The Wine Glass Hack For Keeping That Last Cupcake Fresh

Who doesn't love a fresh batch of perfect cupcakes? They're a sweet treat for any occasion, but one recipe often yields about two dozen of them, which means if you're not serving around 24 guests, you'll likely have leftovers. Since cupcakes can get stale if they're kept out in the open air, something like a covered cake stand is a great way to store them. But if you're down to the last cupcake and don't have a cake stand, there is something much smaller that will work: a wine glass.

Wine glasses have wide rims, which can fit a cupcake perfectly. So when you want to keep that one remaining cupcake fresh, just turn the wine glass upside-down and place it directly over the cupcake. The shape of the glass will not only fully enclose the cupcake but will do so without messing up any of that gorgeous, fluffy frosting.

Cakes and cupcakes don't do well when they're exposed to air. As the surface of the cake meets the air, the moisture within the cake evaporates, causing the cake to become stale. That's why, for the longest-lasting cake, it should be wrapped or covered — and never kept in the refrigerator. Due to the refrigerator's temperature, the evaporation process happens even more quickly, meaning your cakes or cupcakes won't stay fresh long at all if you refrigerate them. Only do this if you have perishable frosting.

When baking cupcakes, wine glasses provide the perfect environment for keeping that last cupcake fresh because they allow you to store it on the counter in something that won't take up much space. Just make sure the glass is tall and wide enough to house the cupcake, and has a perfectly flat rim that will sit flush with the counter or plate on which your cupcake sits.

A cupcake's shelf life depends on what it contains. Cupcakes that have no frosting or filling will stay fresh for about a full week as long as they're properly stored — meaning they're kept at room temperature but out of the open air. But if the cupcake is frosted or filled, that shelf life is cut in half to right around three to four days, even when they're stored the same way as unfrosted cupcakes. If the frosting is made with a perishable ingredient like cream cheese for baking, it should absolutely be refrigerated. 

Keep in mind that since cupcakes tend to go bad so soon after being refrigerated, the best method to keep them fresh is to store the frostless cupcakes outside at room temperature until they're ready to be frosted; only frost as many as you think you'll need, or one for each person attending the party. This helps avoid ruining them in the refrigerator.