Can You Freeze German Chocolate Cake?

German chocolate cake is one of our favorite desserts. It’s so unique and a great way to break up the mundane and repetitive traditional chocolate cake.

While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with chocolate cake, you really just can’t beat a good German chocolate cake by comparison. 

We’re not quite sure if it’s the cake or the frosting that really sets this decadent dessert apart. Maybe it’s a combination of both. Regardless, you have to know the proper ways to store any leftovers, if you happen to have them. 

Can you freeze German chocolate cake? Yes, you can freeze German chocolate cake to extend its shelf life up to 4 months. It freezes well with minimal changes in texture and you can even freeze the coconut pecan frosting along with it.

In this guide, we will walk you through the process step-by-step for freezing German chocolate cake.

You will be pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is to accomplish this task. You can save your cake for later or even just make it ahead of time and store it. 

Stick with us to learn how to freeze German chocolate cake. 

How to Freeze German Chocolate Cake

Here’s the thing: we don’t know if you’re operating on the assumption that you need to freeze leftovers because you’re simply not going to get them eaten before they go bad, or if you’re looking to freeze a whole cake. 

So, we’re going to cover both of these scenarios for you! 

Freezing A Whole German Chocolate Cake

If you simply wanted to bake a cake ahead of time, you can freeze a whole German chocolate cake. You can freeze it with or without frosting.

Here are your steps for freezing a whole German chocolate cake:

1. Allow the cake to cool completely after baking. You can leave the cake in the baking dish if you prefer, but we recommend wrapping the cake and removing it from the baking dish. 
2. If you remove it from the baking dish, wrap the cake in parchment paper. Otherwise, you can skip this step. 
3. Wrap the cake in foil so that it is fully protected. If you left it in the dish, put a layer of foil over the top of the cake to seal it in. 
4. From here, add one more layer of foil or simply add the lid if it is in the dish still. 
5. Label and freeze for up to 4 months. 

These instructions are going to be based on the assumption that you will be freezing the whole cake without frosting.

You can freeze it with the frosting, but skip the wrapping step. We’ll come back to that later.

If you haven’t baked your cake yet, you can actually freeze the batter instead and bake your cake fresh later.

Freezing German Chocolate Cake Slices

Alright, perhaps you have just a few slices left from your cake and you want to freeze those slices. You can freeze them individually for the best results. Once again, this process is super simple and easy to follow. 

Here are some steps for freezing German chocolate cake leftovers for you:

1. Be sure slices are completely cool. 
2. Wrap each slice in parchment paper. 
3. Slide each slide into a container or a freezer bag. We recommend storing them individually, so they are easy to grab out one at a time as needed. 
4. Label each bag and store them in the freezer for up to 4 months. 

It might be able to be stored much longer, but this is the recommended timeframe for the best quality. 

In each of these methods, you can let the cake thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to use it. Or, you can also enjoy it frozen. It’s so yummy!

Can You Freeze Coconut Pecan Frosting?

Coconut pecan frosting is a vital part of enjoying German chocolate cake. So if you have a cake, chances are it already has frosting on it. Unless you knew you were going to freeze it ahead of time, frosting is part of the deal. 

Whether you have homemade or store-bought frosting, the good news is that you can also freeze it. If you have a frosted cake, you will be able to store it in the same manner that you store the German chocolate full cake.

The only difference is that you won’t want to wrap it, as this could cause issues with your frosting.

Simply be sure your frosted cake is in an airtight container. You can add a layer of aluminum foil to the top of the pan, as long as it isn’t touching the frosting. 

The same can be said of individual slices, but they get a bit tricky. You don’t want to ruin the frosting, so we recommend that you store them in airtight containers rather than wrapping and bagging them. 

Here’s to your German chocolate cake! 

Up Next: Recipe – Chocolate Cake With Banana Frosting