This Is How to Freeze Your Wedding Cake for Your Anniversary

Participating in wedding cake traditions can be a fun way for you and your partner to reminisce about your special day while enjoying the taste of a yummy wedding keepsake. If saving the top tier is how you want to celebrate your first anniversary, you'll need to know how to freeze your wedding cake. You may think freezing your wedding cake is the same as freezing anything else in your fridge. In reality, this tradition involves a different process, and knowing how to properly preserve your wedding cake will make all the difference. Read more below for the best way to freeze and defrost your wedding cake in just a few simple steps—your taste buds will thank you.

How to Freeze Your Wedding Cake

Before the wedding, talk with your catering staff about taking off the top tier of the wedding cake and carefully boxing it up for transport immediately after the cake-cutting ceremony (if you're having one). Then, appoint a "cake captain" (one of your family members or friends) to take the cake home. Once it's home, you or the "cake captain" should do the following:

1. The first step to freezing a wedding cake is removing any decorations like sugar flowers or other adornments. By setting those aside, you can properly wrap your cake without the plastic wrap tearing.

2. Next, chill the cake in the refrigerator before wrapping it up so that the icing hardens. The icing will take at least three hours or overnight to harden. Chilling the cake prevents frosting from sticking to the plastic wrap and making a mess. Our tip: Before you put your cake in the refrigerator, clear out any foods with strong odors to prevent the cake from absorbing that smell. No one wants their wedding cake to smell or taste like their spaghetti leftovers.

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3. After the cake has chilled, the best way to freeze a wedding cake is by wrapping it in several layers of plastic wrap to keep the cake's original taste and texture. Don't use aluminum foil because it can cause freezer burn. Remember to tightly wrap every inch of the cake (that means no air bubbles) to prevent the cake from drying out.

4. Seal the wrapped cake in a freezer-safe airtight container and place it somewhere in your freezer where it can be undisturbed. Our tip: While your cake is in the freezer, turn off any defrosting settings your freezer may have so the preservation process isn't interrupted.

5. If you're sticking to tradition, you'll have your wedding cake in your freezer for a year, so make sure to mark your cake before putting it in the freezer so you can easily find it later. You can use a ribbon (maybe one you've saved from your wedding if you're feeling sentimental) or simply a label so that you don't mistake the cake for anything else and accidentally throw it away.

How to Defrost Your Wedding Cake

Finally, you and your partner's first anniversary is coming up. You're both excited to dig into your sweet wedding keepsake, but you'll have to complete a couple of (easy) defrosting steps before you can go down memory lane. Follow these steps so you can enjoy your wedding cake properly:

1. Take the cake out of the freezer 24 to 48 hours before you plan to eat it. This leaves enough time for the cake to defrost.

2. Take the cake out of its airtight container and slowly remove all the plastic wrap.

3. Place the cake back into the airtight container and put the cake in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. You want the cake to be fully defrosted and soft.

4. On the day you plan to eat the cake, take it out of the refrigerator and the container. Let the cake sit out so it can reach room temperature (this takes about two hours). Then, enjoy your delicious cake!