On December 15th, it’s time to pay special attention to cupcakes – one specific type, in fact. Lemon is a favorite flavor in the cake and sweets world, and this day is the perfect excuse to enjoy a sweet treat with that distinctive citrus twang.
Lemon in cakes can give them a refreshing kick, and when added into the miniature treat of a cupcake, it’s especially tasty. That’s why lemon cupcakes deserve their own day!
The History of Lemon Cupcake Day
Exactly when Lemon Cupcake Day started popping up is under some debate, but there’s no doubt that cupcakes themselves have been around a good long time. The first written record we have of what would become a cupcake is in the 1796 book ‘American Cookery’ by Amelia Simmons, the first American to write and publish a cookery book. One of the recipes called for the use of small cups to bake a small, light cake.
The term ‘cupcake’ was first printed in ‘Seventy-five receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats” by Eliza Leslie in 1828. The term came about thanks to them being baked in their small molds or ramekins, and soon enough they became popular as a snack cake. And of course, their bite size would help people monitor their cake intake a little better if you were diet-conscious.
Cupcake flavors are endless – no matter what your sweet tooth craves, there’s a cupcake for that. From chocolate to all kinds of fruit, simple vanilla or maybe a twist of peanut butter, these little cakes have the potential to be flavored any way you like. But one of the most delicious has to be the humble lemon cupcake.
How to Celebrate Lemon Cupcake Day
One of the best things about cupcakes is how simple they are to make – and adding that twist of lemon is so easy.
First off, you’ll need some paper cupcake cases – or you can use a cupcake tray if you have one. Mix together 100g caster sugar with around 140g butter, 140g self-raising flour and 2 eggs. Drop in the zest of half a lemon, and put the mixture into your cupcake cases.
You can get creative with the icing, but for a simple treat make some buttercream and add some more zest into it. When after about 20 minutes in a medium heat oven the cupcakes are ready, get artistic when you put the icing on the cooled cakes by adding little sweets or sprinkles.
Make some for friends and family, or scoff a batch all to yourself; we won’t tell!
