Today we celebrate National Lemon Cupcake Day. This day is observed annually on December 15th.
I love anything with lemon-like lemon pound cake and of course the lemon cupcake. Lemon cupcake is a single-serve cake that is not overwhelming to eat, just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Cupcakes use the same basic ingredients as regular cakes, only in a small individual serving. They may be filled with frosting, fruit, or pastry cream, and today, we use lemon hence the name.
Cupcakes in British English are called fairy cake or patty cake. The earliest extant description of what is not often called cupcake was in 1796 when a recipe for “a light cake to bake in small cups” was written in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons.
In the early 19th century, there were two different uses for the term cup cake or cupcake. In previous centuries, before muffin tins were widely available, the cakes were often baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or molds and took their name from the cups they were baked in. This is the use of the name that has remained, and the name of “cupcake” is now given to any small, round cake that is about the size of a teacup. While English fairy cakes vary in size more than American cupcakes, they are traditionally smaller and are rarely topped with elaborate icing.
So, today, make a batch of lemon cupcakes and bring them to work or school to share with friends. Share on social media your favorite recipe for lemon cupcake using #lemoncupcakeday.
1998 U.S. House of Representatives recommends impeaching Clinton
On December 15, 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary releases a 265-page report recommending the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for high crimes and misdemeanors.
The subsequent impeachment proceedings were the culmination of a slew of scandals involving the president and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons were suspected of arranging improper real-estate deals, fundraising violations and cronyism in involving the firing of White House travel agents. Added to the mix were stories of Clinton’s extra-marital affairs and a sexual harassment claim filed against him. An independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, was appointed to investigate the Paula Jones sexual harassment case; the ensuing investigation led Starr to Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern who had been accused of having an affair with Clinton. In early 1998, the Lewinsky scandal broke to the press and Clinton vehemently denied the affair. A year of federal grand jury testimony from various individuals in both camps followed, while Clinton continued to refute the allegations and invoked executive privilege when subpoenaed in August 1998.
(excerpted from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-house-of-representatives-recommends-impeaching-clinton)
