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Can You Freeze Christmas Cake?

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By Ross Young

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Christmas cake is a particular type of heavy fruit cake beautifully flavoured with Christmas spices. It is an iconic scent and flavour that is iconically Christmassy but, how should you store it?

Can You Freeze Christmas Cake?

Yes, you can freeze Christmas cake for up to 3 months. The dense nature of the cake means it is perfect for freezing. Perfect if you want to save yourself a little time in the run-up to Christmas.

Does Christmas Cake Freeze Well? Yes

Can You Refreeze Christmas Cake? No

How To Freeze Christmas Cake

When it comes to freezing Christmas cake, you have two options to decide between. Do you want to freeze a whole cake or individual portions?

How to Freeze a Whole Christmas Cake

Making and baking a Christmas cake is quite a time investment. Traditionally these cakes are made weeks, if not months in advance with ingredients continually added over time.

This time ensures the cake’s taste can truly develop before baking. You can also prep your Christmas cake well ahead of time and freeze it ready for Christmas. Perfect to allow you to tick something off your to-do list early.

  1. Make, Bake and Cool: Make and bake your cake as you normally would. You can either freeze the baked Christmas cake with no decorations or you can marzipan and ice it and then freeze it. If you choose to freeze a decorated cake then it is best to do the plain icing and marzipan and leave off any detailed decorations. 
  2. Wrap: Wrap your cake in parchment paper to protect it. Then add a layer or two of cling film.
  3. Bag Up: Add a final layer of a freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. The reason for adding so many layers is to ensure the cake doesn’t get freezer burnt and have its taste deteriorate.
  4. Freeze: Label the bag with the contents and the date. Pop it into the freezer and freeze.

How to Freeze Portions of Christmas Cake

This method works brilliantly if you have lots of leftover Christmas cake. Freezing it into portions means that you can just take out a slice or two at a time and enjoy them whenever you need a sweet treat or a lovely dessert.

  1. Portion Up: Cut up your baked cake into potions. You can freeze it iced and with marzipan too so you don’t need to worry about this.
  2. Wrap: Wrap each portion individually in cling film. Just to be safe add a second layer and double wrap each portion!.
  3. Bag: Pop the individually wrapped portions into a freezer bag.
  4. Seal and Freeze: Label the freezer bag with the date and contents. Squeeze out all the air from the bag and seal it tightly. Pop the bag with the Christmas cake portions into the freezer and freeze.
General Photo 1

3 Tips for Freezing Christmas Cake

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Christmas cake to have the best results:

Try to Avoid Icing
Although it’s possible to freeze Christmas cake with the icing, if you’re making a cake specifically for the freezer then try to avoid icing it. 

Consider Portions
If you’ve got a huge family gathering for Christmas then, chances are, you’ll be able to eat an entire cake. If, however, it’s a small affair then you may want to freeze the cake in smaller portions. 

Keep It Airtight
As is often the case when freezing anything, you need to do all you can to ensure it remains airtight. If air can get in then the cake will dry out and that is the last thing you want to happen. 

How Long Can You Freeze Christmas Cake?

You can keep Christmas cake in the freezer for around three to four months. Plenty of time to get ahead before Christmas. If you are freezing leftovers then you can enjoy your Christmas cake for months after Christmas too!

You should find your fruit cake is safe to eat even if it is frozen for a little longer but the longer it is in the freezer, the more chance there is of the taste and texture degrading or the cake becoming freezer burnt.

How Long Does Christmas Cake Last in the Fridge?

Once cut into, Christmas cake should be kept in the fridge in a resealable container where it will last for up to 2 weeks.

How Do You Defrost Christmas Cake?

Unfortunately, when it comes to thawing out Christmas cake there is no quick and easy solution. It takes time and patience. Luckily, it is easy at least to do.

All you need to do is take the cake out of the freezer and pop it on the kitchen side and allow it to defrost at room temperature. This could take four or five hours.

Don’t try and defrost it in the microwave. It can be tempting to try and speed up the process but you are in danger of overcooking the cake and having it turn rubbery in texture.

Can You Refreeze Christmas Cake?

It isn’t recommended to refreeze the cake once it has been defrosted so even though it’s tempting to pop uneaten portions back into the freezer, try not to.

The taste, texture and quality will degrade with each freezing.

Does Christmas Cake Freeze Well?

Christmas cake does freeze well.

As long as it has been wrapped carefully before freezing and you are using it within four months then you shouldn’t notice too much of a difference at all.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing Christmas cake or Christmas cake in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Christmas Cake With Fondant Icing?

You can freeze iced Christmas cake. The icing can even help to protect the cake from the freezer. Whilst you can freeze all the icing decorations too, it is best to avoid this if possible. The decorations are often delicate, and these can easily get damaged in the freezer.

Can You Freeze Fruit Cake With Marzipan?

Yes, fruit cake that has been decorated with marzipan can be frozen for around 3 months. The marzipan may become a little grainy once frozen and thawed but it’s unlikely you’ll notice it.

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1 thought on “Can You Freeze Christmas Cake?”

  1. I bought a Newfoundland Screech Cake ( Screech Rum ) in December which is vacuum sealed.I have had it in my fridge since then ( not opened ). Can I freeze the cake and how long will it last or can I still keep it in my fridge?

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