Make Now, Bake Later!
The festive season is around the corner! You’re likely to have dozens of chores lined up. From making those time-consuming Indian mithais to making sure all your home decorations are ready, there’s plenty to do. And, to add to this never-ending list of chores is – baking!
Here, we give you yet another baking ninja strategy that we use around here at Gurgaon Bakers. When you have plenty of cakes and other desserts, passing out of your kitchens, day-in, and day out, you have two options: Either wake up at 3 a.m. to bake everything from scratch (and, we do that frequently around here) or pick up some tricks along the way to achieve freshly-baked goodness in a flash.
Stay tuned as we give you the secrets for freezing your dough and batters. Save valuable time and preserve your sanity, instead of slogging in the kitchen for hours together. With these workarounds, you’ll be serving freshly baked goodies without breaking a sweat.
Without any further delay, let’s get started!
Methods to Freeze Cake Batter
There is plenty of argument in the baking world both for and against freezing batter. The people in the “against” camp state that by freezing cake batter; you’ll end up with a dry cake. On the other hand, those in the “for” camp state that by freezing you get to create freshly-baked goodies without having to wait for hours.
Irrespective of which side you belong to, we believe that nothing matches the taste of a freshly baked cake! With that said, there are plenty of occasions, where you just don’t have the time to start from scratch.
This guide will help you at such instances. A few pointers to keep in mind while freezing cake batters:
Not all batters are created equal
Some batters do well when frozen, while others don’t. For instance, if your cake batter has whipped egg whites in the batter, like a Victorian sponge or chiffon cake, by freezing you end up ruining the batter.
On the other hand, cake batters made by the creaming method, or bread batters that have oil as the fat, freeze wonderfully.
Maximum Freezing Time
Most cake batters and bread dough can be frozen up to three months without any issues. We recommend that you use the batter well before this date limit.
Use Ice-cream Scoops for Portions
If you’re freezing batter for cupcakes and other smaller cakes, use an ice-cream scoop or dishers to portion out the dough. Small portions can be stored in single-serving freezer-friendly containers.
Large containers for layer cakes
Use large containers to freeze the dough for layer cakes and other loaf cakes. Make sure to leave at least half-an-inch space at the top of the container for the batter to contract and expand during freezing and thawing.
Zip Loc Bags too Work Well
Alternatively, you can store batter in individual zip-lock bags. Make sure to flatten the bags before sealing. This helps to get the air out. Lay the bag flat in the freezer.
Defrost the Night Before
If you plan to bake your cake the next day, then take out the frozen batter and let it defrost on the counter (or refrigerator) the night before. Once the batter has completely defrosted, give it a good stir using a spatula or run your hand mixer through it at low speeds.
Once the batter is prepped, you can proceed to bake according to your original recipe.
The Crumb Texture
Cake batters that are defrosted in the refrigerator have tighter crumbs when compared to cake batters that come to room temperature.
Methods to Freeze Cookie Dough
The best way to satisfy your instant cookie (or scone) cravings is to freeze a batch of dough. Pull it out of the freezer and bake it, whenever the craving hits you.
Cookie dough is generally easier to freeze when compared to cake batters. All cookie dough and other types of dough include pie, scone, pate a choux – freeze well.
A few pointers to keep in mind while freezing cookie and other Dough:
Use an ice-cream scoop or a disher
Scoop uniform rounds of cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet using an ice-cream scoop or disher. Place this tray in the freezer until the dough is frozen. Then remove the balls of frozen dough from the baking tray, and drop them into a zip-lock bag. Seal the top and pull out the frozen cookie dough balls, as and when needed.
Straight from the Freezer or To Thaw?
Some cookies bake perfectly when the frozen dough is baked directly. On the other hand, other styles of cookies require the dough to be thawed. Test one or two cookies to find out the right texture for you.
Slice and Bake Cookies
If you’re using slice and bake method, then roll the dough into the shape of a log. Wrap it with cling wrap. Make sure that all sides of the dough are completely covered with plastic. Spin the log. Twirl the wrap until it covers all sides, including the top and bottom of the dough log.
Keep the dough log in the freezer until needed. Slice the cookies before baking. In fact, even if you’re baking cookies at once, expert bakers recommend that you put the dough in the freezer for a few minutes before slicing. This is because cutting cookies is easy when the dough is frozen.
Other General Rules for Freezing Batters and Dough
- Freeze fast, defrost slow.
- Once defrosted batter should be immediately used. Don’t freeze again.
- Make sure that you freeze in batches so that you can pull out only what you need.
- Pack batters and dough in air-tight containers. This way, they don’t get contaminated with other flavours from your freezer. (No one wants your cookies to smell like marinated meat).
- Place goods in the coldest part of the freezer for initial freezing.
- Once the goods have frozen solid for around 12 to 24 hours, you can move them to other parts of the freezer.
- Make sure that your freezer is set at the right setting.
- Label the goods with a date. This way, you can make sure to use them well before the expiry date.
That’s it! You’re now ready to tackle freezing dough and batters. Are you ready to get started?
And, remember the best cakes in Gurgaon are just a call away at +91-989-9988-185 . Give us a ring or Whatsapp us to place your orders.
