You may believe that the oven is the finest kitchen equipment, but the freezer might be a baker’s best friend.
The freezer allows you to chill hot baked products quicker, keep leftovers, and prepare ahead of time for any party or event that may arise. A decent freezer is essential for every baker!
Some foods freeze much better than others. Many cakes freeze well, and cookie dough is one of the greatest items to have on hand, frozen and ready to bake whenever you want a fresh cookie.
I’m going to add frosting to the list of foods that freeze well and explain how to freeze icing to keep it fresh and tasty.
Get ready to get thrilled because you’re going to discover how to utilize that great kitchen device to perfectly freeze your frostings.
Contents
What Kind of Frosting Freezes Well?
There are many various types of frostings available, and some certainly freeze better than others. This is absolutely something to think about while deciding what flavor of frosting to prepare.
You may ice your cake or top your cupcakes with a different kind of frosting depending on how well it holds up in the freezer and as it defrosts.
Here’s a breakdown of what frosting freezes best and why.
American Buttercream
American buttercream frosting is a popular kind of frosting. It is ideal for icing cakes or frosting cupcakes and is quite simple to create.
American buttercream is produced by beating butter and powdered sugar together.
Buttercream may also be flavored and colored. Because of its ease and great flavor, this frosting is often made at home!
You can absolutely freeze American buttercream since both butter and powdered sugar keep nicely in the freezer. Completely prepare your American buttercream recipe, adding any colors or food colorings you like, and then freeze it for up to three months.
I’ll go through how to defrost and use it later in this post, but we can tell you right now that it’s quite simple to use even after it’s been frozen!
Italian Buttercream
Cooked sugar is whipped into egg whites to make Italian buttercream. The mixture is then whisked with softened butter to create a beautiful, soft, and creamy frosting.
While Italian buttercream freezes nicely, it only keeps for about a month. Following that, the flavor of the eggs may begin to change as they mature. It’s a bit more difficult to thaw Italian buttercream than American buttercream, but it can be done, and I’ll show you how if you keep reading!
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is another kind of frosting that may be stored in the freezer. It will still be excellent after around 3 months in the freezer due to the high fat level of the cream cheese and butter.
To prepare cream cheese frosting, combine cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar—all of which are freezer friendly! Definitely add this to your list of freezable frostings.
Store Bought Frostings
Since store-bought frostings include preservatives and ingredients that keep it fluffy and soft long after it is produced, it also freezes well.
If you have leftover frosting from a can of frosting or just wish to prolong the shelf life of store-bought frosting, place it in an airtight container and freeze until ready to use.
Frosting from the store will keep in the freezer for up to a year.
If you want to spice things up, consider these easy methods to improve store-bought frosting.
What Frostings Do Not Freeze Well?
There are certain frostings that do not freeze well, just as there are those that do.
Here are a few typical types of frosting that you should continue to create fresh rather than preparing ahead of time to freeze.
Whipped Cream Frosting
The freezer does not fare well with whipped cream icing. You may assume that the heavy cream’s large fat content would help preserve the frosting, however the main difficulty is the thawing process.
Whipped cream frosting is distinguished by the addition of a lot of air to the components to create a light and fluffy frosting. If you freeze it and then defrost it, all of the fluffy air will escape as the frosting thaws, leaving you with a delicious, watery mess. That’s not going to help you ice a cake!
Whipped cream frosting is rather simple to create, so save it until just before you’re ready to ice your cake or cupcakes.
Royal Icing
Another frosting that depends on whipped air is royal icing frosting. To make royal icing, beat egg whites to firm peaks before adding powdered sugar until the appropriate consistency is obtained.
If you freeze the royal icing, it will just melt back into an eggy, watery mess.
Another thing you’ll want to prepare fresh rather than from the freezer is royal icing.
How to Freeze Frosting
You’re ready to freeze after you’ve created a frosting from our selection of freezable frostings! The freezing procedure is the same regardless of the kind of frosting you created.
Put the frosting in an airtight container and add a piece of plastic wrap right on top of it before covering with the lid.
This will further seal the frosting, keeping it from being exposed to the dry air of the freezer and also preventing any moisture from mixing with the frosting as it thaws.
The plastic wrap will help keep the frosting smelling fresh and tasty in the freezer since it will not absorb any scents or flavors. Place the frosting in the freezer after snapping the top on the container. Label and date the container so you can remember what’s inside!
