Plain cupcakes without any icing or frosting can keep for up to a week on your kitchen counter, but iced cupcakes, or those with a sweet filling, will only last 2-4 days. Cupcakes topped with buttercream or other dairy ingredients need to be stored in the fridge and can last for 3-5 days refrigerated.

If you're making cupcakes for an event, the ideal length of time is one to two days before. However, if you store cupcakes in an airtight container, they can last up to five days. Cupcakes that have a filling or are decorated with icing will last only 2-4 days.

Frosted or plain, any kind of cupcake is better kept out of the fridge. The cooling mechanism of the fridge removes all moisture or water vapour from a cupcake, leading to dried-out cupcakes.

Place Homemade Frosted Cupcakes in an Airtight Container In most cases, you can leave cupcakes on the counter, but if your cupcakes are filled or decorated with anything containing dairy, like cream cheese frosting or custard, you'll want to store them in the refrigerator for food safety.