How to Cool Down a Cake Before Icing | Betty Crocker UK (2024)

FAQs

How to Cool Down a Cake Before Icing | Betty Crocker UK? ›

Luckily, we have a few cooling hacks you can use. Take your cake out of the pan after it has been left to sit for 10 minutes and place it directly onto a cooling tray. Cut your cake. More layers mean more air, forcing your cake to cool faster.

If the cake is moist to begin with, you don't need to worry about it drying out while cooling on the counter for two hours or in the fridge for one hour. It should be completely cool by then, and then you can cover and store it in the fridge or freezer or coat it with icing.

The fastest way to cool a cake is to use your refrigerator and freezer. Only use the refrigerator for short periods of time, as too much time inside one can rob your dessert of its moisture in just a few days. Freezers don't present the same problem. Use plastic wrap before storing your cakes in either place.

Cool cake layers in pans on wire cooling racks for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the side of each pan to loosen the cake. Cover a rack with a towel, then place it, towel side down, on top of cake layer; turn upside down as a unit.

Attempting to spread frosting onto warm cake layers is a recipe for sloppy disaster. Chill your cake layers for at least 2 hours, or better, overnight. If you've made your frosting ahead, make sure it's at room temperature before you start.

How to keep cake moist after baking? If you wrap the cake as soon as it is cool enough to touch, it will stay moist. As long as you keep your unfrosted cake parts from touching the air, they will stay moist. (Unless you over baked your cake, then that's a completely different problem.)

If the cake is not frosted, you can just keep in out the counter overnight … best to seal it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, ONCE it has cooled completely, so it doesn't dry out.

Using an air-tight container is the best and easiest way to keep your cake from getting exposed to air. However, if you don't have one of those, you can wrap your cake in cling film, or if it's iced, place a large inverted bowl over it to trap the air.

Put your cake in the fridge.

After allowing it to cool briefly on the countertop, place your cake pan in the refrigerator for another 5-10 minutes. This will further cool the cake without causing it to dry out. It should be pretty cool to the touch after 5 or 10 minutes.

2) Too much flour was used

If you use a cup rather than a scale there's a good chance you're using too much flour: up to 20% too much, if you use the measuring cup as a scoop then tamp the flour down. Any baked good — especially cake —with too much flour will be dry, hard, crumbly … take your unhappy pick.

Can you leave a cake out overnight before frosting? ›

That's right, you won't be frosting your cake at room temperature; a chilled cake is essential before applying any frosting. "This step is the most important. Not chilling the cake will result in a non-straight cake. It can be lopsided, or even fall," explains Smith.

To keep your cake from getting dry or crumbly, use all the eggs called for in the package directions and use large eggs, rather than small ones. If you're not sure what size eggs you have, measure them: 3 whole large eggs equals 2/3 cup; 3 egg whites equals 1/2 cup. Also, don't leave out the oil!

The oven temperature is too high. If the top crust forms and sets before the cake has finished rising, the middle will try to push through the crust as it continues to bake, causing it to crack and possibly dome. Check your oven with an oven thermometer and reduce the temperature accordingly if it is running hot.

How Long to Cool a Cake Before Icing It? Our recommendation on how long to cool a cake before icing it is to wait 2-3 hours for your cake to cool completely. Then, add a crumb coat and refrigerate the cake for up to 30 minutes. Once that is done, you'll be able to ice until your heart's content.

Consider the fridge or freezer if you're in a hurry and have little time for room-temperature cooling; just cover the entire cake in plastic wrap and store it in either option. You can warm it up later, but serving it cold is also an option!

Freezing Cake Layers

Let the cake layers cool in the pan after baking for at least 20 to 30 minutes, so they are firm enough to handle. Cake layers right out of the oven are too hot and fragile to remove from the pan.

Not chilling the cake will result in a non-straight cake. It can be lopsided, or even fall," explains Smith. Warm cake is more tender and likely to break. But chilling the cake helps the baked good firm up so it can withstand frosting, stacking, and any moving between places.

After removing it from the oven, place the pound cake, right side up, in the pan on a wire rack, and let it cool for 10 minutes away from drafts. This cool time allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart.

It's important to pay attention to the specifics called for in a recipe, but in general, most cakes are best removed from the pan after cooling for 10 to 20 minutes. Try it too soon, and it may fall apart. Wait too long, and it may stick.

Freezing Cake Layers

Let the cake layers cool in the pan after baking for at least 20 to 30 minutes, so they are firm enough to handle. Cake layers right out of the oven are too hot and fragile to remove from the pan.