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!
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.
Lemon Facts:
- Lemons are native to Asia.
- Lemons are a hybrid between a sour orange and a citron.
- Lemons are rich in vitamin C.
- Lemon trees can produce up to 600lbs of lemons every year.
- Lemon trees produce fruit all year round.
- Lemon zest, grated rinds, is often used in baking.
- Lemon tree leaves can be used to make tea.
- The high acidity of lemons makes them good cleaning aids.
- California and Arizona produce most of the United States’ lemon crop.
- The most common types of lemons are the Meyer, Eureka, and Lisbon lemons.
