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Bake Off

CIBC Miracle Day Bake Off Competition

The key to keeping your bakes fresh is to store them correctly.

Making cakes in advance at the weekend is a great way to bake if you are going to be short on time in the run-up to Miracle Day.

A basic rule of thumb is:

  • if your freshly baked cake would be kept and served at room temperature, then store it at room temperature
  • if your cake has perishable elements that need serving chilled, like fresh cream, fresh fruits or dairy buttercream, then store in the fridge.

If you are following a recipe, ensure you read any specific storage instructions.

Most butter-based and oil-based cakes, sponges, chiffon, loaf cakes and tray-bakes keep well at room temperature (cool and dark is best).

Instructions:

  • Allow the cake to cool completely
  • Once cooled, wrap in several layers of cling film or tin foil
  • Place in an air tight container.
  • Store the container in a cool, dark place like under the stairs or in a cupboard.

Your cake should keep fresh for 4-5 days.

If your cake has perishable ingredients or decoration such as cream cheese frosting, dairy butter cream (using cream in addition to butter and icing sugar) or fresh fruit compote, then you will need to store your cake in the fridge.

Instructions:

  • Wrap the cake in cling film making sure that you create a barrier between any soft outer frosting or decorations
  • Add a layer of tin foil to protect from drying out and prevent attracting odours from other food in the fridge.
  • Place in an air tight container

Correctly stored cakes should keep fresh for 3-4 days.

Make the sponge early, decorate the night before!

If you’re planning to prepare a decorated or layered cake but have some time the evening before Miracle Day, then the best option is to bake the sponges and make the non-perishable elements at the weekend, storing at room temperature as instructed above, and then adding the perishable elements and decorations the evening before. You can then store in the fridge overnight.

Icing can also help keep a cake fresh at room temperature as the frosting layer will help keep moisture in. It’s still best to wrap the cake and place in an airtight container, but the icing will have a practical use as well as helping your cake look amazing.

Who doesn’t love a freshly baked cookie or chocolate biscuit! We love them so much we have a specific category in the Miracle Day Bake Off!

Storing biscuits basically depends on whether they are soft or crispy.

Soft biscuit bakes:

  • Allow them to cool completely (trapping any heat when wrapped will cause the biscuit to go soggy).
  • Wrap in cling film, individually or in batches depending on size and decoration.
  • Store in an air tight container in a cool, dark place.

Crispy biscuit bakes:

  • Allow to cool completely
  • Place in a loosely covered container to allow air circulation and maintain their crispness
  • Store in a dark, cool place

Correctly stored biscuits should last 3-5 days.

Many of you may have family favourites or traditional recipes that have been used for generations. If not, here are a selection of cakes and biscuits, but there are literally thousands more across the internet, suitable for all levels of baking skills:

Allergens

Please avoid using nuts in your bakes.

While we are discouraging the use of nuts, we cannot guarantee that bakes will not contain traces of nuts and there is always a risk of cross-contamination, so please be aware of this if you have a nut allergy and are planning on eating any of the cakes from the Bake Off competition.

On the day

Please print out and complete the following labels, bringing them with your bakes on Miracle Day. Write your name on the reverse.

Good luck and thank you for taking part in the CIBC Miracle Day Bake Off 2025!