Can I Mix Up Dry Ingredients Of Cake Night Before

1 of the most asked questions I get is how long does cake batter last, or tin I make cake batter ahead of time. In this experiment, I compare block mix batter and scratch block batter to see if it's possible to mix information technology up and bake it later.

how long does cake batter last blog title

1 QUICK NOTE! There is a video shut to the end of this post that goes through everything as well and yous tin see the texture of each cake piece, so don't forget to cheque that out also.

I've wanted to do this experiment for a long time, but I wanted to exercise it right and with a lot of different factors. It'south taken a lot of time, but I'm nerveless a lot of valuable information.

I must say that I went into this with some preconceived notions about how I idea things would plough out, simply I'm getting alee of myself.

So, in this mail service, nosotros'll talk about:

Experimenting with cake batter
How long cake batter lasts
Refrigerating cake batter
Freezing cake batter
Storing cake batter
Baking common cold cake batter
And whether you can leave cake concoction out overnight

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First a Bit Nigh This Experiment:

For this experiment, I've baked cake layers for both block mix cakes and scratch cakes. That way, you tin can get an thought of how this will affect both, no matter which 1 yous prefer.

It doesn't affair to me what you like to bake or eat…cake mix or scratch cakes…it'due south your choice, but I wanted to experiment with both, so I didn't go out anyone out.

For the cake mix batter, I used Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake mix 15.25 oz box. I mixed and baked the concoction according to the instructions on the box.

For the scratch block concoction, I used my recipe for my vanilla cake. Yous can discover that recipe on my site here: Favorite Vanilla Bean Cake Recipe

Alright, allow's become a few things out of the fashion. They're of import things to know before we get to the experiment.

Of import Factors When Non Using Cake Concoction Right Away:

Nosotros're going to talk a niggling virtually the differences in cake mix cakes and scratch cakes as it will pertain to how long the cake concoction may concluding. (If you want to delve even further into this topic and run into the pros and cons of each, y'all can see this mail service: Block Mix vs Scratch Cakes.)

Cake Mixes:

Cake mixes have additives in them. I'm not saying that's proficient or bad, merely that information technology volition probably make a difference in how long your block concoction will concur up.

The additives and whatever else is added to cake mixes is substantially what makes them more than stable and predictable.

Scratch Cakes:

Some cakes use baking soda, some utilise blistering pulverisation and some use both. For more item on what the difference is, you can meet this mail service: What's the Difference between baking soda and baking powder.

I'll summarize information technology here for yous real quick though so yous'll know why it might make a departure when not using your cake batter right away.

Blistering pulverisation is double acting, which means it bubbles twice. One time in liquid and once in heat. Information technology starts working the moment liquid is added to the batter.

If you don't bake the cake batter correct away, information technology may non rise as much because you'll really only get the second reaction from the blistering powder. Yous may yet get ascension with it, simply it may not rise quite as high. Information technology will just depend.

Now cake batter that uses only baking soda, might non work too as block batter with baking powder added if you don't bake information technology right away. That's considering baking soda is not double acting and it will showtime working as soon every bit it combines with liquid.

This means if it'due south already washed it's chore and then when you lot bake it after, well you lot may non get enough rising, since it's non going to have as much lift when heated as baking pulverisation would.

If you accept a cake batter with both blistering powder and soda, you might be okay as the baking powder volition get that second rise when you put it in the oven. It's really just an experiment.

Call up THOUGH that baking soda and baking powder aren't interchangeable, then don't go substituting one for the other, because they are used in different instances.

The Experiment:

By the way, don't forget about the video close to the stop of this mail service that goes through everything, plus information technology volition bear witness you the texture of each cake slice.

I wanted to try out this experiment, merely there are so many different factors and recipe possibilities…I'thousand just one person and tin can't account for them all.

So I decided to do the experiment based on an boilerplate cake mix and and so one experiment based on my own scratch vanilla cake recipe, which you can observe hither.

My scratch cake recipe does not use baking soda and that could make a difference. (Read about that above in the important things to notation section of this post.)

I picked vanilla cakes because it's easier to meet how the texture turned out and how they browned when baked.

