Bake and completely cool a cake/cake layers. These step-by-step photos show round cakes, but you can freeze square, rectangle, Bundt cakes, etc. See my 10 best Cake Baking Tips for best practices on baking and cooling cakes. While this is terrific news, there's more you should understand. For one thing, we know we have these chemicals in our bodies, and they're getting there somehow. Indeed, nearly every American has BPA coursing through his or her veins, according to data gathered in 2003-04 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and children have the highest levels of all. The FDA estimates that adult Americans consume, on average, a cumulative 11 micrograms of BPA per day through diet — mostly from the liners in canned foods, say several scientific groups. Is that level a lot? Is it safe? No one really knows yet, but "we're concerned about how much exposure there is to this chemical and possible health repercussions," says Anila Jacob, M.D., a physician and senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit watchdog scientific organization. But our highest exposure comes from our daily diet, reports the National Toxicology Program. Molecules of BPA can migrate from containers into food, especially, say experts, when the containers are heated and the foods are acidic (like tomatoes) or fatty (like gravy). That's why GH Institute used those two food types for its tests — plus, these items are commonly heated in a microwave. Just as a mom might prepare her family's dinner in her kitchen, GHRI scientists, working with chemists at an independent lab, heated samples of Old World Style Ragú Traditional Smooth Pasta Sauce and Heinz Home Style Gravy Savory Beef in the microwave in two different widely available storage containers and in glass bowls covered with a commonly used plastic wrap. Regarding storage, both Glad Press and Seal and Cling Wrap offer compact and space-saving solutions. Both wraps are typically sold in rolls that can be easily stored in kitchen drawers or cabinets. However, Glad Press and Seal has an advantage in terms of its ability to conform to various shapes and sizes. Its flexible nature allows it to be tightly wrapped around the items, minimizing the need for additional storage space. Cling Wrap, although it can also conform to certain shapes, may not be as versatile in terms of its storage capabilities. For efficient use of space, Glad Press and Seal is the more convenient option. Organization The ability to withstand heat is an important consideration when comparing Glad Press and Seal and Cling Wrap. Glad Press and Seal is specifically designed to be heat-resistant, allowing it to be safely used in the microwave and oven. The wrap can withstand temperatures of up to 375°F (190°C) without melting or releasing harmful chemicals. Cling Wrap, especially the PVC variant, may not be suitable for high-temperature applications and can pose a safety risk if used in the oven or microwave. For heat-resistant wrapping and cooking, Glad Press and Seal is the safer option. Suitability for Cooking

Baker’s Tip: For absolute best taste and texture, avoid freezing delicate cakes like angel food cake, vertical cake, and pavlova. Though you definitely COULD freeze these (and the recipes instruct how), they taste best when freshly made.

With BPA and phthalates, there's nothing like the smoking-lung cancer connection, but there are lots of smoking guns. The research is still in its early days, and much of what we know comes from work with animals. Also, not all phthalates have been linked to health problems. But many prominent scientists believe these chemicals may cause a range of problems related to our hormones: Lower sperm counts and other reproductive abnormalities Freeze for up to 3 months. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes. Place the cake(s) in a freezer-safe container. Or if you don’t have a big enough container, wrap in another layer of aluminum foil. (Make sure the foil with the date on it is what’s on the outside.) The NTP advice to consumers was hard to decode. "There was nothing in our report that should cause alarm...but at the same time, people should make their own decision about which precautions they want to take," says Michael Shelby, Ph.D., director of the NTP's Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction. "The science is just not definitive." We shipped several samples of each item off to an independent lab, where they were shredded into bits, then analyzed to see if any detectable amounts of BPA and phthalates were present in the products. The good news: Twenty-seven of the products tested contained no phthalates or BPA. Three, however, did contain low levels of BPA: the containers (or bottom sections) of Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids, Rubbermaid Premier containers, and Glad Storage Zipper Bags; Glad Press'n Seal wrap had low levels of both phthalates and BPA. Next, the lab tested these four items with "food simulants" — chemicals designed to stand in for real food in a lab. (Our federal health agencies, like the FDA, allow the use of food simulants in testing.) Results: No detectable BPA or phthalates migrated from the products into the simulants.

