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Bring Food Explorers to Your School or City

California Citrus Celebration

Meyer Lemon Celebration Cupcakes

For our grand finale we celebrate California’s own Meyer lemon — part lemon, part mandarin orange, sweeter than its sour cousin, and growing in backyards all over the state. Bake, glaze, decorate, and raise a toast.

Meyer Lemon Celebration Cupcakes — cooked in Food Explorers

All recipes

What your child practised

  • Zesting citrus
  • Rubbing zest into sugar by hand
  • Whisking a batter
  • Portioning into muffin liners
  • Whisking and ribboning a glaze

Ingredients makes 8–14 portions

  • 1 1/2–2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2–2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4–1 cups granulated sugar
  • 6–8 Meyer lemons
  • 1/2–3/4 cup milk
  • 1/3–1/2 cup cooking oil
  • 2–3 eggs
  • 1–1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1–1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1–2 bottles sparkling grape juice
  • 1 small jar sprinkles
  • 12–16 muffin liners
  • 1/2 tsp salt

How it is made

  1. Zest the Meyer lemons and rub the zest into the sugar until it smells like sunshine.
  2. Whisk in the milk, oil, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, then fold in the flour and baking powder just until smooth.
  3. Fill the muffin liners two-thirds full. An adult bakes at 350°F for 16–18 minutes.
  4. While they bake, whisk the powdered sugar with Meyer lemon juice a little at a time until the glaze ribbons off the whisk.
  5. Let the cupcakes cool completely, then glaze and decorate however you like — no rules today.
  6. Pour sparkling grape juice and raise a toast to your journey around the world. Congratulations, Food Explorers!