Can Cake Batter Be Refrigerated? Bake It Fast Or Let It Chill?

In my series of cake questions, another one of the top questions was, “Can Cake Batter Be Refrigerated?”.

So, the answer isn’t super black and white, but there are things to keep in mind. For some batters, yes, cake batter can be refrigerated for a short period, typically no more than a day or two. Refrigerating cake batter can help chill the fats in the batter, which can result in a better texture and rise when baked. However, it's important to note that some recipes may not react well to being refrigerated, so it's always best to follow the specific instructions in your recipe.

Things to look out for would be, batters that contain baking powder or baking soda as leavening agents may lose some of their leavening power if refrigerated for too long, which can result in a denser cake. And then, cake batters that contain beaten egg whites for leavening, such as angel food or chiffon cakes, should not be refrigerated, as the egg whites can lose their volume and affect the texture of the cake. It's best to bake these types of cakes immediately after preparing the batter.

Some cake batter types that would be ok to chill would be those that contain oil fats and don’t rely on whipping eggs for rise. I think it’s always best to bake your cake straight away, but, with the right batters, it is ok to bake off some and then save some batter for the next day or two. If you’re going to refrigerate batter, just keep it in an airtight container and ,if possible, some cling wrap on top of the batter itself to help reduce condensation from getting onto the batter!