How long does cake, brownie, bread mixes last?
Cake, brownie, bread mixes keeps for 12 to 18 months in the pantry. Times are USDA FoodKeeper quality guidelines from the point of purchase unless noted.
12 to 18 months
from the package date
No guideline
No guideline
How cake, brownie, bread mixes compares with other baked goods: baking and cooking
USDA FoodKeeper gives cake, brownie, bread mixes one time: 12 to 18 months in the pantry from the package date, and no figure for the other places. A blank usually means the food is not stored that way, not that the data is missing. The foods USDA lists next to cake, brownie, bread mixes in baked goods: baking and cooking show the range for the group:
| Food | Pantry | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking soda | 2 to 3 years | no guideline | no guideline |
| Barley(first of 2 kinds) | 6 months | no guideline | 12 months |
| Biscuit or pancake mix | 9 months | no guideline | no guideline |
| Buckwheat(first of 2 kinds) | 2 months | no guideline | 4 months |
| Butter flavor | 2 years | no guideline | no guideline |
| Chili powder | 2 years | no guideline | no guideline |
| Chocolate | 1 to 2 years | no guideline | no guideline |
| Cinnamon extract | 2 years | no guideline | no guideline |
| Cinnamon rolls(first of 2 kinds) | no guideline | Use by the package date | no guideline |
| Cocoa and cocoa mixes | Keeps indefinitely | no guideline | no guideline |
About baked goods: baking and cooking. Dry baking staples like flour and sugar last a long time if kept dry and sealed, but they can pick up pantry pests or absorb moisture and odours from nearby food. Oils slowly turn rancid over time, even unopened, especially once exposed to heat or light. All baked goods: baking and cooking.
How to tell cake, brownie, bread mixes has gone bad
General signs for baked goods: baking and cooking, the group USDA lists cake, brownie, bread mixes under.
- Small moths, beetles or larvae in the flour or grains
- Clumping or hardening from moisture getting into the bag
- Sharp, crayon-like or paint-like smell from oil
- Baking powder that no longer fizzes when mixed with water
- Chocolate chips with a dull grey bloom or waxy smell
More on baked goods: baking and cooking. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Store flour, sugar and baking powder in airtight containers in a cool, dry cupboard away from the stove. Keep oils away from direct sunlight and heat, and refrigerate nut oils and opened specialty oils to slow rancidity. Label containers with the purchase date so older stock gets used first.
More in baked goods: baking and cooking
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). Times assume a fridge at 40 F (4 C) and a freezer at 0 F (-18 C). How we decode the data.