22 Sep How to Keep Cake Fresh in Your Shop or Bakery
There’s nothing like the scent of freshly baked goods to lure customers into your bakery—in fact, 26% of Americans get lured into a bakery solely by the smell of delicious baked goods. But once they’re inside, you have to entice them to buy, and once they buy, the taste of that delicious baked good has to be enticing enough to lure them back.
While bakeries produce the most cookies, cakes are the most profitable item. Of course, these cakes have to look good all day and still taste good when they travel home with customers.
So, it’s time to delve into the art and science of how to keep cake fresh.
Do You Need a Cake Refrigerator?
First, the obvious question: do you need a cake refrigerator?
For the average person, no. But for a bakery, yes.
For the average person, a fridge is a no-go for cakes. Refrigeration dries out sponge cakes, even in an airtight container, which leaves the cake dull and tasteless in no time. And given that you want to enjoy that cake as long as possible, it’s counterproductive.
For a bakery, a commercial refrigeration unit is non-negotiable. That’s because if you’re displaying a cake, it’s likely already frosted. Without refrigeration, your frosting will melt and spoil, especially in a bakery with high customer traffic. Plus, if the cake is fully frosted, the frosting will help keep moisture trapped in the cake.
The key is to store your cake properly so that it doesn’t lose its taste to the refrigerator.
How to Store Cakes
First, you have to know how to store cake properly. While it’s quite easy for a commercial kitchen to rush a cake from the oven to the fridge, that’s actually a rookie mistake that will ruin cake texture.
Instead, your cake should be fully cooled to room temperature before it goes in the fridge. You should always frost cakes first in order to keep moisture contained in the cake. Cakes without frosting can be stored in the open air, but any cake with cream cheese frosting, fresh fruit, whipped cream, or topping should be refrigerated.
How to Display Cake
Fortunately for a bakery, a decorated cake is ready for sale, which means your refrigeration unit can double as your display if you’re crafty about the setup.
When storing cake in the fridge, you should always use a separate cake refrigerator. No mixing and matching with other baked goods—cakes are fussy in the fridge. Plus, cakes are like sponges (even if it’s not literally a sponge cake). If you store a cake in the same fridge as anything else, it will absorb the smell and taste of those items, which is a great way to ruin all your hard work (it’s no coincidence that this is also a common food storage mistake at restaurants).
Your best bet is a display fridge designed for cakes. The good news? There are display refrigerators expressly designed for bakery display counters.
Figuring Out How to Keep Cake Fresh? Cake Refrigeration is Key
There are no two ways around it—if you’re figuring out how to keep cake fresh, you need a display refrigerator. That’s where we can help, with mid and high-end range bakery display refrigerators designed to entice your customers. You’ll love the performance, and your customers will love the taste. Make sure to check out our collection to find the perfect choice for your bakery.
