The Absolute Best Way To Freeze Coffee Cake

Nothing hits like a slice of warm coffee cake with a soft yet crunchy crumble. Whether you're making a cinnamon streusel coffee cake, using Ina Garten's tip of adding walnuts for texture, or adding sour cream to Bisquick coffee cake, you may have wondered if you can freeze the leftovers to save for a later date. Or perhaps you're looking to make one ahead of a holiday to reduce your stress on the day of the big event. Whatever the case, we're happy to let you know that yes, you can freeze coffee cake — and it'll taste just as fresh as the day you baked it. 

When it comes to freezing your cake, there are just a few things you'll want to keep in mind. For instance, the cake should be completely cool before storing it to prevent freezer burn and ensure the warm cake doesn't accidentally start thawing other frozen food. Once ready, you can freeze the cake whole or cut it up into slices if you need a little more room in the freezer. Either way, you'll want to wrap the cake — or slices — in at least one layer of plastic wrap, ensuring everything is tightly covered and sealed on all sides. Next, you can wrap it again in aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-friendly airtight container or Ziploc bag for storage (or both!). This can be kept in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

While wrapping your cooled cake is a great approach, you can also go the extra step to flash freeze your cake — or slices — before wrapping. Like using this technique for frosted cakes to make wrapping easier, freezing your crumb cake for an hour uncovered can help make storage easier by ensuring the crumb topping is frozen solid. Once the crumb topping is frozen, the cake can be fully wrapped and stored in the freezer until you're ready to eat it. You can also protect the crumb topping further by adding a layer of parchment paper between it and the plastic wrap. When you're ready to eat your cake, you can thaw it on the counter or in the refrigerator, uncovered, for a few hours — or overnight.

While freezing your cooked cake is pretty simple, you may wonder if you can freeze the uncooked cake batter. Surprisingly, you can! Make your batter and pour it into a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Next, transfer the tray directly to the freezer to firm up completely for about an hour. Then remove and store the frozen batter in an airtight container. When you're ready to bake, pop the frozen batter back into its baking tray, add the crumble, and increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes. Now you'll have a freshly baked cake without the cleanup.