How Long do Store-Bought Cakes Last?
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Any occasion, especially a birthday party, will not be complete without a cake. Besides being one of the most common staple foods at parties, it also stands for a lot of things, like sweetness, happiness, love, and celebration.
It is more convenient to buy cakes from dessert stores than to bake them yourself. Not only do you save time but also energy.
However, when you are still left with a portion of the cake after the party, how long do you think it would last? A store-bought cake, which contains preservatives to prolong its shelf life, can last from four days up to a maximum of one week. On the other hand, cakes made without preservatives are only good for three days.
Besides having preservatives to keep it fresh, a store-bought cake would still be fit for consumption for several days more if it is stored properly. To keep it from spoiling, you may either put it in the fridge or in the freezer. This will keep the cake fresh and preserved longer. But aside from properly storing cakes, you must also check it regularly for molds.
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How to Spot Spoiled Cakes
If you have a leftover cake that is days old, you must check if it’s still fit for consumption before munching on it. It may look good on the outside because of the icing and all. However, don’t be fooled by what you see because, on the inside, it may be starting to rot.
When checking a store-bought cake, you can easily see if it is still safe to eat. You can tell by checking these signs:
- Feel the texture of the cake. Being dry and hard are the first signs that it is beginning to spoil.
- This one is very self-explanatory. Smell the cake. If it smells funny or sour, then it’s time to throw it away.
- Look for molds on the cake. Sometimes, though, you can just remove the parts with mold. Usually, the portions without mold are still suitable for eating. But of course, that would still be under your discretion.
- Another sign of spoiling is when your store-bought cake’s fruit fillings already feel slimy.
Keep in mind that while it is safe to eat leftover cake, you must still check it to be extra careful. Discard the cake if you must. After all, eating a slice of spoiled store-bought cake is not worth a trip to the emergency room.
However, if you have done all the things above yet you are still not sure whether it is safe to eat or not, then it’s best to exercise your common sense and perform a taste test.
Proper Storage for Store-Bought Cakes
- Sliced cake
Whether your store-bought cake is with or without frosting, the moment you cut it, moisture will start to escape. This will make the cake stale.
When you have leftover slices of cake, you must cover its sliced edges with more icing. Aside from its enticing taste, more frosting will prevent the cake from losing moisture. Doing this will preserve the cake’s freshness for around three to four more days as long as you store it at room temperature.
- Frosted cake
Another ideal option to prolong the shelf life of your store-bought cake with icing is to put it in a cake keeper. With it, you can keep your store-bought cake for up to five days at room temperature. In addition, the cake keeper will also cover it from dust, fur, as well as insects.
- Unfrosted or naked cake
Some cakes are not covered with icing. If you have to store an unfrosted cake, tightly cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure that all the sides, as well as its top and bottom layers, are securely covered. Upon wrapping, you may store this up to a maximum of five more days. However, if you want to keep it fresh for longer, you may place it in the freezer.
Table could not be displayed.Types of Cakes
There are 11 different types of cakes, which are:
- Angel Food Cake
- Baked Flourless Cake
- Biscuit Cake
- Butter Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Chiffon Cake
- Genoise Cake
- Pound Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Sponge Cake
- Unbaked Flourless Cake
Cake Storage Tips
- When you want to maintain the freshness of your store-bought cake for days, it is ideal that you have a cake keeper. But then again, if you don’t have one, just get a large and deep bowl.
- Your cake keeper should be big enough so that it doesn’t touch any of your cake surfaces. As long as it has the same size as your cake, it can serve as its cover and will do the purpose of a cake keeper.
- Always keep your cake at room temperature. Doing this will extend your store-bought cake’s life for three to four days. You don’t necessarily have to put it in the fridge or in the freezer. Your countertop is enough, as long as it is not hot in your kitchen.
- When refrigerating a cake, make sure to cover it well so that it does not absorb other odors inside your fridge. This will maintain your cake’s sweet smell and taste.
- Not all store-bought cakes can be kept in the freezer because freezing will change their texture. Naked cakes or those not covered with icing are the ones best kept in the freezer.
- Although some cakes can be stored at room temperature, cakes covered with cream cheese frosting cannot be. Instead, to prolong their shelf life for three more days, they must be covered and put in the fridge.
Some Fun and Interesting Cake Facts
- Every January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day.
- The most expensive cake in the world is worth $35 million.
- National Cake Day is celebrated every November 26.
- The heaviest cake weighed 6818.4 kilograms.
- The world’s highest cake is 108 feet and 3 inches tall.
- Patrick Bertoletti ate 72 cupcakes in six minutes. He holds the world record.
- In ancient Rome, weddings had pieces of bread instead of cakes. The bread was broken above the bride’s head to epitomize fertility as well as good luck.
- The reason why cake candles are blown is that it is believed that their smoke carries the celebrant’s prayers to heaven.
- Boston Cream Pie is not a pie but a cake.
- Most wedding cakes are white because it represents purity and virginity.
- During the old times, people used feathers to spread frosting on a cake.
- In 1858, the first-ever tiered cake was baked for Queen Victoria’s wedding.
- Maryland’s official state dessert is the Smith Island Cake.
Related Questions
- I baked a cake, but why did it spoil faster than it should?
The culprit must be the dairy and the hot temperature. Always keep cakes in the fridge or at room temperature to preserve their freshness.
- How dangerous can eating a spoiled cake be?
Eating moldy slices of cake is dangerous because it contains fungal poisons. Food poisoning from eating spoiled cake can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
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