Here is the breakup of the experiment I conducted:

For Both Block Mix Batter and Scratch Cake Concoction, I experimented the following means:

Broiled right away.
Chilled concoction in the fridge for an hour, and so baked.
Chilled batter in the fridge for 24 hours, and so baked.
Froze batter in a ziplock freezer bag for a week. So defrosted in the fridge for about 8 hours while at piece of work, and so baked.

Results of the Experiment:

Batter Mixed & Broiled Correct Away:

batter mixed and baked right away graphic

CAKE MIX: This cake layer was broiled immediately after the batter was mixed up.
The block rose perfectly and was fluffy, moist and tasted good.

Close up of vanilla yellow cake on navy plate.

SCRATCH Block: This block layer was baked immediately later on the batter was mixed up.

The block rose perfectly, texture was soft (scratch cakes are a niggling more than dumbo) which just ways the crumb is a little more fine. It was moist and tasted good.

Batter Mixed, Then Chilled in the Refrigerator for an Hour and Baked:

batter mixed and chilled for one hour graphic

CAKE MIX: This batter was mixed, left in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for an hour, and then baked. The batter was still chilled when I added it to the pan.

This cake didn't rise as chop-chop and I had to broil it for about v minutes longer. Nearly likely because the batter was cold. Merely the block turned out just every bit good as if I'd immediately broiled it. It was moist, fluffy and tasted good.

SCRATCH CAKE: This batter was mixed, left in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for an 60 minutes, then baked. The batter was still chilled when I added it to the pan.

This was the aforementioned as the cake mix. Information technology didn't rise as chop-chop, but it did end upwardly rising as much as usual in the end. The block turned out only as practiced as if I'd immediately baked it. The texture was soft, it was moist and tasted good.

scratch cake batter baked one hour later

Batter Mixed, then Chilled in the Fridge for 24 Hours and Baked:

batter mixed then chilled and baked the next day

Block MIX: This cake concoction was mixed, then left in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap, then chilled for 24 hours. The batter was still chilled when I added information technology to the pan.

I saw no difference betwixt this one and when I baked information technology 1 hour subsequently. It was moist, fluffy and tasted proficient.

SCRATCH Cake: This cake batter was mixed, then left in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap, so chilled for 24 hours. The concoction was however chilled when I added it to the pan.

I saw very little divergence between this one and when I baked it ane hour later. It may have been a slightly more dense though than the ane immediately baked, but it wasn't a huge difference. The texture was still soft, moist and it tasted good.

Concoction Mixed, So Frozen in a Freezer Bag for a Week, Defrosted in the Fridge for Most 8 Hours and Baked:

Block MIX: This batter was frozen in a ziplock bag for ane calendar week. Information technology was defrosted overnight in the fridge. I then let information technology sit down out for about 20 minutes in the ziplock purse, and so I sort of smashed it effectually in the purse to mix it upwardly a chip. I cut a hole into the corner of the bag and squirted the batter into the pan. The batter was still common cold (but not frozen) when I added it to the pan.

It rose by and large in the heart and not equally much around the edges. It was not quite as fluffy and moist as the others, but it still tasted good.

cake mix batter frozen and baked a week later

SCRATCH Cake: This concoction was frozen in a ziplock bag for one week. It was defrosted overnight in the fridge. I then allow it sit out for nigh 20 minutes in the ziplock bag, so I sort of smashed information technology around in the bag to mix it upwardly a bit. I cut a hole into the corner of the purse and squirted the batter into the pan. The batter was still cold (only non frozen) when I added information technology to the pan.

The edges didn't rise as much. This ane needed to be baked for almost five minutes more than the recipe called for originally. It turned out a bit more than dense and doughy than the others, but still edible and tasted adept.

I think this ane concluded up turning out okay, mainly considering it used baking powder. Information technology did have some baking soda in information technology, but more often than not used baking pulverisation for the leavening ingredients. (Read the start of the post to meet why that would make a departure.)

scratch cake batter frozen and baked a week later

So, permit'south break down the results and some really important tips and FAQs here:

Follow the mixing instructions on the recipe.

