Shelf life of the cake is from 7 hours to 3 months

Today we will name the shelf life of the most delicious holiday dish - cake. Almost all special events are held with the participation of confectionery products. The cake can be made from sponge, shortbread or puff pastry. An additional feature is the composition of the filling - condensed milk, whipped egg white or melted chocolate. The listed characteristics determine the shelf life of the finished product. Another important point is the temperature conditions that are created for storage.

Shelf life

It depends on the ingredients used or the method of preparation:

factory (production of large batches);
homemade (such sweets are preferred by people who adhere to proper nutrition);
exclusive baked goods (usually ordered for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. Here the client’s imagination can come up with unimaginable combinations)

Without refrigerator

Without a refrigerator, i.e. Only dry waffle cakes can be stored at room temperature for 30 days.

This is also typical for some types of chocolate cakes, but their fat content must be taken into account: the higher, the shorter the period.

In a refrigerator

When purchasing a treat, you should follow the storage recommendations indicated on the box. For example, cakes containing fruit or decorated with cream must be kept at temperatures up to + 6 degrees. The refrigerator is the optimal place for this. Don't forget that confectionery products absorb surrounding odors very strongly, so aromatic knuckle or liver pate are not the best neighbors for them. When placing the cake in the refrigerator, cover it with a tight lid to prevent odors.

Storage standards for such products are determined not by GOST, but by technical conditions.

The shortest shelf life is for cakes filled with sour cream and whipped cream: no more than half a day (6 hours).
If the product is decorated with custard or curd mousse, it can be consumed for about 18 hours.
Cakes filled with yogurt/yogurt mousse and cream cheese, such as Mascarpone, remain fresh for one day.
Bird's milk, fruit and berry - 7 hours.
Products with protein filler - 72 hours.
Waffle ones can last up to 3-4 weeks.

In the freezer

Quite a good option!

There was a holiday coming up in our family: my grandmother’s anniversary, and she really loves baked goods with prunes “from Palych,” but you won’t find them in our local store during the day. There are 3 days until the celebration, and suddenly I see our favorite in the window, naturally, I buy it, put it in the freezer at home, hoping that it won’t spoil. What do we observe after defrosting? Yes, the same thing!

Store-bought or homemade products can feel great in the freezer for several days.

The deep-freezing method is often used in cafes and restaurants: frozen dessert remains edible for a reasonable period of time (within a week).

How to choose a fresh cake

They are careful when choosing a cake in a store, so as not to accidentally buy a spoiled one.

Check the storage conditions first. Sweets should be in display cases with refrigeration equipment. If the low temperature is not maintained, it is better to refrain from purchasing in such a place.
An important point is that the packaging must indicate the date of preparation, not a mark from the store about acceptance, but information from the manufacturer. Do not buy a confectionery product that is nearing its expiration date.
Read the ingredients of the cake. It is better if it contains natural ingredients - eggs, berries, dairy products, without a large number of preservatives and stabilizers. Accordingly, its suitability will be less.
The abundance of preservatives and dyes produces an unnaturally bright color. It is better to choose a product with natural decorations - berries or chocolate.
The cake must be of the correct shape, excluding distortions, bruises and cream smudges. These signs indicate improper storage or transportation conditions to the point of sale. A spoiled product will have a sour smell.

It is better to prefer dessert produced close to the store. Otherwise, it is subject to temperature changes during long-term transportation, which will negatively affect the final safety.

