How long before ice cream cake melts

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Who doesn’t love ice cream cake? It is the best of both worlds and is the ideal thing to serve at a summer party!

As great as ice cream cake is, there is some nuance to storing and serving it so that you are not stuck trying to cut through a rock-hard cake.

What is the best way to store and serve ice cream cake? Ice cream cake should be stored in the freezer, as anywhere else would lead to it defrosting and melting. When you are ready to serve the ice cream cake, make sure to take it out of the freezer and either place it into the fridge for 30 minutes or on the counter for 15 minutes.

This ensures that the ice cream cake will not melt too much, but it will be soft enough that you can slice through it with relative ease to serve it.

So, if ice cream cake is being served at your next party, read on to find out how to properly store and serve it, so you can enjoy it in the best way possible!

How To Store Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake, like ice cream, is best stored in the freezer. If you have bought the ice cream cake, it should be packaged in a freezer-safe container.

However, if it is not, then you should place the cake in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it from freezer burn and from picking up other odors in the freezer.

Wrapping the ice cream cake in plastic wrap or placing it into an airtight container also prevents it from becoming rock hard, which makes it easier to slice through when it is time to enjoy.

How Long Should Ice Cream Cake Be Left Out Before Serving?

Ice cream cake needs to be left out before it is served, or else it will be too hard to cut through to serve everyone a slice.

You can either leave the ice cream cake in the fridge or on the counter to thaw a little bit before serving, depending on how much time you have.

You need to keep a close watch on how long you leave the ice cream cake out of the freezer to ensure that it does not melt too much!

Here are the two ways that you can soften ice cream cake slightly before serving, and how long each way takes:

On The Counter

If you do not have too much time, you can place the ice cream cake on the counter for a little while to soften. This is the quickest way to soften the ice cream cake before serving so that it is easier to cut through.

When placing the ice cream cake on the counter, you should only need to leave it for around 15 minutes.

This should be the right amount of time for the cake to thaw ever so slightly, but still hard enough to be served as a slice of ice cream cake.

Keep in mind that temperature does vary, and if your house is particularly warm, then the cake might thaw quicker.

If your house is cold, then you might have to wait a little longer for the cake to soften to the point where it is easy enough to slice through.

If the party is outside—make sure to place the cake out of direct sunlight as this could cause it to melt way too fast.

In The Fridge

It is always safer to go slowly when softening ice cream cake, and this is best done in the fridge. Make sure to put some time aside to place the ice cream cake in the fridge before serving, so that you can still serve it on time.

Once you have removed the ice cream cake from the freezer, place it directly into the fridge.

It will take around 30-40 minutes in the fridge for the cake to reach a texture that is easy to slice through, without melting too much, and with it still being hard and frozen.

After around 30 minutes, check to see how the ice cream cake is doing, and if it is ready to serve, then you can start slicing it. If it needs a little longer, check on it again in 10 minutes.

The benefit of using the fridge to thaw the ice cream cake is that it will never cause it to melt to the point where you cannot use it anymore, and there will be no heat placed onto the cake.

What To Do If The Cake Isn’t Ready To Serve

Different size ice cream cakes, and different environments, means that you will have to keep a check on the cake as you wait for it to soften.

If you have left the cake on the counter or in the fridge for the recommended amount of time, and it still isn’t ready to serve yet, there is not much else you can do other than to leave it to thaw for longer.

If you had it in the fridge, you can move it to the counter and then check on it every 5 minutes until it is ready to slice and serve.

For when you really cannot wait any longer, you could fill a glass with hot water, and dip a knife into the hot water to heat it up.

Once the knife is hot, you can then slice through the ice cream cake. The hot knife should cut through the ice cream cake easily, even if it is still quite hard.

You might have to reheat the knife between each slice and wipe off any excess water from the knife to ensure that you do not wet the cake or cause it to melt too much.

What To Do If Ice Cream Cake Is Left Out For Too Long

Parties can get really busy, and it can be easy to leave the ice cream cake out for too long! You really would want to avoid having to throw away delicious ice cream cake that has been left out for too long, and you might be able to save it.

If the ice cream cake has softened slightly and begun to melt, you can place slices into an airtight container, wrap it with some plastic wrap, and then place it in the freezer.

If the cake has melted too much and is more liquid than solid, then there might not be any way to save it.

You also do not want to risk the ice cream spoiling if it is left out on the counter too long, which could be dangerous for you to eat at a later stage.

When you have placed leftover ice cream cake into the freezer again, you should try to eat it within 2-3 months.

This ensures that it maintains its best quality and that it does not develop freezer burn, which could ruin the texture and taste of the ice cream cake completely.

What Is The Best Way To Cut Ice Cream Cake?

Once the ice cream cake has been left to soften ever so slightly to be easy to slice, you will need to know the best way to slice it.

The best knife to use to cut ice cream cake is a long serrated knife. A pointed knife is best to use as well. To give you a smoother cut, you should fill a cup with hot water and dip the knife into the hot water before slicing the cake.

Heating up the knife makes the cutting much easier, but you might have to reheat the knife every few slices. Using a long knife also means you can slice across in one go, instead of having to do multiple extra slices.

How To Store And Serve Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is always such a hit at parties, but you need to know how to store and serve it to ensure that it is as delicious as can be!

Before serving ice cream cake, you should remove it from the freezer and leave it in the fridge for 30-40 minutes, or on the counter for 15 minutes, to soften it a bit to make it easier to slice through.

Once you have cut up the cake and served everyone, place the cake back into an airtight container and wrap it up with plastic wrap before placing it back in the freezer to store it for longer.

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how you can best store and serve ice cream cake, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

How can I keep ice cream cake cold without a freezer?

If you have planned a party away from home and don’t have a freezer to keep the ice cream cake cold, you can use dry ice to keep the ice cream cake cold.

Place the ice cream cake in a cooler box and place dried ice between the walls and the cake to keep it frozen.

Can I put candles on an ice cream cake?

You can put candles on an ice cream cake, as long as you do not leave them to burn for too long and light them too close to the surface of the cake.

You will have to wait a little while after removing the cake from the freezer before the cake is soft enough to push the candles into.

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Jaron

Hey, I'm Jaron and I'm a self-proclaimed food expert and author of this website! I'll be honest with you, I started this website because someone told me I couldn't and I needed to prove them wrong. Along my journey, I actually really fell in love with writing about food. I hope you found value from whatever article you read, and if you have any remaining questions, don't hesitate to contact me!

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