Offset yous demand to make sure y'all're mixing your cake batter according to the recipe instructions. It actually makes a divergence. You likewise definitely don't want to over-mix the batter because that will make it super dense, rubbery and dry. If you want more guidance on exactly how long to mix cake batter, go hither: How to Mix Cake Concoction

How long does cake batter last?

The better question to enquire is how long can you go on cake batter and information technology yet bake ok. The batter will probably terminal awhile in the freezer, but the longer yous proceed it chilled or in the freezer before baking it, the less risk y'all'll get a cake that rises properly with a skillful texture.

Substantially, based on this experiment, I wouldn't proceed cake batter longer than a calendar week in the freezer and that's only if it's a cake mix. Fifty-fifty then, your cake isn't going to exist as practiced as it would be had you mixed information technology upwardly that day or the day earlier.

If you're making a scratch block, I wouldn't freeze the concoction at all. For best results, I'd go far the 24-hour interval you mix it up. And similar I talked about above, it may non turn out besides if your cake recipe only calls for baking soda and no baking powder.

Tin yous refrigerating block concoction?

Yes you can, in some instances. Its generally okay to chill block batter for an 60 minutes or two and even over night (for cake mix batter and some recipes that don't use only baking soda). For the scratch cakes, they may non rise quite as high and may exist slightly more dumbo if you don't bake them the same day yous mix up the batter or at least the next 24-hour interval.

Can you freeze cake batter?

Technically you can, but when you broil it, it won't be the same as blistering it the day yous mix it upward. The longer you freeze the batter, the less the cake will turn out like it'south meant to.

How do you store cake batter?

It's always best to bake the cake concoction correct after you mix it up, but if you lot can't, and then you can store it in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for a day or ii.
If you demand to keep the batter fresh for longer, y'all can freeze information technology past adding it to a freezer ziplock bag. Just know that by freezing block batter, information technology may or may non bake properly afterward. You'll need to defrost the batter before you can bake it besides.
Know that the longer you go between the time of mixing upwardly the cake batter and baking it, the less chance you'll go a good block texture and rise.

Can you bake common cold block batter?

You can cascade chilled block batter correct out of the mixing basin into your cake pans. Y'all may need broil a few minutes longer, merely yous'll just want to picket how your cake is responding in the oven.
Run across this postal service for more than tips on how to tell when your cake is done: How to Tell When Your Cake is Washed Blistering

Now, if yous've frozen the cake concoction, you'll demand to defrost information technology before you bake it. If you've frozen it in a nada lock freezer pocketbook, just ready it in the fridge and let it defrost overnight or during the mean solar day, and so squeeze the zip lock bag a bit to mix it up slightly. Cut one of the corners and squeeze the chilled batter into the baking pan and bake.

Can I leave block batter out overnight?

No, you lot never desire to leave cake batter out of the fridge for whatsoever length of fourth dimension. You want to proceed information technology chilled until y'all can broil it, so that it doesn't spoil.

What'southward the best way to make cakes ahead of time?

If you actually desire to exercise things ahead of fourth dimension, instead of storing the cake concoction, the best mode to do information technology is to bake the batter the twenty-four hour period you mix information technology up (or the side by side twenty-four hour period if it's a cake mix batter or it'south not a scratch block batter that has only blistering soda in it) and so freeze the cake layers.

You tin freeze baked cake layers and that works beautifully. I've got lots of tips on how to exercise that here: Tips for Freezing Cakes & Cupcakes

You tin can actually freeze them and get absolutely no freezer burn and no one will be able to tell they've been broiled alee and then frozen IF you lot do it the right way.

Video for How Long Does Block Batter Final?:

You'll desire to check out the video below where I go through everything and fifty-fifty pull apart slices of each cake layer, so you tin can see the actual texture.

Whew! That was a long post and a super involved experiment, but I'thou really glad I did it. I hope it was helpful and that y'all learned some things along with me.

I was pretty surprised that the scratch cake batter actually baked up pretty well afterwards storing it. (Again, I recollect that is due to the recipe having baking powder in information technology and not blistering soda and the fact that the batter wasn't over-mixed, but still I was surprised.)

I hope you enjoyed this and if yous have any questions or comments, be sure to let me know!