When comparing Glad Press and Seal with Cling Wrap, price considerations come into play. The price of Glad Press and Seal may vary depending on the quantity and size of the rolls, but it generally tends to be slightly more expensive than Cling Wrap. The added features and benefits of Glad Press and Seal, such as its durability, adhesion properties, and versatility, contribute to its higher price point. Cling Wrap, being a more commonly available product, is generally more affordable. However, it is important to weigh the cost against the desired features and functionalities to determine the best value for money. Value for Money Keeping wraps organized in the kitchen can help streamline meal preparation and storage processes. Both Glad Press and Seal and Cling Wrap offer solutions that can be easily organized. However, Glad Press and Seal can be particularly advantageous in terms of organization due to its versatility. Its ability to seal and cover various sizes and types of containers, as well as non-food items, allows for a more efficient and organized storage system. Cling Wrap, while it can also be stored neatly, may not provide the same level of versatility and organization as Glad Press and Seal. Thus, Glad Press and Seal can contribute to a more organized kitchen space.Write the type of cake and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. I write on the aluminum foil before wrapping the cake just in case the ink seeps through. It has before! Until recently, researchers had no way to detect the small amounts that are at the heart of this controversy. But "now that we can measure these low levels, we see how incredibly potent these compounds are," says David O. Norris, Ph.D., an endocrinologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It's possible, say many researchers, that early exposure to chemicals like BPA is making more of us grow up to be chubby, infertile, or more prone to illness as kids and adults. Messing With Our Hormones In a lengthy review article, published in 2007, researchers reported that low doses of BPA during development affect brain structure, function, and behavior in rats and mice. If the Chemicals Are So Risky, Why Do We Use Them?

I'd be happy to stop doing all this, but until the government starts testing household plastics in ways that will tell us what's safe and what's not, I will go on being a little obsessed. There are many ways moms try to protect their families. My list just got a little longer. Risky NumbersThat will likely change, though slowly. In 2000, the EPA established the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. But due to prolonged debate among scientists, agency officials, and industry about the best ways to set up the tests, the program has yet to evaluate a single chemical. And when the agency finally — last year — proposed a draft list of 73 chemicals for the first round of testing, neither BPA nor phthalates were on it. Pesticide chemicals, with a more established history of causing health problems, will be first. In contrast, the European Commission has already begun screening chemicals for possible endocrine effects, and has identified 320 that will be subject to additional, rigorous testing. Many hadn't heard of bisphenol A before it grabbed the headlines earlier this year, but the chemical has been in our lives for decades. Not only is it used to make hard-plastic food containers and baby bottles, but it's also found in eyeglass lenses, compact discs, electronics, and a slew of other common, everyday items. Used in the plastic-like coating that lines food and beverage cans, BPA helps buffer the contents from cans' corrosive metals and extends the products' shelf lives. And when these containers and cans and bottles and CD cases end up in landfills, BPA can leach into rivers and streams, possibly reentering our homes — and bodies — through tap water. The chemical has also been found in household dust, where it settles as plastic products break down and scatter microscopic particles. We all touch it and breathe it in; crawling babies, who put everything in their mouths, may absorb even more. In 1988, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a safe consumer limit for BPA — you could ingest 50 micrograms per one kilogram of body weight per day — it used the old-school tests. Typically, that meant dosing rodents with high levels of the chemical and looking for disease (or death), then reducing the amount of chemical until it had "no observed adverse effect." Usually, a fraction of that level is what's allowed in our food and consumer products. Both Glad Press and Seal and Cling Wrap offer various purposes for consumers. Glad Press and Seal is ideal for not only wrapping food items but also for covering bowls, dishes, and even non-food items such as cosmetics or craft supplies. Its versatility makes it a multi-functional tool in the kitchen and beyond. Cling Wrap, although primarily used for food preservation, can also be utilized for gift wrapping, organizing small items, and temporary repairs. However, Glad Press and Seal’s wider range of purposes gives it an edge in terms of versatility. Compatibility But what scientists like Hunt and Swan and others have come to realize is that chemicals like BPA and phthalates don't play by the rules. Many of their and other studies of endocrine disruptors have found serious health effects at levels as low as 2 micrograms per one kilogram of body weight — that's 25 times lower than the EPA's safe level ."We've been using an oversimplified mode of measurement," says Scott Belcher, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics at the University of Cincinnati.