By type

Vienna Sacher. It is a chocolate sponge cake with one or two layers of apricot jam, covered on top and sides with chocolate glaze. Usually served with whipped cream. Duration 5 days.
Meringue (meringue). A representative of French cuisine made from beaten egg whites with sugar. Sometimes they use corn starch, vanilla seasoning, coconut, and almonds. For example, Count's Ruins is made from meringue, so it stays fresh for up to 14 days.
Don Sancho Pancho. Best Representative . Sour cream king has many fillings, but the most familiar taste is with condensed milk. for seven days .
Kievsky (Roshen company) . It is recommended to eat for about 3 days , which indicates the quality of the composition.
Fantel ( Fontelier company). A very beautiful, hearty cake with nuts that will complement family gatherings, so we eat it immediately after purchase.
Crepe de Paris. Made from thin pancake dough, sprinkled with powdered sugar - five days of freshness.
Forest. A fairytale forest decorated with little animals and cartoon characters made from mastic. Beautiful, tasty, a great addition to a children's party. We store 120 hours .
Milky girl. Multi-layered, tender, airy - 3 definitions of this work of art, complemented with berries and cheese cream. Will keep for two days at room temperature.
Flight. A simple but delicious cake that you can prepare even at home. 7 days.
Bird's milk. A stunning and beloved dessert that is always welcome. We store it for two days.
Tiramisu. This Italian favorite is made with highly perishable ingredients, so only 3 days ...
Moscow. The capital's signature cake. The main part is made from hazelnuts, seasoned with boiled condensed milk, so the period is less than 72 hours.
Prague. One of the historical sweets. Safe use time - 36 hours .
Fairy tale. Sponge roll, complemented with butter cream, decorated with marmalade, candied fruits, marzipan. 5 days.
Red velvet. Very tasty cream cheese cake. It has a short shelf life, consume immediately after purchase.
Honey cake. Store from 0 to 6 degrees for 21 days, if frozen - up to three months.
Anthill. Mirel's favorite dessert, topped with condensed milk. It is so filling that it is very difficult to eat more than one piece at a time. frozen for . This is such a long lasting cake!
Ryzhik. Honey cakes are delicious! Keeps for one week.
Boucher. This incredible cake is made from two circles of sponge dough with a melting buttery mousse in the middle. We store for a short time due to the filling.
English cherry (Quality Factory). We store it for 5 days (it won’t stay longer than that).
Esterhazy. As children, we called cakes similar to this cake shortbread. And here you can safely trust. If frozen to -18 degrees, it can be stored for 18 months.
Napoleon (R obin Sdobin). The layered dessert is beyond praise. We store it for five days.
Tatarstan. Cranberry jam with chocolate glaze, cream soufflé. Real jam! Use immediately.

When stored in the refrigerator

When storing factory-made cakes, you should be guided by the expiration date specified by the manufacturer. When making a homemade cake and storing it in the refrigerator, you should focus on the components used in its manufacture.

Home

Cakes with custard have the shortest shelf life.

This dessert cannot be stored for more than 6 hours from the moment of preparation.

It is advisable to consume cakes soaked in sour cream cream within 16-18 hours after the cake is ready.

It is advisable to eat a cake with candied fruits, fruits or berries within 3 days from the moment of baking. Cakes based on vegetable cream have a shelf life of 5 days from the date of production.

Factory

Despite the fact that factory-made cakes have an expiration date indicated on the label, knowledge of the recipe and manufacturing components helps the consumer to correctly navigate the selection and storage of a sweet product.

In addition, the manufacturer may add preservatives (sorbic acid) to some cakes, which increases the shelf life of the product, but reduces its consumer qualities.

So:

The cake, which is made with cream, is stored for 18 hours in the refrigerator. If whipped cream is used in the recipe, the shelf life is reduced to 6 hours.
The shelf life of mousse cake is 2-3 days after preparation.
For a cake decorated with mastic, the shelf life is determined by other components, since the food mastic itself (sugar paste) has a fairly long shelf life, exceeding the shelf life of other components of the delicacy.
A classic sponge cake, not soaked in perishable creams, can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time - up to 15 days. So, when purchasing such a cake, you should focus on other components of the product.
Sour cream cake contains a perishable component, so the shelf life of such a cake does not exceed 12 hours; in extreme cases, you can extend the period to 24 hours from the date of manufacture.
Cakes made with beaten egg whites (white cake) can be stored in the refrigerator for 72 hours.
Honey cakes, or Medoviki, are stored for 5 days from the date of preparation.
The shelf life of shortbread cakes, depending on the filling, can be up to 7 days.
Yogurt cakes can be stored in household refrigerators at a temperature of +2 to +6°C for 36 hours.
Cakes with cottage cheese cream can be stored for no more than 24 hours.
Chocolate cakes that do not contain other perishable ingredients can be safely stored in the home refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

