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Cupcakes are a delicious dessert that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for parties, gatherings, and special occasions. However, there is one question that always seems to come up when it comes to cupcakes: how long should they cool before frosting or eating?
In general, you should let the cupcakes cool for about 40-60 minutes before you frost them. This way, the frosting will not melt and the cupcake will be moist. You should wait for cupcakes to cool for about 20-30 minutes before eating them. This way, the cupcake will be moist and not too crumbly.
Cooling off your cupcakes the right way is a very important step to making successful cupcakes. In this article, I will take a deeper look at how long you should let cupcakes cool before frosting and eating them as well as answer some related questions that you might have about cooling off your cupcakes!
How Long Should Cupcakes Cool Before Eating?
As a general rule, cupcakes should cool for about 20-30 minutes before you eat them. This way, the cupcake will be moist and not too crumbly. Ideally, it is wise to allow them to fully cool to prevent the frosting from melting.
Warm or hot cupcakes may taste good, but they can be difficult to eat. The frosting may melt and the cupcake may fall apart.
Letting cupcakes cool before eating them will allow you to enjoy them more.
If you are in hurry, though, you can shove them in a fridge and allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes. This will not be as good as if you let them cool on their own, but it cuts the time down significantly.
*By the way, I consider decorating my cupcakes correctly to be the most important step to presenting a perfect-looking cupcake. I recently came across a Full Set of Cupcake Decorating Kit that has everything you need to decorate your cupcakes! You can check out this set on Amazon!
If you truly are impatient and would like to eat the cupcake as soon as possible, you may have to skip the frosting and head straight for just the cake part.
Usually, you can eat desserts after about 5-10 minutes of cooling.
I’m a tad bit impatient and if I want to try a cupcake before I even begin frosting, usually to check if the flavor of both the cake and the frosting are good, I wait 5-10 minutes and take a cupcake, cut it into fourths, and actually use the frosting as a dip!
If I’m satisfied with the flavors, I then allow my cupcakes to fully cool so I can frost them later.
How Long Should Cupcakes Cool Before Frosting?
Generally speaking, you should let the cupcakes cool for a minimum of 60 minutes before frosting them. This will ensure that the frosting does not melt and the cupcake is moist. If you are short on time, you can place the cupcakes in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes.
Letting the cupcakes cool completely before frosting also helps the frosting hold its shape. If you frost them when they are still warm, the frosting may start to droop.
Waiting for cupcakes to cool is great if you want to pipe frosting on your cupcakes.
You also have the option to use non-stick liners when baking your creations. These liners are usually made out of silicone and are reusable. I recently came across some good Non-Stick Silicone Liners that work great for this. You can check them out on Amazon!
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you are in a hurry, you can put the cupcakes in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. This will help them cool down faster. Just be sure to not leave them in for too long.
I would recommend leaving them out at room temperature to cool for about 10 minutes before placing them in the fridge. If you place hot cupcakes, straight from the oven, into the fridge, there will be a lot of condensation build-up.
This will cause your cupcakes to turn very wet and unpleasant.
The longer you wait for your cupcakes to cool, the better off you are. If I am baking in advance, I will try to keep my cupcakes out at room temperature for about 4 hours before I frost them.
As a result, my cupcakes cool on their own which will prevent any condensation build-up and will be cool enough to frost!
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article explaining Why Your Cupcakes Might Overflow & Sink while baking. In this article, I spoke about all the ways to fix and prevent sinking and overflowing cupcakes. You can check out this article here!
How Long Should Cupcakes Cool Before Removing From The Pan?
As a general rule, cupcakes should cool for up to five minutes in the pan before removing. Allowing them to cool in the pan allows for the edges of the cupcakes to gently pull away from the sides. Attempts at removing right away may cause the cupcakes to break.
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t leave your cupcakes on the pan for too long. First of all, the cupcakes will continue to cook in the pan. I have noticed multiple times that overcooked cupcakes lose their texture and sometimes flavor.
Secondly, leaving the cupcakes on the pan for too long will dry them out. This is because the heat from the pan will evaporate all of the moisture in the cupcakes.
When this happens, they will be harder to eat and more crumbly.
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article about If Cupcakes Should Be Flat or Domed. This article discusses whether your cupcakes should come out flat or domed while baking. You can check out this article here!
