I need to have loads - and I mean LOADS ! - of cupcakes ready in October.
Can I bake several batches and freeze them until October ?
How long do they take to defrost to decorate ?

Copied this from a cupcake site:

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.

Oh and they said not to ice or decorate til thawed.

I keep victoria sponge cakes in freezer for about 3 months and they are fine. I don't think I would want to keep them from now till October.

Incidentally, you should ice your cakes when they are still frozen, much easier when the cake is hard.

They should defrost very quickly, within an hour I would have thought.

If I was you I would bake up a batch and do a test run to see how easy it is to ice them when straight out of freezer and also to see how long they take to defrost.

Actually, having read the above post which was posted whilst I was still composing mine, I wonder if the paper case may get soggy if you ice them when frozen. My cakes are always full size sponge cakes not in cases.

As I said before, try and see what happens.