The dangers of consuming expired products

A favorite delicacy can become a threat to the body if there are signs of improper storage: unsealed containers, wrinkled, damaged appearance, pasted labels with the production date, and others. Also pay attention to the bitter taste of the dessert (especially with mousse), in which bacteria multiply quickly. This most often happens in the hot season or if the rules and storage periods have not been followed.

If a potentially dangerous product has already been consumed, then, most likely, poisoning cannot be avoided, which will spoil the impression of the holiday, and can lead to serious stomach problems.

Deterioration in health manifests itself literally within a few minutes; it can manifest itself as rumbling in the stomach, sharp colic, nausea, vomiting, fever, and weakness. The most severe form is fainting and even convulsions.

Storing cakes with fondant

Products that are decorated with mastic are distinguished by a variety of types and forms of decoration, and storing mastic is not difficult, since there is virtually nothing in it to spoil. The main thing is to take into account two points:

The mastic should not be allowed to dry out - it must be covered or wrapped during storage, as otherwise small cracks will form.
It is necessary to protect it from contact with moisture, as small decorative elements may “float”.

The best option in the case of a mastic cake is to keep it in the refrigerator, where the confectionery product will remain fresh for 3-5 days, depending on other ingredients. It is necessary to remove the dessert from the refrigerator 3-5 hours before serving - this way the decoration elements will become a little softer and have time to heat up, which will improve the taste of the cake while eating.

When condensation is observed on the mastic after removal from the refrigerator, it must be carefully removed with a paper napkin - it does not have any effect on the taste characteristics of the product. If you plan to install figures made of mastic, then they can be made in advance, since they have a longer shelf life - up to 15 days if frozen.

But the shelf life of mastic, even when frozen, depends on whether it is purchased, prepared at home, and what it consists of. If store-bought, it can be edible for a longer period, since it contains quite a lot of preservatives and other additives.

Shelf life of purchased mastic

First of all, it is necessary to decide on the type of sugar paste, since the compositions of different manufacturers have serious differences in porosity and uniformity. During the selection process, you need to be guided by your own plans for its use. When the type is chosen, but all the mastic is not used, the remains must be wrapped in foil or parchment paper.

Attention! It is not recommended to use polyethylene for packaging mastic, as the substance will stick to it. Even when treated with vegetable oil after removal from polyethylene, it will be difficult to roll out the mastic. It may also change color due to contact with oil.

The remaining pieces are stored in the refrigerator, no longer than recommended by the manufacturer, usually indicating a shelf life of up to two months. In the future, they must be used primarily in the manufacture of new confectionery products. You can freeze the mastic if you wish by placing it in the freezer, but this is not necessary. Even if not frozen, the mass is stored for a long time.

It is necessary to periodically check the condition of the product - there should be no foreign odors. It is very undesirable for sugar paste to be in a room with high humidity and because of this it is recommended to place the mass as far as possible from vegetables and uncovered containers with liquids.

How long is homemade mastic good for?

It is possible to make sugar paste at home - the shelf life of such paste depends on its volume. To prolong the suitability of the sugar mass and prevent it from losing its original properties, it is necessary to maintain the correct proportions. The following actions can also extend this period:

After kneading, you need to allow the sugar paste to rest for a while; to do this, leave it in the refrigerator for one day in a container covered with cling film with holes for ventilation. Aged paste will absorb less powdered sugar during modeling.
When the mastic is wetter than specified in the recipe, it needs to be dried in a warm place, but not longer than 2 hours. After this, you need to use the paste immediately, as its shelf life has been greatly reduced.
The mass does not need to be stored in the refrigerator if you plan to use it immediately.
To make the mastic prepared with reserve convenient to use later, it must be given the correct shape before being sent to the refrigerator or freezer, rolled into ovals or balls.

