O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates – 1913
Music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward.
Everyone raised in America knows the words. It’s not the national anthem (That’s The Star-Spangled Banner), but it’s pretty close.
And it strikes at the heart of life’s essentials. Liberty. Dreams. Passion. Heroism. Mercy.
Oh, and we can’t miss the references to food and farming. Grain. Fruit. The Plains where crops are grown, the beauty of majestic mountains, the bountiful seas. These are the images that make up America.
Lately America has had her mountains to climb. There are uphill battles. Steep curves to maneuver. Hurdles to get over.
But in the spirit of the American people, we climb. We maneuver. We get over and move on. We continue in life, liberty, and the right to pursue happiness.
So, in honor of July 4, we offer our own mini-mountain in the form of a cupcake. It’s a dense chocolate cake filled with nuts and chocolate chips so that it almost tastes like candy, and it’s covered with a smooth cream cheese frosting that reminds you that smooth sailing just may be ahead! It’s all topped with a red cherry just for fun.
Here’s to a fabulous July 4 where we remember the value of our independence and honor our country.
And if you can’t climb a mountain, at least eat a cupcake. Because it doesn’t get more American than that.
See our Mountain Cupcake recipe to make it at home!
