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Red Star® Fresh Cake Yeast takes the original form of yeast available to home bakers of earlier generations. This product is great for traditional family recipes that call for ‘wet,’ ‘fresh,’ or ‘compressed’ yeast.
Learn more about Red Star® Fresh Cake Yeast, from how to use it to ingredient information and more.
Red Star® Fresh ‘Cake’ Yeast, also known as ‘wet,’ ‘fresh’ or ‘compressed’ yeast, was the original form of yeast available to home bakers and is used in traditional family recipes that span generations.
Fresh yeast is often a seasonal item, only available in limited markets in the Upper Midwest and Northeastern U.S., and found in the dairy case in stores that choose to stock it based on demand.
Due to the limited availability of the cake yeast, many bakers do successfully substitute dry yeast in place of cake yeast, even in their traditional family recipes. For more information, see our Yeast Conversion Chart.
Cake yeast is very versatile and performs well in all types of yeast recipes.
Fresh yeast may be incorporated by the Dry Blend or Rehydration method.
Proofing fresh yeast is not required but can be done if desired.
If your recipe instructions do not include this rehydration step, decrease the total liquids in the recipe by 1/2 cup to account for the liquid you used to activate the yeast.
One 2-ounce yeast cake is equivalent to three packets (0.25 ounce each) of dry yeast. When you divide a yeast cake into thirds, each third is equal to one packet of dry yeast.
One-third of a 2-ounce yeast cake will raise up to 4 cups of flour. One 2-ounce yeast cake will raise 9 to 12 cups of flour. See our Yeast Conversion Table to convert between fresh yeast and dry yeast or to determine your yeast requirements for your recipe.
See our guide to baking with yeast for more information on all bread making steps.
2 ounce foil-wrapped blocks (yeast cakes)
This product is produced in dedicated facilities where there is no risk of cross-contamination with sources or derivatives of any of the allergens listed.
Be good to your yeast, and it will perform well in your bread! Don’t forget that yeast is a living organism, and its freshness and shelf life are dependent on how the yeast is stored. Learning the correct way to store your yeast will keep it fresher longer.
For best results, use the fresh yeast prior to the best if used by date stamped on the package. This date is approximately five weeks from the date of production.
Fresh yeast is extremely perishable. It must be maintained at a constant refrigerated temperature below 45˚F to maintain its freshness and activity.
Fresh Cake Yeast is a living organism and must be handled properly to ensure optimum performance. Never expose yeast to high temperatures during storage or use.
Always wrap any unused fresh yeast tightly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use fresh yeast by the expiration date on the package.
Due to the risk of damage to the yeast, we don’t generally recommend freezing fresh cake yeast. However, following the steps below, some people have success with it.
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