How Do You Cool Cupcakes Quickly?
As a whole, the best way to cool cupcakes quickly is by shoving them into the fridge. They should cool down in about 15-20 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to first cool for ten minutes at room temperature before placing them in the fridge. This prevents them from becoming too wet from condensation.
Other ways to quickly cool cupcakes include:
- Placing a cold, wet paper towel underneath the tin
- Freezing them for about 10 minutes
- Placing them in front of a fan
Cooling quickly may change the texture of the cupcake.
The best way is to allow them to cool to room temperature for a few hours on the counter.
However, there are many times you need the cupcakes ASAP; these three methods have helped me quicken the process!
How to Cool Cupcakes without a Wire Rack?
Generally speaking, there are various ways to cool cupcakes without a wire rack. The best ways include using an oven rack or your toaster oven grill. Both of these items are shaped in a similar fashion as wire racks which allows for proper cooling of any desserts.
You can also use your barbecue grill or oven racks. Wire racks are used to cool desserts because it elevates the cupcake and prevents condensation from forming on the bottom.
Toaster oven, oven, and even barbecue racks are all shaped the same; elevated metal tray that provides air circulation.
Should I Put Cupcakes In The Fridge Before Icing?
As a general rule, you can put cupcakes in the fridge before icing them after they have cooled to room temperature. Allowing them to cool at room temperature prevents condensation from forming. Placing them in the fridge afterward helps the frosting hold its shape and not melt.
The key to preventing runny frosting on your cupcakes is having them be completely cooled. The best way to ensure a proper base for your frosting is to allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature (around 3-4 hours).
Afterward, place them in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
This cools them just enough for it not to affect the texture and allow the frosting to sit perfectly on top!
How Long Do Cupcakes Take To Cool In The Fridge?
As a whole, cupcakes should take about 15-20 minutes to cool in the fridge. Leaving them for too long will increase condensation which leads to soggy, wet cupcakes. Make sure to take them out as soon as they’re cool enough to frost.
As you place the cupcakes into the fridge, I recommend just lightly covering them with aluminum foil.
Do not seal them completely!
Lightly covering will allow the cupcakes to prevent any condensation inside while at the same time preventing the exterior of the cupcake from drying out in that cold environment.
The same reason goes for plastic wrap. Wrapping them with plastic wrap will trap any moisture and cause the cupcakes to become soggy.
How Do You Tell If Cupcakes Are Done With A Toothpick?
As a general rule, you can test to see if cupcakes are done with a toothpick. To do this, you insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean, they are done. However, if you see crumbs clinging to the toothpick, they are still underdone.
When I bake any dessert, I do the toothpick test about 5 minutes before they’re supposed to be done.
Sometimes your dessert may actually finish sooner and those 5 minutes may actually overcook the dessert.
All 3 Stages of Checking When Muffins Are Done!
If there is still cake batter on the toothpick, then you need to cook them for a little bit longer. I usually check the cupcakes every few minutes after the baking time until the toothpick comes out clean.
*Side Note: You might also want to know How To Stop Cupcake & Muffin Liners From Folding In and Sticking. I recently wrote an article that explains How To Keep The Liners Looking Good When Baking In Them, which you can check out here!
What Is The Best Way To Store Cupcakes?
Generally speaking, the best way to store cupcakes is by putting them in an airtight container and keeping them in the fridge. Because most cupcakes contain frosting that is made with dairy, the fridge is ideal. This will help them last longer and stay fresh.
When storing in an airtight container, make sure the container is tall enough so that the top of the frostings are not squished when closed.
Store them in the fridge to prevent them from spoiling as they are made up of dairy components that tend to spoil quickly.
You can also freeze cupcakes for up to two months. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that they don’t dry out.
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article about How to Store Frosted Cupcakes to Keep Them Fresh. This article talks about the right way of storing frosted and unfrosted cupcakes in several different storage places. You can check out the full article here!
Final Thoughts
Cupcakes are a delicious and fun dessert to make. Let them cool down before frosting and eating them so that you can enjoy their flavor and texture.
Even though we tend to be impatient and want to dive into our incredible desserts, I hope that this article has answered all of your questions about how long cupcakes should cool before frosting and eating!
