the fourth.

despite the fact that we spent the first half of our day eating sushi on top of moving boxes, (come on, sushi should be granted american status by now)… our independence day was just perfect.

our first fourth of july in new england was filled with a traditional celebration. this is one of my favorite holidays, and while we kept things fairly low-key this year {since we had just moved five days prior to the holiday}, i still adore the community kumbaya feeling as you spend time with neighbors and friends.

instagrams of our all-american day:

i tried two new recipes for our american birthday cake –

WHITE CAKE:

you will need:
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you’ll need approx. 36).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:
*Recommend: Duncan Hines has reduced the size of their boxed cake mix now… so I’d use Pillsbury or Betty Crocker instead (look for 18.25 ounces)
*You can use either regular or light sour cream for this recipe, I recommend going for the full-fat kind.
*Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract (in addition to the vanilla) if you wish to have a different flavor.
*Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling.
*You can also use this mix to make cake. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ALMOND BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

you will need:

1 cup Butter, Softened
3 teaspoons Pure Almond Or Vanilla Extract
8 cups Powdered Sugar
⅔ cups Heavy Cream

Frosting directions:
Beat the butter until fluffy. Beat in the extract. On low, beat in the powdered sugar and cream, alternating between the two until the frosting is smooth and the consistency is what you would like!

this was our first fourth of july sans fireworks. we were not able to buy any because of this, and because we had a big day planned for July fifth, we didn’t venture into the city to watch the Boston fireworks. It’s on the top of our list for next year!

cheers to freedom! xo.

{photos via @see_jane on instagram, white cake recipe via, frosting recipe via}