It is safe to say that most people enjoy cake. Whether it is chocolate, strawberry, plain vanilla, or even one of those elaborately designed cakes. No matter which kind you like, they are almost always super soft and spongy, as long as it is baked and cooled properly.
It may not seem like the cooling process is as big of a deal, but I can promise you, that it means just as much, if not more than baking the cake. The question of this article is how long does it take for a cake to cool? There is a pretty simple answer to this question.
So, how long does it take to cool a cake? Can you ice the cake immediately after baking, or do you need to wait? Keep reading on to find out these questions, plus more!
Cakes can take several hours at a time to completely cool. The average amount of time that is recommended for cooling time, is 2 to 3 hours. However, it can all depend on the type and kind of cake you are making.
How Long Does It Take For A Cake To Cool Completely?
It can also depend on if you decide to leave the cake in the cake pan or move it to a cooling rack without one. I prefer to let my cakes cool for around 20 minutes in the cake pan, then I would transfer it to a cooling rack, so the cake can cool the rest of the way.
The temperature that is inside your house will also have an impact on how fast or slow your cake cools down. If you have the indoor temperature a little higher than normal. It can take around 4 hours for the cake to cool, however, if it is cooler than normal, it can be faster than 2 hours.
How Do You Cool A Cake Down Quickly?
There are a few good steps you can follow to help cool your cake faster. The very first thing you wanna try doing is taking the cake straight out of the pan after baking it. Now I say try because I am always afraid that if I flip a hot cake onto a cooling rack and then all my hard work goes out the window if it falls apart coming out.
As I briefly mentioned before, you are also going to want to use a cooling rack. Getting your cake on the cooling rack will help the air circulate throughout the entire cake, and not just on the top part of the cake.
Another good way of cooling a cake is by cutting it. Now, I definitely would not suggest trying to cut it until it is almost cooled. If you try to cut it while it’s still hot, or even really warm, the cake might start to crumble as it is being cut into small triangle-shaped slices.
Two other ways we can cool cakes is by putting the cake in the fridge or the freezer. These two ways are easily going to be the fastest way to cool anything including your freshly baked cake. This is especially ideal if you are running out of time before that party, whether it is in the office, or at a house for a birthday or celebration.
If you have a couple of minutes, or hours, to spare then this next little tip for cooling your cake would be your cup of tea at that moment. When the cake comes out of the oven, put it on the cooling rack and let it cool for 2-4 hours.
How Long Should A Cake Cool Before Icing?
One of the things about frosting a cake that everyone needs to know is, that if you try to frost a cake straight out of the oven, it is only going to result in an entire mess that you are gonna have to clean, and also unfortunately all that icing that melted off is wasted.
So, even if you are in a rush, you need to try one of the above ways to cool your cakes, especially before attempting to frost them. You should let your cake rest on the counter for an hour or two, to prevent a cold cake. Having it slightly warm will help with the frosting and design that you are about to do if you choose to do a design as well as frost it.
Can I Put A Cake In The Fridge To Cool?
You can put a cake in the fridge to cool, but the amount of time that it should stay depends on the cake and the frosting and also the decorations. There are some basic rules to cooling/storing a cake in the fridge.
At least wait for your cake to reach room temperature for about 2 hours. Remove the cake from whatever cooling thing it is resting on, and use either aluminum foil or even saran wrap your cake. If you put icing on it, chill the cake for about 15 minutes without plastic in the fridge to harden that icing. Then wrap the cake and store it in the fridge.
How Long Does It Take For A Cake To Cool To Room Temp?
Cakes come out of the oven extremely hot and without a cooling aid, they take a while to cool down. How long does it take to cool to at least room temperature? This depends on the porosity and density of the said cake.
Cakes on average take about 2 hours to cool down to room temperature if it is resting on the countertop, but it is reported to take only 45 to 60 minutes on a wire cooling rack, the average room temperature being between 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should I Cover A Cake While Cooling?
With the research done, the only answer that is the best is, if you plan on cooling the cake via countertop, it is best to remove the cake from the pan, upside down. If you decide to use the refrigerator, then it is best to wrap, also cover, the cake and then put it in the fridge.
You can also cool the cake on the countertop for about 30+ minutes, then wrap it in saran wrap or aluminum foil, and pop it in the fridge! This may be the best way to do it because then you can frost it and let the frosting harden a little before putting it in the fridge.
How Long Does It Take For A Cake To Cool In The Fridge?
The absolute fastest way to cool a cake is by using the fridge. We know this by now from this article. With that being said, how long should a cake cool in the fridge?
It does depend on the sponginess of the cake, but it can be in the fridge for 10-30 minutes. That should be sufficient enough, without drying the cakes out. There are just a few things to keep in mind when you are deciding if you want to use the fridge or not.
If you baked a sponge cake or an angel cake, you should cool it upside down. Since these types of cakes are fragile and airy, they need to be upside down so they don’t collapse when they start to cool down.
If you baked a pound cake or something similar to that, it’s best to cool it out of the pan, and it would be best to use a wire cooling rack for it. If you leave these cakes in the pan, the condensation that will occur will destroy the cake.
How Long To Let The Cake Cool In The Pan?
Even though a lot of people may let their cakes cool in the pan they were baked in, I am very guilty of this, it is actually not recommended to leave them in the pan they were baked in. Doing this could potentially ruin your cake.
However, this doesn’t mean that if you do cool your cake in the pan, it will always ruin them, there is just a higher chance of that happening. Some sources say to wait according to the box, or about 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove it and put your masterpiece on a wire cooling rack.
How Long Does It Take For A Cake To Cool In The Freezer?
The last question asks, how long does it take for a cake to cool in the freezer? This question was a very interesting one to research. But the research is done, and the information that was gathered is that first and foremost, it is best to wrap or put your cake in a freezer-safe container.
You can have a cake completely cooled by the freezer in just thirty minutes. However, you can also store your cake in the freezer as well. So the freezer is good for storing and cooling cakes!