How Long You Can Keep Cake Batter In The Fridge Without Sacrificing Quality

A slice of freshly baked cake is a comfort like no other. It's the go-to celebratory dessert for any birthday, holiday, or dinner party; there are endless flavors and types. With all that chaos that goes with hosting a party, you might be tempted to make the cake the day before to save yourself time. Cakes are usually best the fresher they are, so the dilemma is that your day-old cake may not be quite as good. Luckily, there's a hack that allows for the best of both worlds. Sandy Folsom, School Director of the Wilton Sweet Studio, says, "You can store cake batter in an airtight container in the fridge for 24-48 hours."

This preparation tip lets you do half the work the day ahead of time, so that all you have to do is pour and bake on the day of. That means less time spent in the kitchen and fewer dishes to wash after your event. While one to two days shouldn't cause any problems, it's worth it to do a sniff-test before baking. "Cake batter should have a neutral to slightly sweet smell," Folsom says, "if you notice any unusual odors like a musty or sour smell the batter has gone bad."

You can make and refrigerate many types of cake batter ahead of time, but it's not recommended for sponge cakes or cakes that only use baking soda. Leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) are essential ingredients in a cake, helping them rise during baking so they come out light and fluffy. Most baking powder is double-acting, meaning it will react once when mixed with liquid and again when exposed to heat. This means that even if the first liquid activation fades while the batter is refrigerating, you'll still get the desired rise once the cake is baked. But baking soda is only activated by liquid; so it will start working right when the batter is mixed together, and it won't last for very long; your cake could come out flat or dense if the batter isn't baked soon after being mixed.

The case is similar for any cakes with whipped egg whites; you'll likely lose some of the incorporated air if the batter sits for too long. So choose your make-ahead cake wisely, and if you can find the time to make a cake right before serving it, Folsom suggests you do so, "For the freshest flavor and fluffiest cakes, we recommend baking your cake batter as soon as possible after making it."