How do I properly freeze a frosted cake?

Question

I have a purchased frosted cake I would like to use closer to Christmas. I do not know if it would keep properly in the refrigerator without freezing. How could I freeze it properly ? (preferably without damaging the icing, as it is a very expensive cake)

Answer 1

You can generally freeze cakes, with our without icing, for a month without problems. Beyond that, opinions vary...

How to wrap it depends on what type of cake and what type of icing.

For a cake covered in fondant:

• wrap it in plastic wrap (multiple layers if you feel like it, by the time I make sure edges are overlapped I pretty much have two layers)
• then wrap it in aluminum foil (I've never found a good explanation of why you need to do it, but it's what I learned to do...)

For buttercream:

• freeze the iced cake first, then wrap carefully plastic wrap.
• I've never managed to do this without messing up the icing at least a bit. Work quickly, try not to touch the icing (heat from your hands will soften the icing), use lots of plastic wrap and let it be a bit looser.

In your case: if "closer to Christmas" means "in a couple weeks" and if the icing is very nice, I wouldn't wrap it. I'd get either a large enough container or a large plastic bowl that could be placed over the cake and sealed to the plate and just freeze it like that.