Experts say that although the formulation for each sweet baked good is unique, it’s the high-moisture items that tend to be the most difficult when it comes to shelf life extension.

“Shelf life extension challenges can vary significantly based on the product’s formulation,” said Erhan Yildiz, product development senior manager, Innophos. “However, in general, high-moisture baked goods — such as pound cakes and donuts — tend to be the most difficult. These products are susceptible to microbiological and textural instability during shelf life.”

Batter-based sweet goods like cakes, cake donuts and snack cakes are among the tricky baked goods, said Ben Reusser, Innovation Center manager, Cain Foods.

“Cakes and cake donuts are ones that are hard to keep mold-free, moist and soft,” he explained. “However, cookies and hand pies are also difficult.”

Melanie Weber, senior research and development scientist, Cain Foods, explained that enzymes, a clean label shelf life extension tool, need moisture to be effective.

“Low-moisture baked goods like cookies can be difficult to use enzymes in because they do not have enough water for the enzymes to work fully.”

Ashley Beech, product development manager, bakery, Corbion, said clean label products pose the most challenges.

“Fully matching the effectiveness of artificial preservatives is challenging but is achievable by evaluating both the formulation and process,” she explained.

Smaller cakes can be especially tricky, said Dana Duwe, laboratory supervisor, AB Mauri North America.

“Snack cakes, due to small size and short bake profile, can be challenging to extend the shelf life, especially since manufacturers try to target 60-plus days,” she said. 

Luc Casavant, director baking applications, Lallemand Baking, mentioned cakes that contain fresh fruit or fruit fillings are prone to spoilage because of the high moisture content and natural sugars.

“Items like éclairs, cream puffs and other pastries filled with dairy-based creams are highly perishable,” he said. “Cakes with buttercream or cream cheese frosting can be difficult to preserve because the frosting can spoil or separate over time. Due to their high dairy content, cheesecakes are particularly susceptible to spoilage and require careful refrigeration. Gluten-free sweet goods have a shorter shelf life because they lack the gluten structure that helps retain moisture and freshness.”

Sweet baked goods with high amounts of cinnamon create problems for extending shelf life.

“Cinnamon is naturally hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from its surroundings,” explained Joe Gontowski, research and development manager, BreadPartners Inc. “It can draw moisture away from the dough if used in large quantities, leading to a drier final product.”

 Products with multiple components means ensuring that all parts are covered, pointed out Margaret Walsh, senior scientist, Patco Products.

“For example, a baked good that has a filling, glaze and/or icing,” she said. “Patco’s Sta-Crème and Tandem 530 help manage migration of moisture and water weeping from one component to another that can lead to undesired sensory impacts on the eating quality.”

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Extended Shelf Life, click here.