I want to give these away on Monday, and today is Friday. Will they stay fresh?

Thanks for the help! That is good to know. Thanks for including the information about the starch molecules breaking down in the refrigerator - that is really interesting! I am a nerd, so I always like to learn something new :)

Yes - make both cupcakes and icing in advance, but don't actually frost the cupcakes until shortly before serving.

Thats so good to know, from now on I won't ice them until I am ready to use them. I learn so much from you,

The icing drives the refrigeration; once you ice them, you need to refrigerate them, unless you use a completely non-dairy icing. And if you do, well, I really don't want to know about it. The cupcakes themselves will actually stay fresher at room temp, enclosed securely. At refrigeration temperatures, starch molecules begin to break down. In doing so, they shed molecules of water, and effectively "stale" faster. I'd suggest wrapping the cupcakes securely in plastic, then icing them Monday before you generously give them away.

I have not made these cupcakes, they do sound wonderful. I have made cupcakes a couple of days in advance and refrigerated. They were still very fresh, I have a cupcake carrier which really works well for storage it seals them in but if you don't have one just cover them really well and refrigerate right after frosting them. IMHO, they will be fine.