Greetings Bakers!

I know there are several other posts with basically this theme but I am confused still.

What is the best way to go about freezing and then thawing cupcakes?

I need to make about 100 or so cupcakes for an event but I will have to make them a few days ahead of time due to working the night before. Do you let the cupcakes completely cool and then freeze them or freeze them still warm? Do they go in ziploc bags or what's the best way? When you thaw them do you take them out of the container or leave them in it?

Help!

AI don't know what others do, but here is how I do it. Bake cupcakes, remove them from baking pan onto wire rack and let cool completely. Once cool place them flat in a large freezer bag (I can usually fit 9 in a bag.) and freeze. When I want to decorate them I take them out of the freezer but let them come up to room temperature in the bag. Remove from the bag and decorate!

I dont' freeze anything while still warm, I don't want the warm baked goods to warm up my freezer and the other things in there.  If it was me I would bake, let them cool and pop in the freezer.  You could put them on a pan to initially freeze and move them like as you wish mentioned or put them right into a container.  Ziplock type bag, rubbermaid type storage container, etc, really anything will work just to keep them from getting smooshed.  Then when you are ready do decorate take them from the freezer and put them into whatever you will be transporting them in and do your swirl on top and done.  If  you aren't doing a swirl I would take out of the freezer, do the decor and set right into your transportation container.  You really don't need to let them defrost before you decorate.  If you have freezer room you can bake, cool, do your swirl and then freeze with the icing already on.   This is for buttercream, I don't know if doing a fondant topper requires them to be thawed first.