Happy Birthday to Me!

Today was my birthday and unlike some birthdays past, I am happy that today was MY day.

I think I was particularly chipper today because I've been in a birthday-state-of-mind for about a week.  In the last few days I've:

-gotten a funny birthday card from my 82 year old mother (she never forgets birthdays)

-played tennis under the lights with dear friends who brought champagne, snacks and presents (these "girls" that I've known for more than 20 years always make me feel special)

and

-seen a really good movie! (the movie has in turn inspired the rest of today's post)

My husband, Mike, and I went to see "Something Borrowed".  I've read all four books in the series by Emily Giffin.  I can enthusiastically recommend them for light-hearted summer reading.  We both enjoyed the movie...not a stretch from a couple whose favorite films include "The American President" and "Notting Hill".

"Something Borrowed" is funny, poignant and generally speaking, pretty to watch.  Rachel's apartment looks exactly like the picture I have in my mind of a single girl's place in NYC.  With the backdrop of the city and the beach, I was in heaven.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to create a cupcake based on the movie that's a variation of the city girl cupcakes red velvet.  The result, a R.E.D.D. Velvet cupcake with white chocolate ganache filling and Meringue buttercream frosting.  If you've read the book or seen the film, you know that Rachel, Ethan, Dex, Darcy and Marcus are the main players.  The cupcake is sweet like a love story and sticky like complicated relationships.  I think you'll love it!

Heads Up!  When making a cupcake with meringue buttercream, plan on eating them right away or within a few hours.  This frosting, while amazingly delicious, doesn't hold up well over time.

The "Something Borrowed" R.E.D.D. Velvet Cupcake


Ingredients & Prep Instructions:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (use kosher salt if you like a kick of salt with the sweet frosting)
*sift the first 5 ingredients together
1 cup room temp buttermilk
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
*mix these four ingredients together
1/4 lb. softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 room temp large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place paper cupcake liners in cupcake pans.  This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Beat softened butter and sugar together until creamy (about 3 minutes).
Add room temp eggs to butter mixture one at a time until combined.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and blend.  Each time you add flour or liquid to the butter mixture, mix just until blended.
Add 1/2 of the buttermilk to the flour mixture and blend.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and blend.
Add the last 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and blend.
Add the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and blend.
All ingredients should be mixed together now!
Fill paper liners 2/3 full.
Bake for 22-25 minutes for standard cupcakes.  Check the cupcakes beginning at 22 minutes.
Insert toothpick/tester into the cupcake.  If it comes out clean, the cupcake is ready!
Allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove from cupcake pan.

*optional white chocolate ganache filling (a twist in the middle, kind of like the movie) 
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup regular heavy cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Heat cream over medium heat until small bubbles are seen at the edges of the cream.
Pour the cream over the white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir the chips and cream until thoroughly blended.
Add powdered sugar and blend with a whisk.

Meringue Buttercream
1 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Put sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water.
Stir or whisk while bringing the mixture to 140 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer.
Using a whisk attachment, beat until the sugar/egg mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.
Cut the butter into pieces, and add them gradually to the sugar/egg mixture, beating until you have smooth frosting.
Add vanilla.
Use immediately.

Give this a try and tell me how you like it!