Where, how and how much cake biscuit can be stored

Half-finished cake mixes with sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese cream, fresh and canned berries, ganache, caramel and nut praline. In anticipation of the celebration, the porous airy biscuit can be prepared in advance if you learn the nuances of storage.

How and where to store sponge cake before assembling the cake

To prevent biscuits from drying out prematurely and retaining their original shape, save the entire biscuit. It is undesirable to cut the semi-finished product into pieces, remove the elevation in the center, other irregularities. It is better to do this immediately before assembling, at the same time cutting off the dried out areas.

Do not impregnate the biscuit with syrup or spread cream in advance. These actions significantly reduce the preservation period. The finished cake retains its freshness for two days at +1°C.

Purchased

Store-bought preserves last much longer than homemade because of the addition of preservatives. Sorbic, citric or tartaric acids inhibit the oxidation of fats, extending the shelf life.

In an airtight package, the cakes retain their consumer properties for months at temperatures up to 18 degrees and 75% humidity. After opening the package semi-finished product is kept in the refrigerator or frozen.

Homemade

Homemade cakes keep well at humidity of 50%, temperature from -25 to 20°C but require preparation:

1. Leave the freshly baked cake for 15 minutes in the oven with the door ajar, then transfer it to a rack and leave it to cool for a couple of hours. Hot baked goods placed on the refrigerator shelf or in the freezer will soften from condensation and not hold their shape. Do not judge an entire biscuit by its cooled surface, as it may still be hot inside.
2. After cooling, wrap the product in two layers of clingfilm so that no gaps are left. You can wrap the cake mix in a bag or place it in a large plastic container with a tightly closing lid. Insulation is necessary so that the biscuit does not dry out, not absorbed by foreign smells.
3. Label the package with the date of manufacture to make it easier to check the expiration date.

Pastry chefs advise against putting dry cakes in the freezer, and keeping fruit biscuits and those with sour milk products in them at room temperature. The best place to preserve flavor, aroma and consistency is the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

How long can a biscuit keep?

The shelf life of store biscuits is set by the manufacturer, depending on the recipe, type, amount of preservatives. The shelf life, on average 6 months, is indicated on the package.

After opening the sealed wrapper, storage of store-bought and homemade biscuits are equal in time. Homemade biscuits have a shelf life of 3-5 days.

In the refrigerator

The refrigerator is the best storage option. If you keep a biscuit made according to the classic recipe of eggs, sugar and flour on the bottom shelf, it will be edible for 5 days. Cakes with fruit, sour cream, milk, yogurt, or kefir in their composition, are only good for assembling cakes for 3 days. Even if the cake is carefully packaged, take care to isolate it from foods with a pungent odor.

At room temperature.

Without a refrigerator in the kitchen, homemade cakes retain their consumer properties for no more than three days.

After complete cooling, wrap the biscuit in clingfilm, put it in a dark place with low humidity, away from heat sources. You can take the semi-finished product on the balcony or place it on the shelf of the kitchen table or a cupboard closer to the floor.

Biscuit retains maximum flavor, aroma, structure in a clay pot covered with parchment, in a food-grade plastic container with an airtight lid or in a cardboard box, the bottom of which is lined with parchment paper.

Can I freeze a biscuit?

Professionals believe that biscuits with added fat not only can, but should be frozen, as after defrosting they become tastier. In the freezer, the cakes, wrapped in food film to prevent drying out, retain their gastronomic properties for one month. They remain edible for up to 90 days, but over time the flavor deteriorates and the crumb becomes tough. The optimal freezing temperature is 20-25°C.

Before storing, chill the cakes for 12 hours at room temperature (not exceeding 20 degrees), place them in the refrigerator for 5 hours, and only then move them to the freezer.

In addition to food film as a package is suitable parchment (several layers), bags for freezing with a clasp. If you use zip-packs, they are completely vented so that the packaging material is in contact with the surface of the baked goods.

If you plan to assemble the cake the next day, there is no point in sending the blanks to the freezer. They will keep well on the refrigerator shelf.

What affects the shelf life of cakes

Decreases the shelf life of a biscuit, the indicator of humidity, which deviates from 50% in the higher or lower direction. If the air is dry, the cake dries faster, if the humidity is high, it softens and loses its original shape.

Dry cake preparations are not recommended to keep in the freezer. The taste of chocolate, custard biscuits, on the contrary, is fully revealed after defrosting.

Keeping cakes with fruit, vegetables, sour milk products in the composition outside the refrigerator threatens their souring.

Structure affects shelf life. Dense biscuits keep better than delicate, porous ones. The latter deform and deteriorate faster.

How to tell if a biscuit cake has gone bad

There are several signs that make a product unfit for consumption:

1. A repulsive musty odor resulting from the perishable eggs in the dough.
2. A sticky, slippery film on the surface caused by condensation on the uncooled dough.
3. Dried, crumbly consistency of poorly packaged cakes.
4. Cold burn from improper frosting.
5. Appearance of moldy spots.

You can tell a spoiled biscuit from a torn package. If you, returning home from the store, found such a violation, you can not doubt that the process of spoilage has been launched and it makes no sense to save the product further.

Pastry chefs do not recommend restoring the expired product. It is still not possible to return the former taste and aroma. The only thing you can do is to cut off the dried out crust.

It is very convenient to make biscuit preparations in advance. If you master the nuances of storage, there will be more time to prepare other dishes, setting the holiday table.