How To Cool A Cake Fast

Learn how to cool your cakes quickly and efficiently!

What is more exciting than taking your cake out of the oven!?

Personally, I just can’t wait to start decorating. But there’s still one more step standing in the way – cooling the cake!

Whether you’re in a rush or taking things nice and slow, there is a cake cooling method that is right for you.

Why is it important to cool a cake?

Waiting for your cake to cool will make it much easier to handle. When a cake is still hot, it is extremely delicate and fragile. This makes the cake harder to decorate. Handling it too soon out of the oven could result in breakage and crumbs.

It is also important to wait for your cake to cool if you plan on frosting it! If you try to ice a cake that isn’t cooled, the icing will keep melting from the heat.

Cool your cakes to avoid runny, melted messes!

How to Cool a Cake Quickly

After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to sit in the pan on the counter for approximately 15 minutes.
Move the cake, still in the pan, into the freezer for another 15 minutes.
Now, the cake will be cool enough to handle. Put a layer of saran wrap over the top of the cake and place it back in the freezer.
Alternatively, you can completely remove the cake from the pan and wrap it in saran wrap before putting it back in the freezer.

Sealing the cake in saran wrap will help seal in moisture, so your cake doesn’t dry out in the fridge or freezer.

Be careful with this method when baking cheesecakes. Cheesecakes need to come to room temperature very slowly; any quick temperature changes can cause cracks.

How to cool a cake on a cooling rack

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to sit in the pan on the cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a butter knife or small flat spatula.
Turn out the cake and place it directly onto the cooling rack until cooled completely.

Taking the cake out of the pan and placing it on a cooling rack allows cool air to touch every side of the cake. This is an easy and effective method to cool a cake if you have the time.

Key Tips for Success

Make sure that your warm cake is given at least 10 minutes to sit in the pan after it is taken out of the oven. This rule applies as the first step to any cake cooling method.

Do not try to cut the cake too early, and do not expose the cake to drastic temperature changes too quickly. These could cause the cake to crumble or get stuck in the pan.

If you are baking a cheesecake, or any other creamy cake, turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the oven for about an hour. This will allow the cake to change temperature gradually.

FAQs

How long do I cool a cake before icing it?

A general rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 hours for a cake to cool completely before frosting it.

Should I cool a cake in the tin?

The answer to this will also depend on the type of cake you are making! Usually, the recipe will give instructions on how to cool the cake.

Most cakes will need to be removed from their tin after 15-20 minutes. But something like a fruit cake or baked pudding will need to be cooled completely in its tin.

So your cake has cooled, now what?

Head over to this post, where I cover everything you need to know about How To Store Cakes