thing, it would be a lot easier with a smaller volume of cake.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 10:38     Subject: Re:Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
May I suggest buying a cake to eat that day with the grandparents and baking your child’s homemade cake on a different day when you are home? I am fairly certain a child of any age would be more than pleased to get two cakes instead of one, and this would save you a lot of cake gymnastics.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 09:23     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
My favorite cake growing up was an eggless, dairy-free chocolate cherry upside down cake. I have seen it come back in recent years as a "vegan" recipe. We always used fresh fruit and a little sugar instead of canned pie filling but using canned would make it last longer. Given the shelf stable ingredients, I think it would keep fine for your travel time if wrapped tightly.

allrecipes.com/recipe/7294/chocolate-cherry-upside-down-cake/
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 09:20     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
This cake is delicious!! It stays moist for 4 days.

https://www.recipetineats.com/my-very-best-vanilla-cake/
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 09:04     Subject: Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Make the cake. Freeze the layers. Refrigerate the icing. Pack all in a cooler with ice packs on the drive. Decorate day of serving.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2022 08:57     Subject: Re:Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Anonymous wrote:
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?


I didn’t know about the day long drive when I posted that. A frozen cake would probably be fine packed in a cooler with ice, but it’s just going to take a lot of space. And a lot of space in the destination freezer. That’s why I came back and recommended cupcakes. It’s fine if they thaw in the car and get re-frozen. Not ideal but also not going to ruin them.
Anonymous
Post 09/20/2022 22:15     Subject: Re:Homemade cake recipe that can last a few days without refrigeration?
Anonymous wrote:
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?


OP has refrigeration on both ends of her drive sounds like.

Pound cake freezes well if frosting/construction is more cooking than will be viable at the destination. I would go with a sugar drizzled lemon pound cake, freeze at home, toss in a cooler for the drive, put in freezer at the destination, then defrost the day of the birthday.