I am not a patient baker. (I'm not a patient of anything.) So I'm surprising even myself by telling you that, sometimes, you have to wait days (days!) to cut into a cake. I'd heard this abstinence argument before: cookbook blurbs proclaiming a certain dessert tasted even better after a few days, or bakers mentioning it for a recipe. A few years ago, there was even an entire article published by TASTE that emphatically stated: Price your cake. However, I was skeptical.
But it turns out that when it comes to aging your treats, it just might be worth it.
Why it's good to age your cake (even if it's not a fruitcake)
Aging sweets is not a new concept. Think of that old lady in your neighborhood who ages her fruitcakes from Halloween to Christmas. Is this cake baking we're talking about?
A kind. But not really.
Fruitcakes are typically aged for weeks, even months, during which they are regularly bathed in spirits for added moisture and flavor. But for some “regular” cakes, you can wrap them tightly and let them sit for a few days, rather than a few months, before slicing them. It may go against our deeply held notions that fresh baked is always better, but this break helps improve the flavor and texture of certain desserts. The changes are subtle but noticeable – taste them side by side and you'll get some deeper flavor notes and added complexity.
That's the theory, anyway. To test it, I recently baked our new Test Kitchen Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, then wrapped it up and left it out on the counter for three days. With each passing day, the chocolate flavor got a little deeper and the olive oil notes got stronger. Was it delicious the first day? Of course. Did it taste even better on the third day? You bet.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Which sweets are best for aging?
So which cakes are candidates for aging (beyond fruitcake, of course)? Basically, any cake that's dense and moist, with prominent flavors, you wouldn't mind making stronger. Carrot cake is a good example: Sharply spiced by cinnamon, ginger, and clove, one of the biggest draws is its combination of complementary flavor notes. If you allow these flavors to deepen and mellow together over several days, they become even stronger and more appealing.
It also has texture benefits. Let's stick with that carrot cake. It's made with vegetable oil, instead of butter, for extra moisture. According to Claire Saffitz, oil-based cakes are better options for aging, as oil remains liquid at room temperature while butter is solid. As she said about Kaitlin Bray TASTE“Oil-based pastries that sit on the counter—provided they're wrapped very well so there's no additional moisture loss—stay supple while the flavor improves.”
King Arthur recipe tester Lydia Fournier agrees. “I find that if it's something that has a citrus peel or oil base, it tends to taste stronger on the second or third day. It seems to be right in the sweet spot, just before it starts to dry out.”
This carrot cake has another moisture-boosting ingredient – carrots. As the cake sits, the carrots continue to release moisture, just like any other cake with fruit or vegetables (like zucchini) in it. The same goes for quick bread like banana bread.
Meanwhile, senior recipe developer Susan Reid takes a cue from fruitcake and recommends “anything laced with booze,” such as Orange Pound Cake with Bourbon Glaze AND Sweet potato cake.
Mark Louis Weinberg
How to age your cakes
Ready to reap the benefits of a little extra time? Here's how to do it:
Choose the right recipe: The best desserts for aging are those that are made with oil, have a moist, slightly dense texture, and contain distinct flavors that can bloom and become more pronounced. Light and delicate desserts – especially egg-based ones like chiffon or angel food cakes – are not good choices.
Keep the cream: If you're planning to frost your cake, wait to do so until just before serving; leave the cake unfrosted while it ages. Frosting usually has a high sugar ratio, and sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it literally sucks the moisture out of your cake and leaves it dry.
Wrap tightly: You want to seal in the moisture to prevent the cake from drying out during the extended rest. Be sure to seal it completely using an airtight wrapper like Wrapping the bee so that it is not exposed to air.
Leave at room temperature: It does not need to be refrigerated, where cold air can promote drying. Instead, keep the treats at room temperature. (Although if you're stacking layers, chill them a bit before assembling the final cake—it'll make things easier.)
Stay away for one to three days: The flavors will deepen after a day and only get stronger the longer you wait. That said, you can go very long: fill your cakes for four days, max (unless it's a fruitcake or other cake designed to bake longer).
Cut and enjoy: Your patience was rewarded. Time to reap the rewards! In this case, better quality and more nuanced taste. See? Sometimes it's worth the wait.
It's not just sweets; waiting several days to bake the bread can be simpler and more flexible. See our previous post for more: Why multi-day bread is actually the lightest bread of all.
Cover picture (Spiced Carrot Cake) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
