After you’ve made your perfect cupcakes, you may be thinking: how long will these last? In this post, we’ll dive into how to store cupcakes—whether they’re fresh or frozen, frosted or unfrosted—so you can enjoy your delicious cupcakes even longer.
How to Store Cupcakes: An Overview
We all know that cupcakes are best eaten right away.. or technically within 48 hours. 🙂 But sometimes, you have leftovers or have a big event coming up where it’s a good idea to make the cupcakes a couple of days in advance. There are a few simple and foolproof ways to store your cupcakes so that delicious, moist cupcakes are ready whenever you need them.
If you’re planning on storing your cupcakes right after baking them, the first thing to do is wait until they have completely cooled. Take your cupcakes out of the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack. A cooled cupcake not only frosts easier, but stores better in the fridge or freezer.
There are a few ways to store your leftover cupcakes: at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. I’ll walk through those three ways and give tips to keep your cupcakes fresh longer. But first, where you store cupcakes depends on the type of frosting you use.
If your cupcake frosting contains a high amount of dairy products (like cream cheese frosting, mascarpone frosting, or whipped cream frosting), it’s unsafe to leave the homemade cupcakes on the counter for more than a few hours.
However, if you’re using an American buttercream frosting, the large amounts of sugar used in the recipe stabilize the butter and any milk you use, making it safe to stay out on the counter overnight.
Cupcake Storage Times Based On Frosting Type
In the chart below, I’ve laid out some of the more popular frostings and the recommended storage times for best results.
| Frosting Type | Counter | Refrigerator | Freezer |
| American Buttercream | 3-4 days | 4-6 days | 3 months |
| Swiss Meringue Buttercream | Overnight | 5 days | 1 month |
| Italian Meringue Buttercream | Overnight | 3-4 days | 1 month |
| Cream Cheese Frosting | Refrigerate within 2 hours | 3 days | 1 month |
| Whipped Cream Frosting | Refrigerate within 2 hours | 2-3 days | Not recommended |
| Chocolate Ganache | 3 days | Up to 1 month | Up to 3 months |
How to store cupcakes at room temperature
Storing cupcakes at room temperature is as easy as it sounds. Place your cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in an airtight container and leave them right on the counter. As mentioned, be sure to understand what can and can’t be left out on the counter.
If frosted with a buttercream frosting or a chocolate ganache, they can be left out for 3-4 days. However, to have the best quality, it’s recommended to eat cupcakes within 48 hours of frosting.
Pros: No need to thaw cold cupcakes as they are already at the correct temperature. Doesn’t take up room in your refrigerator or freezer.
Cons: Stays fresh the shortest of all the options.
How to store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator
If using cream cheese or whipped cream frosting, the cupcakes will need to be stored in the refrigerator.
According to the FDA, cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated within 2 hours and the same goes for whipped cream frosting (dairy or non-dairy). Though from what I’ve read and experienced, you can get away with leaving them out for up to eight hours and still be fine.
So, if you’re making them for a party, be sure to serve your cupcakes within whatever window you feel most comfortable with serving them. Just don’t forget to put them back into the fridge after you serve them so they don’t spoil.
Pros: Cupcakes stay fresh between 4-6 days.
Cons: Need to bring the frosting to room temperature before enjoying to get creamy frosting (rather than hard, cold frosting).
How to freeze cupcakes
Unfrosted cupcakes: Wrap the cooled, unfrosted cupcake in a tight layer of plastic wrap. Then, place the wrapped cupcake into a zipped freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frosted cupcakes: Believe it or not, you can freeze cupcakes that have already been frosted! This saves you a ton of time if you’re making cupcakes ahead of a special occasion. Freezing frosted cupcakes has one additional step.
First, place the frosted cupcakes on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer uncovered. This is called flash freezing them. After an hour, remove them from the freezer. The frosting should be nice and hard and will keep its shape.
Then, you’ll individually wrap each frozen cupcake in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag or two. For an additional layer of protection from freezer burn, you can also wrap cupcakes in aluminum foil. Proper storage is very important when freezing cupcakes. Frosted frozen cupcakes will last up to 3 months.
