I am very new and making 300 cupcakes for my daughters graduation and trying to plan ahead. I know people freeze cakes and they say they stay moist. My question is do you freeze cupcakes or do they dry out?? Also if you freeze them do you put them in a sealed container??

In my experience, they retain their moisture (MY problem is that I usually dry them out during the baking process, but when baked right, freezing works fine). This is what I usually do with leftover batter, anyway, and so I almost always have cupcakes on hand. I freeze them in zip-top bags, because if they're not well sealed, they WILL dry out. Sometimes the tops are a little sticky when I thaw them, but it's not noticeable after they're iced.

So when you thaw them out do you put them in a sealed container like tupperware or a glad contrainer?? Or would it be better to frost them and then freeze them??

I don't know about freezing them after frosting them. Anbody else tried this? I imagine it would work. Of course, my solution would be to do a test batch and freeze a couple frosted and a couple unfrosted, but I get that you may not have time to do this. But I have no trouble with buttercream thawing, so I can't see where it would be a problem if it were already on the cupcake.

My first ever post. But thought it was an interesting question as I sit here at break eating a cupcake I took out of the freezer this morning. I don't know how long you plan to freeze them but I just have a family of three so anytime I make cupcakes we eat some and freeze some. I cool and ice them and pop them straight into the freezer...the frozen ones taste just as good as the ones freshly made. I've frozen them iced with buttercream and cream cheese icing and both works great. I actually read in cupcake diaries that is what they do too for the cupcakes they ship.

I freeze cupcakes all the time. As you know, it's not always possible to bake the day you need to work on them.

Moistness and freshness aren't the big issues. Making sure your liners don't pull away from the cupcakes is!

You can begin the thawing process while the cupcakes are sealed in their container or bag. After an hour or so, open the container or bag, slightly, to help with evaporation. Too much moisture trapped inside can cause the liners to pull away.

I haven't tried it, but I don't have a good feeling about freezing after icing. Seems to me that condensation formed during thawing could cause the icing to slide off.

OT: "freezing after icing" sounds funny.

I forgot about the liner issue, DianeLM. Thanks for the tip about how to avoid that problem.

I have no problem with freezing iced cupcake as long as they are sealed properly and allowed to defrost in the sealed container. That way the condensation does not interfere with the frosting. I love doing this for the various fundraisers that I do for the boyscouts, etc.

I freeze cupcakes ALL the time for my Dessert Truck. Each cupcake is in it's own upside down plastic cup. They are filled and frosted then frozen. I take them out a couple of hours before I need them and they thaw in their cup.

AND, you can refreeze them and thaw them again.

AND if they don't sell at that point, you can scrape off the blob of icing on the top and crumble them for cake pops. Especially if you've filled them, the cake pop mixture is right.

Leah, how airtight are the cupcake cups? What is under the cupcake?

leah_s~~Any photos of one of your frozen upside down cupcakes?

I'm so happy your new business is working out.

I freeze and defrost cupcakes plain and iced all the time. I just served several that I froze after Easter to friends for lunch today. The 1M/2D swirls defrost just fine. I usually put them in a Rubbermaid type container so the icing doesn't get crunched. 300 cupcakes will take quite a bit of freezer space so plan for that. If you are just freezing them for say, a week or less I would think the sealing wouldn't be necessary, a box to allow them to be stacked would be fine. How are you icing them? If you are planning on a quick swirl I would think about freezing them un-iced because you could freeze them on a cookie sheet and then start dumping them in a plastic bag. Then the night before or day of the event pull them out, give them your swirls and put them right on your display table.

I freeze iced cupcakes all the time I think that the icing tastes better after they are frozen never had a customer complaint!!!!!

@ leah_s, and anyone else with experience with freezing cupcakes.  I am wondering about the freezing of a fully decorated (filled and frosted) cupcake. Curious if you have found this takes away from the strength of the flavors you use?  For instance, I have a holiday eggnog cupcake spice with nutmeg and rum extract and eggnog, filled with eggnog cream.  Will these flavors still come through if frozen?  I have individual cupcake holders for my business could I freeze right in them?  I guess I could try it out and see but I am stubborn about wasting product.  Freezing undecorated is an option as well I am just looking for the ultimate time saver.  Thanks!  

AI myself have not gotten around to freezing cupcakes for lack of freezer space, but I am sure no harm will come to them if frozen. As we all know, Georgetown cupcakes sends their cupcakes frozen in special cupcake containers. They ore- freeze them already frosted. Then, when they are ready to ship them out, pack them with some dry ice to keep them frozen while being transported in the mail. Once it is received by the c,Iebt, they are thawed for several hours and ready to eat.

I personally have not bought from Georgetown cupcakes, but have seen YouTubes and have seen how they are received.

Just my personal note.

Alice, I think you should try freezing with your own specific cupcake to see if you like the results with your own recipe.  I wouldn't think of it as a waste of product, but an important research to see if it will work for you.  Better to lose a couple of cupcakes with your research and make sure you like the results.  Just freeze a couple of extras next time you bake.
 

I know this post is old but for those of us searching tips today - I frosted and froze my cupcakes in plastic cupcake trays and took them out two weeks later - I let them thaw in the containers and the buttercream and cupcakes were as good as fresh. If you don't have containers - place them on a tray and let them freeze so they get hard and then add to a ziploc but take them out when thawing.
 

when you say "Plastic bag", are you just using a trash bag???

Generally I use a ziplock bag/bread bag/plastic food storage bag since I am only dealing with a dozen or so. 

Can you tell me what type of "plastic" cupcake container you used for freezing?

I have used Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers, any type of food storage container.  But if I was to do a lot of cupcakes I would use any rigid storage container, like a storage tub if I had room in the freezer for it.  I am guessing luciescakes is referring to the clear plastic containers that have molded spots for the cupcakes, like what you get muffins and cupcakes in at grocery stores.

Yes  am talking about Ziploc bags and the plastic trays I have are the ones you would buy cupcakes in at the grocery store.

I understand freezing them, but how do you put a cupcake in an upside down cup?  is the cup turned over and put over the cupcake?

AI am brand new to this web site and would like some advice please!

Can someone kindly share a fail proof method of thawing cupcakes with their pretty cupcake cakes not peeling away from the cupcake please? I use ziplock bags. Timing must be crucial I am guessing? Can I ice them once fully thawed?

Also- a strange question...does it matter if I am thawing a vanilla cupcake or a red velvet?

Thank you all! :)

I have frozen them with and without icing.  Have iced them frozen and thawed.  There are a lot of guesses on the problem of the liners separating from the cupcake.  I find the best way to search cake central is to go to google.    For example type in        cupcake liners separating cake central     and a bunch of relevant threads from cake central come up.  Are you cooling your cuppies in the pan or out?  That seems to be part of the problem.  I haven't found that how I freeze or thaw makes them separate.  Some people say to thaw in the container so then any frost is on the outside of the bag and not on the cupcake.  I haven't found a difference if freezing with different types of cake or cupcakes.    

So if I am doing about 200 minis - I could bake - let cool and just put them in a freezer ziploc bag??

Yes, yes and yes, ehhicks.  You may want to do a sample batch, from freeze to thaw and decorate so you know how it works for you before you have 200.

Thanks!!!