How long is cheesecake good for? Have you ever wished that cheesecakes could last indefinitely? That they would never spoil and you could keep this sweet treat for as long as you wanted?
Unfortunately for cheesecake fans, the bad news is that cheesecakes have a limited shelf life. So, how long does cheesecake last in the fridge? And how can it be made to last longer? Let us investigate!
Quick Answer: Cheesecakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days and in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. It only lasts 2 hours at room temperature!
How Long is Cheesecake Good for?
Depending on how you store them, cheesecakes can last anywhere from 5 days to months. What’s important to remember is that, while cheesecakes keep well in the refrigerator, there are many ways to extend their shelf life!
The type of cheesecake you have will also influence how long it can be stored. Cheesecake from the store will last longer than homemade cheesecake. Cheesecakes that have not been opened will have an even longer shelf life!
Before we get into the details, let’s go over some fundamentals.
Is Cheesecake Perishable?
Unfortunately, Yes! Because cheesecakes are made primarily of cream cheese, eggs, and sugar, the first two tend to go bad after a while. Cheesecake, like cake, is a highly perishable food item due to the eggs in it.
Don’t get me wrong: I know there’s no such thing as too much cheesecake. At the same time, knowing your options for storing leftovers (if any!) or baking ahead of time is useful.
Cheesecake Varieties
Before we get into storing cheesecakes, let’s take a quick look at the different types of cheesecake and their ingredients. Let’s also look at how each of these ingredients affects the shelf life instructions.
The four major types of cheesecakes you should be aware of are as follows:
Baked Cheesecake
Cream cheese, eggs, and sugar are common ingredients in baked cheesecake. Because eggs spoil easily, they have a shorter shelf life than other foods.
No-Bake Cheesecake
No-bake cheesecakes are those that are frozen rather than baked. These are typically made of cream cheese and heavy cream and will last much longer than others.
Store Purchased
Here’s an interesting fact: store-bought cheesecakes freeze better and last much longer than homemade ones! This is because they have added preservatives for a better structure.
Homemade
A home-baked cheesecake is usually best when eaten fresh. So, how long can homemade cheesecake be stored? Although they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, the lack of preservatives causes them to lose flavor and dry out.
How Long is Cheesecake Good for?
The shelf life of cheesecake is determined by how it is stored. Your storage method will determine how long the cheesecake will last. Remember to check the expiration date of the cheesecake as well as the other factors of each ingredient used! How long does cheesecake keep in the refrigerator? Let us investigate.
The Refrigerator
If you keep your cheesecake in the fridge, it will last anywhere from 5-7 days. How fresh it stays also depends on how well it was stored.
Using glass lids or a cake case will keep your cheesecake fresher for even longer!
At Standard Room Temperature
While opinions on how long cheesecake lasts before going bad differ, it’s not a risk worth taking. The USDA recommends a maximum of 2 hours at room temperature, after which your cheesecake will most likely go bad and be unsafe to eat. Cheesecakes, like any other cake or food, should not be kept below freezer temperature.
How to Keep Cheesecake for Longer
Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about cheesecakes and their ingredients, let’s take a look at how to store them. Is it possible to freeze them? When it comes to storing cheesecakes, there are a couple of options. You can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer.
The Refrigerator
If you have leftover cheesecake from last night or want to keep it for a few days, the refrigerator is your best bet. Refrigerating your cheesecake eliminates the need to defrost it, allowing you to enjoy your favorite dessert whenever you want!
Refrigerate cheesecakes as follows:
One method for storing cheesecake is to cut it into small pieces and store them in airtight containers. This method works best for no-bake cheesecakes and will keep your cheesecake from drying out.
Another option is to wrap your cheesecake in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
Your third option is to cover your cheesecake with a cake cloche to prevent it from absorbing any odors in the fridge.
Freezer
When you use the freezer, you can extend the shelf life of your cheesecake by many days, even months in some cases.
Freeze cheesecakes as follows:
Wrap the cheesecakes in plastic wrap first, then another layer of aluminum foil. Place this in the freezer or, if you have large cake containers, in a container.
You can also cut the cheesecake into smaller pieces and store each one in its own airtight container. To avoid freezer burns, wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in a Ziploc bag before placing it in the container. Before eating, thaw the container.
How to Spot Bad Cheesecake
As unfortunate as it may sound, cheesecake goes bad quite frequently. While you may be tempted to eat those frozen pieces of cheesecake you baked weeks ago, it is critical to first determine whether the cheesecake has gone bad.
To begin, cheesecake can be frozen for up to a month. After this point, always perform a quality check before eating.
A bad cheesecake will begin to brown around the edges. The crust of the graham crackers will become soggy, and the filling will become watery and lose its structure.
If the filling shows signs of mold or fungus, it is time to discard it. Consuming spoiled cheesecake or cheesecakes that show signs of mold can result in severe food poisoning and foodborne illness. They are extremely hazardous to your health because they contain dangerous bacteria.
In any case where your cake (or any food, to be honest) appears to have gone bad, it is critical to conduct a quality check. Especially for dairy products, which spoil quickly.
If you find mold or a strange odor, it’s a sure sign of spoiled cheesecake. Throw it away right away.
How should frozen cheesecake be defrosted?
Allowing frozen cheesecake to defrost overnight is the best method. You can also defrost it in the microwave for a few seconds.
How long does thawed frozen cheesecake last?
After thawing from the freezer bag storage, your cheesecake will last for 3-5 days. After that, it is vulnerable to bacterial growth. Limitless Cooking also mentioned that USDA suggests a maximum time of 2 hours at room temperature, after which your cheesecake will most likely go bad and be harmful for consumption.
Last Thoughts
Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about “how long is cheesecake good for,” “how long does cheesecake last in the fridge,” and “how to tell if cheesecake is bad,” you can bake as many cheesecakes as you want without worrying about the freezing process!
You can even share anything from cheesecake food storage information to cheesecake shelf life with your friends and family.
When it comes to making cheesecake last longer, there are numerous options. Even though ‘leftover cheesecake’ is a relatively unknown phenomenon in my household, it’s still useful to be aware of!