How to cool a cake quickly

When you’re in a hurry, knowing how to cool a cake quickly can be the difference between disaster and success.

You can’t put the frosting directly on a hot cake, unless you want to create a mess and melt the frosting, which could completely ruin the texture of the cake. Ideally, the cake should sit for at least an hour to cool completely.

But what if you don’t have time? How can you cool a cake quickly?  There are several ways to cool a cake. The easiest is to put it on a rack and direct a fan at it, but even this takes some time. If you’re in a hurry, you can let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before placing it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Read on to learn how you can use each method to your advantage.

Ideally, when you bake a cake, you should let it rest for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on ambient conditions. If you live in an area where it is almost always cold, you may do it a little earlier.

However, since most homes in colder climates have a regulated indoor temperature, you may have to wait like everyone else.

Many people don’t think that waiting that long makes sense and that it doesn’t matter if the cake is hot or cold before adding the frosting.

Well, if you think so, we are here to burst your bubble. Adding frosting to a hot cake is a bad idea. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, a hot cake is going to lose some moisture or gas as it cools, so adding icing or frosting on top of it can end up with an uneven surface.

And second, the frosting on the cake will likely melt and drip onto the plate, effectively ruining its look or saturating the cake and making it too wet, without setting the frosting. 

Therefore, the ideal time to add frosting to a cake is when it has reached room temperature.

Heat will come off the surface, which can make it foggy or very hot to the touch, initially. By introducing the cake into a cooler environment, it will gradually start to cool down.

How to cool a cake

As we have already said, a hot cake needs a long time to cool before it is frosted. Here are a few quick ways to lower the temperature.

cooling rack method

This is the first way to cool a cake quickly and is also traditionally used by many pastry chefs. The rack can reduce cooling time from a minimum of 1 hour to about 45 minutes.

This means that you will be able to let the heat come out naturally not only from the sides, but also from the bottom of the cake.

You can also complement this method by directing a table fan at the cake. Remember that you don’t want to cool it down quickly or it could start to deflate from the inside out. The goal is to help you gradually lose excess heat.

layering method

Remember that a cake is the hottest in the center. If you could manage to dissipate that heat somehow, you could cool the cake much more quickly.

This is where this nifty method comes into play. If you want to make a cake and cool it quickly to save time, opt for a layered cake.

Having separate, detachable layers can allow the cake to cool much faster.

If a typical cake might take about 45 minutes, cooling the individual layers will take about 25 minutes if you keep them on a cooling rack with a fan directed at them. 

This method is the fastest, as it will allow you to work with the layer that cooled down first.

For example, you can start with the base, and by the time you finish frosting it, the other half will have cooled enough to work on next.

fridge method

Reserve this method for emergencies only. Chilling a cake quickly can cause it to deflate because you haven’t allowed it to set well. A hot cake releases gases and heat that allow it to retain its structure.

If you cool a cake too quickly, it will cause it to set unevenly, which means it can set more in one area than another, ultimately giving it a flat texture.

Some people think that using the freezer is a good idea and a great way to cool a cake quickly. This may be true, but you have to do it the right way.

To properly use this method, first let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Next, transfer the cake to the fridge. Make sure you keep the cake away from food and cover strong-smelling ones, like chopped onions or garlic.

Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the fridge. This method should safely reduce the temperature without deflating the cake. 

You can also use a thermometer to observe the internal temperature of the cake. The temperature should be around room temperature.

If it’s above 120°F, you should let it cool down further. A cooled cake should be between 80 and 100°F. Something else may indicate that the cake is still warm.

Things to keep in mind

Be sure to start with the cooling rack method first. You should try to cool the cake naturally if your schedule allows it. If you find yourself in an emergency situation, you can supplement the cooling rack method with a fan.

Remember that you need to rotate the cake so that the fan can cool all parts of the cake. You may have to give this method some time to work.

You can probably reduce the cooling time to about 20 minutes by using the “Rest and Fridge” method, where you first let the cake cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before transferring it to the fridge for another 10 minutes. 

Sure, in theory you can chill it even faster by keeping it in the freezer, but that can have dire consequences. It is better to use any of the other methods or even the layering method than to go straight for the freezer method.

The cooling time depends a lot on the size and type of cake. A soft cake can get colder than a thick, floury cake. Also, a larger cake will take longer to cool than a smaller one.

Conclution

Cooling a cake can seem like a chore because you want to NOT mess up the cake and quickly cool it down at the same time so you can frost and serve as soon as possible.

However, if you use the proper cooling method, you can reduce the standing time from 1 hour to about 20 minutes. 

Cooling time depends on the size and type of cake, so when you’re in a hurry, opt for a smaller cake. You can also adopt different strategies, such as layering, so that the cake cools faster.

Always remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry, so whatever method you use, use caution or you’ll end up spending more time fixing a spoiled cake.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to quickly cool a cake, let’s look at some related questions!

Can a cake be cooled in a freezer without frost?

You can chill a cake in a freezer, but first you’ll need to let it sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes.

The cake may deflate, stick to the pan, or be uneven if you transfer it directly from the oven to the freezer. Reserve this method only for cases of extreme urgency.

Should you chill a cake while it’s in the pan?

Yes, you can let the cake initially cool while it’s in the pan.  Let cool for about 5-8 minutes before removing to a cooling rack . The cake will begin to cool immediately when it is out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.