What's the Best Way to Freeze Baked Cupcakes?

Some cupcake advice from Cook's Illustrated magazine:

What's the Best Way to Freeze Baked Cupcakes?

When freezing baked cupcakes, we wanted to prevent the common problems of freezer burn, dryness, and gummy tops. Because the texture and consistency of frostings and icings can change drastically in the freezer, only plain (unfrosted) cupcakes should be frozen. Once thawed, they can be topped or decorated as desired.

We tried several methods of storing, freezing, and thawing our favorite yellow cupcakes. We froze them--individually and in groups of four--in four different ways: in a plastic zipper-lock bag with most of the air removed, in plastic wrap, in foil, and in plastic wrap and foil. After a week in the freezer, we took the cupcakes out to thaw on the countertop for 1 1/2 hours until they reached room temperature; half of each sample was kept wrapped and the other half unwrapped.

Thawing the cupcakes wrapped--whether enclosed in foil, plastic wrap, or both or left in a zipper-lock bag--allowed condensation to form between the wrapper and the tops, which turned gooey. Those that were unwrapped before thawing were as good as new. In terms of taste, there was little to differentiate one storage method from another. For longer periods of storage, where the likelihood of freezer burn increases, we recommend double-wrapping cupcakes in plastic wrap and foil (in groups or individually) before placing them in the freezer. And make sure to unwrap them before thawing.