Why these? In pretesting, low levels of BPA had turned up in the two containers — Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids and Rubbermaid Premier. One plastic wrap, Glad Press 'n Seal, had tested positive for low levels of both phthalates and BPA. (A fourth item, Glad Storage Gallon Zipper Bags, was found to contain low levels of BPA, but was eliminated from food testing since it's unlikely that anyone would use the bags for heating liquid foods like pasta sauce or gravy.) Clearly good news: None of the samples of sauce or gravy had detectable levels of either BPA or phthalates. Products tested that contained no phthalates or BPA: There's an additional worry: what other chemicals in plastics might be doing. "We just don't know, because the government isn't doing the proper testing to find out," says Dr. Jacob. Thawing cakes is easy. Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator one day before decorating/serving. I usually take them out of the freezer container to thaw. The cakes take at least 8 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Sometimes I forget and just let the cake(s) thaw at room temperature, but it’s better they thaw at a slower rate in the refrigerator. For a real-life test, we microwaved Old World Style Ragú Traditional Smooth Pasta Sauce and Heinz Home Style Gravy Savory Beef in the two Rubbermaid containers and in a glass bowl covered with Press'n Seal. As you're unlikely to heat up tomato sauce or gravy in a plastic bag, we eliminated the Glad Storage Zipper Bags from this part of the testing. The lab first evaluated the foods straight from the jars to ensure that there were no phthalates or BPA present in the sauces before they were transferred to the test containers. In addition to testing foods heated in brand-new containers, we used ones that we had put through 30 rounds of microwaving and cleaning in the dishwasher, to see if wear and tear made a difference.Be extra cautious with infants: If you use commercial formula, buy it in powdered form, which comes in a foil-lined cardboard container and shouldn't have any BPA, says the FDA. In terms of ease of use, both Glad Press and Seal and Cling Wrap are designed to be user-friendly. They come in convenient roll forms that can be easily dispensed and cut to the desired length. However, when it comes to tearing, Glad Press and Seal has an advantage. Its construction allows it to be torn precisely along the desired line without the need for scissors or other cutting tools, making it more efficient and hassle-free to use. Cling Wrap may require more effort and attention to tear accurately, thus slightly reducing its ease of use. Application Lawmakers have jumped into action, too. California, Washington State, and Vermont, for example, have limited the allowable amount of phthalates in children's products, and Congress added a partial phthalate ban to its new consumer-protection law, passed in August. But while legislators have been scurrying to pass protective laws, the federal agencies entrusted with overseeing our health have been slow to respond — and maddeningly vague when they do. Once the cake(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. This is the best product for wrapping cakes. Thin plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. Regular plastic wrap definitely works, but Press & Seal is so much easier to use and I’ve honestly found that it keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this brand, just really love it.) Individual preferences can vary, and some users may still have a preference for Cling Wrap. Tradition, familiarity, and the lower price point may influence preferences for some consumers. However, when considering the overall features, functionality, and performance, Glad Press and Seal remains the preferred choice for many. Its innovative design and superior sealing capabilities make it a reliable and versatile option that is highly recommended for various uses. Brand Comparison Glad Press and Seal