Pros: Keeps cupcakes fresh the longest!
Cons: Need to let thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours before serving. (Not really that big of a con in my opinion, but it does require some pre-planning!)
Note: Sometimes, after thawing out your cupcakes, you can get what bakers call “sticky tops”. This is when the top of the cupcakes looks and feels wet from the moisture from the freezer.
If you’re having trouble getting your frosting to stick to the sticky top, let the cupcakes rest on the counter for 30 minutes to let some of the moisture evaporate. I’d also recommend frosting with a piping bag instead of a knife as that will be sturdier and prevent you from getting crumbs in your frosting.
How to store unfrosted cupcakes
If you want to bake your cupcakes in advance, but you’d rather frost them the next day or closer to when you’re serving them, you can easily store unfrosted cupcakes in a variety of ways.
- Room temperature: Place cupcakes in an airtight storage container (it can be a glass or plastic container). They will keep on the counter for 2 days before frosting.
- Refrigerator: In a sealed container, unfrosted cupcakes will last up to a week
- Freezer: Freezing unfrosted cupcakes is easier than frosted ones as they take up less space. Wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap or cling film and place them all inside a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to freeze cupcake batter
Yep! That’s right. Did you know you can freeze cupcake batter?! I recently learned this and was blown away. The woman I learned it from said she and her friends make the batter, freeze them, and then swap cupcakes so they have a mixed dozen at the end. What a great idea! This also works for muffin batter as well.
Here’s how it works:
First, you’ll pour your cupcake batter into the liners in the cupcake tray. Place the whole cupcake pan into the freezer, giving the batter just enough time to freeze solid.
Then, take the frozen, filled cupcake liners and put them into a freezer bag and pop them back into the freezer. When you’re ready to use, simply remove them from the freezer and let the batter thaw completely before baking as usual.
If you don’t want to pour the batter into the liners just yet, you can always fill a freezer-safe bag with the cupcake batter and freeze it. Then, when you’re ready to make cupcakes, let the batter thaw, cut off the corner of the bag, and pour the batter into the liners.
Why You Need to Freeze Your Cupcakes
Freezing cupcakes may sound like an extra step, but it is worth it to have fresh cupcakes all the time! There are times when you don’t want a dozen cupcakes sitting on the counter taunting you for a whole week when it’s just you and your husband and you’re trying to be good. (#guilty). You can make the dessert you want, keep a couple out for the next few days and pop the rest into the freezer to enjoy later.
It is also the best way to prepare for a party or big event ahead of time. You can bake cupcakes a couple of days in advance and simply thaw them out on the day of the party. You can frost them in advance or frost cupcakes on the day of the event. The beauty of freezing your baked goods is it gives you the ability to take some of the stress out of planning a party.
If you’re wanting to bake and store your cupcakes in advance, here are a few sample timelines:
Option 1:
- 1-2 days before the event: Bake the cupcakes and leave them unfrosted on the counter in a sealed container. Make the frosting and place it in the fridge.
- Morning of the event: Take the frosting out of the fridge to thaw.
- 1-2 hours before the event: Frost the cupcakes.
Option 2:
- 1 week before the event: Bake the cupcakes, let them cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag, and set them in the freezer.
- 1-2 days before the event: Make the frosting and place it in the fridge.
- Night before the event: Move the cupcakes from the freezer to the fridge.
- Morning of the event: Place cupcakes on the counter and take the frosting out of the fridge to thaw.
- 1-2 hours before the event: Frost the cupcakes
Frequently Asked Cupcake Storage Questions:
Yep! Most cupcake fillings are buttercream frosting, jam, or chocolate ganache—all of which do very well in the freezer.
Depends on the frosting. American Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or Italian Meringue Buttercream, can be left the cupcakes on the counter overnight.
Dairy-based frostings (like cream cheese frosting, mascarpone frosting, or whipped cream frosting), need to be kept in the refrigerator. If cupcakes are unfrosted, they can definitely be kept on the counter overnight.
Cupcakes made with cream cheese frosting, whipped cream frosting, or any other dairy products need to be refrigerated so that they don’t spoil.