How to Thaw Frosting
When you’re ready to use your frozen frosting, take it out of the freezer and refrigerate it overnight. This will enable the frosting to melt gently, preserving its original texture.
If you need the frosting quickly, put it on the counter to defrost at room temperature. Your frosting should be thawed and ready to use after around 4-5 hours at room temperature!
When thawing frosting, avoid microwaving it after it has been frozen. Most frostings include butter, which melts when microwaved, causing the frosting to likewise melt into a liquid. This would be really difficult to use to ice a cake!
Nevertheless, there is a simple tip you can employ to rapidly thaw your frosting while maintaining the desired light and fluffy texture.
- Take half of the frozen frosting from the freezer and set it in a stand mixer.
- Set the stand mixer to low speed and break up the frosting slightly.
- Put the remaining frosting in a microwave-safe container and melt in the microwave for approximately a minute. The frosting should be melted and somewhat heated but not scorching. If you have a more powerful microwave, start with 45 seconds, check the frosting, and then heat for another 45 seconds if necessary.
- Slowly pour the hot frosting into the chilled frosting while the stand mixer is running, beating them both together.
- After all of the hot, melted frosting has been added to the mixer, increase the mixer speed to high and whisk the frosting until it is beautiful and fluffy again.
This small tip is ideal for buttercream and cream cheese frosting. It’s particularly useful for thawing Italian buttercream, which has a propensity to shatter as it thaws.
The microwave melting and stand mixer method will help return the buttercream to its original, lovely texture! You should definitely give it a go.
Adding Flavoring to Frozen Frosting
If you are creating your frosting ahead of time, freezing it, and utilizing it later, keep the frosting simple and uncolored. Creating a basic white frosting enables you to subsequently flavor and color the icing.
Although you may add extract or dye to your frosting before freezing it, the colors will change in the freezer (most of the time getting slightly dull as the frosting ages). After thawing, extract may lose its power and produce a frosting with a more moderate taste.
Prepare your frosting according to the directions, but leave out the extract and colours. Let your frosting to fully defrost before adding any colour or extract of your choice.
This is the greatest approach to guarantee that your colors are vibrant and your tastes are strong! It will also provide you with a beautiful clean frosting to work with if you decide to modify the flavors or embellishments. It’s usually a good idea to have some plain white icing on hand!
If you’re going to make a cake, feel free to make your icing ahead of time and freeze it. You may even make and freeze your cake in advance!
If you have any leftover frosting, place it in an airtight container and freeze it as well. You never know when you’ll need more icing. You’ll quickly realize why the freezer is a baker’s greatest friend!
FAQs
Can you freeze extra frosting?
Just place the frosting in an airtight container and freeze it. Buttercream frosting may be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months or in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Because of its high fat content, buttercream and cream cheese frosting are excellent for freezing. Further information on freezing buttercream frosting may be found here.
What happens when you freeze frosting?
Buttercream frosting may be frozen for up to three months; after that, it is still safe to eat, but the quality may begin to deteriorate.
How long does frosting last in the freezer?
Most frostings may be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. Frosting may be stored in the refrigerator for three to four weeks and in the freezer for two to three months. Homemade frosting may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month.
What can I do with excess frosting?
Ideas for Using Up Leftover (Spreadable) Frosting
Fill hulled strawberries with the remaining icing. To create a “cheesecake dip” for pretzels and fruit, combine with a touch of melted cream cheese. Make a vanilla milkshake. Spread over a batch of (baked and cooled) blondies or brownies.
Why should frosting not be frozen?
Buttercream icing may be stored in the freezer for approximately 2-3 months for the finest results and freshness. You may be able to freeze it for a little longer than that, but you risk suffering freezer burn or losing its fresh and delightful taste and texture entirely.
How do you use frozen frosting?
Set the full jar of frozen buttercream on the counter at room temperature the day or night before you want to use it to thaw. After it’s defrosted, give it a nice swirl or re-whip and you’re ready to go! Let’s talk about how to utilize leftover frosting now.
How do you fix frosting in a freezer?
According to Summit Appliance, to remove freezer frost, disconnect your appliance and wait for the frost to dissipate. Finally, wipe off any excess wet, let everything to dry, and re-plug the appliance. Scrape the ice away using a knife or other sharp item.
Is it better to decorate with cold frosting?
Spreading icing over heated cake layers is a recipe for a messy catastrophe. Refrigerate your cake layers for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. If you prepared the frosting ahead of time, make sure it’s at room temperature before you begin.