We all love baking, and we want to store our cakes in a safe place. But what is the best way to do this? Does it need to sit in the fridge? Or is it fine left out in the kitchen at room temperature? We give you the lowdown and tips of the trade to follow for a moist bake one week or several months later.

Naked Sponge Cakes

Wrap each cake layer in cling film tightly. Make sure the cling film is touching the sides of the cake, and no air can get into it. Then put it in a bag, preferably a zip lock bag. If you don't have one, a plastic food bag is fine and tie it up. If you follow these instructions, your cakes will stay moist for one week. Oil cakes will last eight days. If you want to keep them for even longer, you can freeze them. Remove the cakes a day prior before frosting. No one likes a frozen cake. If the weather is slightly hot, be sure to wrap extra cling film and store it in the fridge. You do not want any traces of the fridge smell to seep through it; otherwise, you'll be eating a cake that tastes of Chinese food. Sponge cake

Frosted/Iced Cakes

So the icing works like a top coat, or shall we say cling film. They can be stored at room temperature for five days in an airtight container, or covered with a cloche. If you don't have a cloche, a large overturned bowl works well too. If the weather is hotter or humid, store in the fridge, you don't want the buttercream or ganache oozing out. Be careful with fondant cakes, the darker the fondant, condensation will cause it to bleed rapidly depending on the fridge temperature. If you have air conditioning, transfer it to that space. Vanilla raspberry cake with white frosting

Cream Cheese or Fresh Cream Cakes

These cakes need to be placed in the fridge as cream cheese, and fresh cream is very soft. Cover the cake first and then refrigerate. red velvet cupcakes

Cut Cakes

As soon as a cake is cut, it begins to lose its moisture, causing it to become stale rather quickly. If you can, be sure to cover the edges with more frosting to protect the cake from losing moisture. cut slice

When should I refrigerate cakes?

Most cakes, naked cakes, frosted, or cut cakes are fine at room temperature for several days. Refrigeration is only required if it is scorching in your kitchen, or during the day. If you are making a cake that won't be served for more than two days, wrap it up and store in the fridge. If your cake requires fruit or a soft icing, cover it and store, fill and decorate a few hours before serving. For frosted cakes, chill the cake uncovered for 15 minutes to harden the icing, then loosely wrap it in cling film or put it in a cake box. Bring a refrigerated cake out 30 minutes to an hour before serving and let sit at room temperature.

Can I freeze my cakes?

Yes, you can! Cakes freeze well for up to 4 months. Wrap the sponges separately in cling film, make sure it's tight and place in an airtight container. If the cake is already frosted, wrap in cling film, you can wrap as a whole cake or by slices and place in an airtight container/resealable bag, this will prevent it from picking up freezer flavours. Just make sure there is plenty of space in the freezer, you don't want them to be squashed.

Defrosting cakes

Take your cakes out of the freezer and allow to defrost thoroughly before serving. If your frosting is frozen, remove and add a splash of milk and whip for a few minutes once defrosted to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. If you wish to level your sponges before layering, this should be done after the sponges have defrosted.