How Long Does A Cake Take To Cool? （And Reason）

Do you like cake? Do you know how to store a cake properly? This article will give you a series of answers.

What Is Cake?

The cake is a sweet that is typically made from a cake batter or mix that contains ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs and shortening or another type of oil. However, this isn’t always the case; for example, brownies have a similar texture and flavor to cheesecake but aren’t technically cakes because they use different ingredients. The cake is frequently served as a celebratory food item.

How Much Time Does It Take A Cake To Cool?

A cake can be cooled in one of three ways. There is a cooling period for each method. Let’s have a closer look.

Freezer – 30 Minutes

The freezer is the only remaining choice for those in a serious time crunch. Cakes usually completely cool down in the freezer in just about 30 minutes. To ensure that the texture is not harmed, they should be wrapped before being placed in the freezer.

Refrigerator – One Hour

Have no desire to wait for several hours? Just don’t want to wait hours before eating your delicious cake? There are other options, so don’t worry. Placing your cake in the refrigerator will help the cooling process go more quickly.

You must wrap your cake in foil or cling wrap when using the refrigerator method. The texture of the cake can become unpleasant and dry in refrigerators. By properly wrapping the cake, you can avoid this.

Your cake should take an hour to cool once it is in the refrigerator.

Countertop – Two To Three Hours

Cake typically needs two to three hours to cool on a countertop. The cake will however benefit more from cooling for a longer period of time.

The cake shouldn’t be allowed to cool in its original pan. This may make the cake difficult to remove from the pan because it will stick to it.

Instead, wait around ten to thirty minutes for the cake to cool down enough so that you can remove it with ease. Make sure you’ve waited long enough so that it doesn’t break if you’re using something like a bundt cake and will need to flip it upside-down to remove it.

After removing the cake from the pan, set it on a cooling rack. There won’t be any hot spots when you go to frost the cake because a cooling rack will allow all cake surfaces to cool down simultaneously.

Why Must Cakes Cool?

I always wondered why cakes needed to cool completely before frosting and consumption when I first started baking. Then, I pondered why my frosting kept crumbling and sliding off my cake. I was finally able to connect the dots. (I was young; please don’t judge me.

Cakes must cool before frosting is applied so that they can spread evenly and not melt. Even a tiny bit of warmth when frosting a cake can result in a crumbly, melted mess. It still tastes great, but the cake is very ugly as a result.

To that end, you must wait for the cakes to cool completely before eating them. Here’s how long.

How To Check If The Cake Is Cooled

You must still check your cake after the allotted time has passed, whether you used the counter, fridge, or freezer method to cool it. Not all cakes are created equally, and some may require additional cooling time. But how can you tell?

Don’t just check for coolness through touch. Cakes are often warm on the inside even if the outside is cold. Using a toothpick, poke the cake’s center to see if it is done. Spend a brief moment away. Touch the toothpick after removing it. Allow your cake to continue cooling if it’s still warm.

7 Common Cake Cooling Tips

Your cake can be cooled down using a variety of kitchen tricks. The following seven suggestions will teach you how to quickly cool a cake:

1. Consider the type of cake. Cakes of various types necessitate various cooling procedures and times. For instance, angel food cakes and other sponge cakes must be removed from their respective pans as soon as possible to avoid soggy bottoms. Even though the risk is not as great, that is advised for both cupcakes and regular cakes. Since sudden temperature changes can produce subpar results, cheesecake should cool naturally for a longer period of time than the majority of other types of cake. Any cake recipe you’re cooling should be consulted for specific baking advice.
2. Use the refrigerator and freezer. Using your refrigerator and freezer will help a cake cool more quickly. The moisture in your dessert can be lost in just a few days if you use the refrigerator for extended periods of time. The issue is not present with freezers. Before putting your cakes in either location, use plastic wrap. You can always reheat your cold cake later if you’d rather serve it warm, though you can also serve the dessert cold.
3. Check that the cake is done. You should confirm that the cooking time was sufficient before beginning the cooling time. Instead of a pan of unbaked batter, you want a fluffy cake. Applying the “toothpick test,” see if your cake is prepared to begin cooling: Check to see if a toothpick inserted in the center of your cake comes out clean. It’s ready to begin cooling if there aren’t any goopy batter or crumbs. Use a barbecue stick or another thin type of skewer in their place if you don’t have any toothpicks.
4. Remove the cake from the baking pan. Ten minutes after your warm cake has cooled to room temperature, carefully remove it from the bottom of the cake pan. By doing this, the cake’s bottom and sides can stop absorbing the heat from the pan. The cake will begin cooling much more quickly once you expose the edges to a cooler, more natural temperature.
5. Leave the cake alone at first. Before taking any action to hasten the cooling process, let your baked cake cool on its own. Usually, ten minutes at room temperature is sufficient. During that time, keep your hot cake on a flat surface, such as a countertop or cake stand. Too many quick temperature changes or early attempts to cut the cake open can cause issues like crumbling or expansion within the pan, which will make it challenging to remove the cake.
6. Try a cooling rack. Consider using a cooling wire rack to make sure the bottom of your cake is exposed to cool air. This serves as a cake stand while providing ample airflow for your cake in all directions. If you’re worried that moisture will seep through the grates, place some parchment paper on top of it.
7. Cut the cake open. A single large cake will take longer to cool than several smaller ones. If you’re going to make a layer cake anyway, this advice especially makes sense. Even if you’re not, you can cover the horizontal slashes during the cake decorating process with a crumb coat or a layer of frosting. Use a serrated knife to gently cut horizontal layers through your cake after it has cooled for about twenty minutes or so. To make the layers all cool more quickly, spread them out individually.

The cake is a very delicious food, many people love it. In addition to eating the cake, do you know how to store it and keep it cool?