Cupcakes cool up to 10 times faster than standard cakes because of their high surface-area-to-volume ratio.

The cooling rate of baked goods is primarily governed by Newton's Law of Cooling and the geometric principle of the surface-area-to-volume ratio. In a standard 9-inch round cake, the volume is approximately 130 cubic inches, while a standard cupcake has a volume of only about 3 cubic inches. Because the cupcake is so small, its surface area is much larger relative to its mass, providing more 'exit points' for thermal energy to escape into the surrounding air.Thermal conductivity also plays a major role. Cake sponge is a poor conductor of heat because it is filled with tiny air pockets created by leavening agents like baking soda or powder. In a full-sized cake, the heat at the core is insulated by several inches of this porous material. In a cupcake, the distance from the center to the surface is usually less than one inch, drastically reducing the time required for conductive heat transfer to occur.Historically, this physical advantage was a major selling point when cupcakes gained popularity in the United States during the early 19th century. The first known mention of the 'cup cake' was in Amelia Simmons's 1796 cookbook, 'American Cookery,' but they became a commercial staple by 1828 following Eliza Leslie's 'Receipts' cookbook. Bakers preferred them because they could be baked, cooled, and frosted in a fraction of the time required for traditional hearth cakes, which often took several hours to reach room temperature.