How should you store your baked goods? Rest assured that there is a method to the madness. It can be tempting to just dump everything in the freezer for later use, but this is not always the best course of action.
General Tips on How to Store Baked Goods
If Something is Off, Discard It
Regardless of how it was stored, throw out anything that looks, tastes, or smells off. Your bathroom does not need extra quality time from you.
Dairy + Room Temperature = Disaster Waiting to Happen
Anything that contains dairy should be kept refrigerated when you’re not consuming or serving it. This includes, but is not limited to: whipped cream, cream cheese frostings, custards, batters with uncooked eggs, etc.
Frosting Requires Special Care
If possible, freeze the cake or cupcakes without the frosting. Frost them right before serving. If you are planning to freeze something that already has frosting on it, store it in the fridge for 20 minutes before freezing. This step will set the frosting, and then you can successfully wrap it in plastic wrap.
Fresh is Best
When possible, baked goods are best consumed when they are fresh. These items may lose flavor, texture, and colour if frozen. It’s completely understandable that this isn’t always possible.
Allow Food to Cool Before Storing
Store your delicious creations on a wire baking rack until they’re cooled and ready to be put away. Unwanted condensation on plastic wrap or in containers can make your creation soggy or moldy.
Stock up on Containers and Wrap
Airtight containers and plastic wrap are the most common storage options. If you’re looking for some tried, tested, and true storage options, check out some of these awesome products. Make sure as much air as possible is released from your storage method of choice.
Keep Your Goods Out of Direct Sunlight
They’ve already baked in the oven. You don’t want them baking in the sun too. Anything that’s being kept at room temperature should be in a cool, dark environment.
How to Store Baked Goods: The Ultimate Guide
Please note that this is just a general guide that covers the most common bakery items. This is a rough guideline because there are many other variables, such as the type of cake, cream cheese frosting, etc., that will affect your storage options.
How to Store Biscuits
| Room Temperature | Up to 2 days |
| Fridge | Up to 1 week |
| Freezer | Up to 3 months Thawing: Either thaw at room temperature for an hour or you can bake the frozen biscuit at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. |
How to Store Bread
| Room Temperature | Up to 3 days Homemade bread is best kept in a bread box. |
| Fridge | Not recommended as it can dry out the loaf |
| Freezer | Up to 6 months Thawing: There are four different ways to thaw. Check out this awesome article here. |
How to Store Brownies
| Room Temperature | Up to 5 days |
| Fridge | Up to 4 days (This step is optional. Only store brownies in the fridge if they contain dairy or custard fillings and toppings.) |
| Freezer | Up to 3 months Thawing: Thaw at room temperature before serving. |
How to Store Cakes and Cupcakes
| Room Temperature | Up to 4 days |
| Fridge | Up to 4 days |
| Freezer | Up to 3 months Thawing: For unfrosted items, thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Frost before serving. For frosted items, thaw at room temperature. |
How to Store Cheesecake
| Room Temperature: | If there’s cheese in the name, we know that leaving it out at room temperature for hours is a huge no-no. |
| Fridge: | Up to 5 days |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months Thawing: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. |
How to Store Cookies
| Room Temperature: | 1-2 weeks |
| Fridge: | Not recommended as it may change the texture |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months Arrange the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for one hour. Remove the cookies, place them in a storage container, and freeze again. Thawing: Thaw at room temperature or bake them from frozen at 275°F for up to 10-15 minutes. |
How to Store Muffins
| Room Temperature: | Up to 3 days |
| Fridge: | Up to 1 week |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months Thawing: Thaw at room temperature. |
How to Store Pastries
| Room Temperature: | Up to 2 days |
| Fridge: | Up to 7 days |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months Thawing: Thaw in fridge overnight. Bake at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes. |
How to Store Pie Crust
| Room Temperature: | Not recommended |
| Fridge: | Up to 3 days |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months Thawing: Thaw in fridge overnight. |
How to Store Pie (Dairy)
| Room Temperature: | A big, giant no. |
| Fridge: | Up to 4 days |
| Freezer: | Another big no. Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of options with this pie. You can always decide to share it and make some new friends while you’re at it. Or, you can choose to stay at home and eat it all yourself. I prefer option 2. |
How to Store Pie (With a Filling That Contains Eggs)
| Room Temperature: | Another no |
| Fridge: | Up to 4 days |
| Freezer: | Up to 2 months Thawing: Thaw at room temperature or thaw overnight. Heat pie at 300°F for about 30 minutes. If you’re super impatient, you can also cook the pie directly from frozen. Bake at 350°F for an hour. Baking times may vary and it will depend on the size of your pie. Keep an eye on it as it bakes. |
How to Store Pie (Fruit)
| Room Temperature: | Up to 2 days |
| Fridge: | Up to 4 days |
| Freezer: | Up to 4 months Thawing: Thaw at room temperature and then bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. |
Let’s Bake!
There is so much to learn and discover when it comes to the wonderful world of baking. I hope this article serves you well. Just remember that if you eat it fast enough, you won’t have to worry about storage.
Related Posts
Here are a few related Canuck Kitchen posts that are similar to this topic.
Fridge Storage
Embrace the Magic Behind This Forgotten Appliance – (canuckkitchen.com)
Freezer Storage
An Easy Freezer Guide: Embrace the Magic Part 2 – Canuck Kitchen
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