The shelf life of mastic depends on the correct packaging and maintaining optimal conditions. So, if you freeze it, the paste can retain its own characteristics for up to 4 months.

How long is marshmallow mastic good for?

A type of marshmallow that came from the West and was loved by many - marshmallow, does not contain eggs and has high stickiness, which is very important for mastic. Marshmallow has a significant resemblance to marshmallows and consists of a significant percentage of gelatin.

Marshmallow paste and cooked figures are stored differently. The mastic should be placed in a tightly closed food container and placed in the refrigerator. Its shelf life is up to 2 months. Flowers and other figures from it are also placed in an airtight box, so that one does not touch each other. It is recommended to keep them in the freezer for no longer than 15 days.

Reference! When frozen, the marshmallow mass loses its plasticity and hardens. To knead it you will need additional heating and sprinkling with powdered sugar. There is no need to defrost the finished figures, and the fact that they will harden and retain their shape after freezing is even a plus.

Storing cakes with fondant

The prepared cake, which is covered with mastic, requires some attention. The mastic confectionery product must be stored after readiness in compliance with the following rules:

When the cake comes out a bit moist, you need to let it dry. A wet confectionery product should not be placed in the refrigerator, as it will not only not dry out, but may also soften even more.
When the mastic cake is slightly dry, it is not recommended to store it for more than one day, as there is a risk of the sugar paste cracking.
Individual decorative elements that will decorate the cake can be prepared in advance. But it is more difficult to store small parts - any defects caused by non-compliance with the mastic recipe will quickly appear and ruin the shape, so it is advisable to store only large decorative figures.

How long and how to keep frozen products in the freezer?

If you want to freeze baked goods in advance for an event, it is important to remember how long you can keep homemade cakes in the refrigerator. In most cases, no more than three days. Ideally, after a month or two in the freezer, the product should be thrown away due to the specific smell and taste.
It is better not to freeze homemade confectionery products, or to prepare shortcakes without covering them with cream.
To prevent the product from absorbing foreign odors, it must be wrapped in food foil so that moisture does not get inside and food bacteria do not grow in it.
The frosted cakes are first frozen on a baking sheet for three to four hours. Then it needs to be packaged in cling film or foil. If it sticks to a baking sheet, a regular knife will help solve the problem.

Products containing low-fat creams should not be frozen.

A slightly different matter is a delicacy from the store. The frozen cake has undergone a blast freezing procedure. This procedure allows you to preserve it for a long time, for example six months or a year, without the use of preservatives.

The delicacy, brought directly from the workshop, is placed in a special freezer. Temperatures drop sharply to levels from -18 to -25. In this way, all harmful bacteria are destroyed, which guarantees the quality of the product.

If you decide to purchase such a cake, take a closer look at the packaging: there should be no streaks, smudges or stains on the lid , and the cardboard should be dry.

Now on the shelves of shops and supermarkets there are many varieties of confectionery products and their expiration dates and storage conditions, of course, differ from each other. We told you how to choose and store chocolate, churchkhela, halva, cookies, marshmallows and marshmallows in separate materials.

What does it depend on?

The shelf life of cakes primarily depends on their composition .

The shelf life of cakes made according to different recipes and with different ingredients can range from several hours to a month or more.

The shelf life of a whole product is determined by the shelf life of the most perishable component in the cake, which is usually the buttercream.

The second important factor is storage temperature.

Most cakes must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2 to +6°C, only in this case the manufacturer guarantees preservation of taste and safety for consumption within the period indicated on the label.

Can it be frozen?

In order to preserve taste and consumer qualities, many types of cakes can be placed in the freezer .

Since industrial freezing at a temperature of -18...-25°C is impossible at home, we are not talking about storing a cake in the freezer for weeks or months.

However, it is quite possible to extend the shelf life of the cake by several days in the home freezer. Cakes containing jelly or fondant are not recommended to be frozen.

But sponge or shortbread cakes with the addition of fruits, nuts or buttercream survive this procedure quite painlessly if the freezing lasts no more than a few days.

How do the shelf life and storage periods differ and what are they for these products?

Consumers often confuse the concepts of expiration date and shelf life and consider them to be equivalent. Actually this is not true. Let's look at the differences between these two terms.

The shelf life is the period during which the product can be used for its intended purpose. If the product has not been sold after the expiration date, the seller is obliged to remove it from the shelf because it is expired. There are two ways to indicate the expiration date:

Indicating a specific date - day and month.
Indicating the period - for example, “use within six months from the date of manufacture.”

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 16, 1997 No. 720 established goods with a mandatory expiration date. These are products that can cause material damage, a threat to life and health, and the environment. This includes:

Food products in and without packaging.
Medicines.
Chemicals, household chemicals, fertilizers.
Industrial goods that change their properties due to the action of external factors include:
batteries;
condoms;
fire extinguishers and some other products.
The manufacturer is required to set an expiration date for cakes and pastries.

Cakes and pastries are classified as perishable goods.

The shelf life is calculated from the date of manufacture until the day the product is to be consumed. That is, for example, the packaging says that the product was manufactured on May 18, 2022 and the expiration date is 7 days. Accordingly, the last day of consumption is 24.05, not 25.05.

The shelf life is the period during which the product does not lose the qualities reflected in the regulatory and technical documents. Manufacturers may indicate both dates - expiration date and shelf life. In this case, this means that when the storage period expires, the quality of the product will change, but it will be suitable for consumption.

Is it possible to store a cake without a refrigerator?

There are varieties of cakes that do not necessarily need to be stored at low temperatures. These products include desserts that are decorated with ground almonds fried in sugar (praline) and have a waffle base. When there is no cream in the dessert, it can be kept at room temperature for much longer. Chocolate products have a shelf life that directly depends on the fat content of the chocolate. The higher it is, the fewer days such a dessert will remain fresh.

What does the label contain?

Deadline marking contains product data in the form of an inscription, drawing, or symbol. Another designation, or a combination of those listed, may also be adopted. Designations are applied to packaging, shipping containers or other information media that is attached to them.

The marking shows not only how long cakes and pastries are stored in the refrigerator, but also other data:

Name.
Compound.
Mass.
Date of manufacture and expiration date.
Storage conditions after the package is opened.
Manufacturer's address.

pieces of homemade cake with sour cream Stock Image

We are donating 10% of additional royalties to our contributors as an incentive to fight COVID-19

Similar images

A piece of homemade bird cherry cake with sour cream, decorated with blueberries and mint leaves on a plate

Young female hands holding a plate with a piece of sour cream cake with fruits decorated with flowers

Homemade cake with sour cream, decorated with a red rose with tails. A piece of cake is cut separately on a stick

Fruit cake with sour cream filling

Pancho cake. Homemade sponge cake with sour cream and pineapple.

Homemade cake with cherries, sour cream and chocolate on a white plate on a wooden background. Horizontally, cop.

Piece of blueberry sour cream cake on white wooden background

Homemade honey cake with sour cream

Pancho Cake. Homemade sponge cake with sour cream and raisins. Decorated with ganache, top view

A piece of chocolate-vanilla cake with sour cream on the background of the cake.

Delicious dessert. Piece of sponge cake with sour cream

A piece of homemade sweet cake with cream and canned apricots

Homemade tangerine cake with sour cream

Homemade honey cake with sour cream on a wooden table