Red Velvet Cupcakes and Casablanca

It's one of the most exciting days of the year...Oscar day!

I love watching the Oscars. Even when the shows have been complete disasters, there is something mysterious and alluring about this night. I enjoy being cocooned in a world that, just for a while, stops what it is doing and focuses on the quasi-mythical force of film. I know that in real life Hollywood is probably not a very fun or shall we say authentic place, but on the night of the Oscars, we can pretend that the Old Hollywood of our imaginations really existed. Doesn't the very name "Oscar" conjure images of flat cap-clad directors shouting into a bullhorn, starlets posing under a spotlight, and sound stages cluttered with a heap of exotic sets? I can't help it. I'm a cinephile of the highest order.

To celebrate this day, Reel Bakers will focus on my favorite Oscar-winner (and movie, natch) of all time: Casablanca. From the sheer star power of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, to the classic romance and adventure elements of the plot, to the copious mythology surrounding the movie (Casablanca was built on the back lot of a studio!), I can think of no other film that better epitomizes Old Hollywood and the pinnacle of movie-making than Casablanca. To honor this movie are Red Velvet Cupcakes, quintessential romantic treats. I originally made these cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but they work well as "red carpet" desserts as well. So here are Dan's thoughts on Casablanca:

Casablanca


Why Casablanca? What has made this the most beloved, (mis)quoted, admired, and memorable film of all time? Casablanca is too grand a film for a simple answer, but of those attempted, Umberto Eco has come closest. Quite simply, it’s the ultimate movie about movies in an unusual sort of way. 


Every emotion that draws us to the movies is packed in this seemingly routine tale of romance and intrigue against the backdrop of German occupation in North Africa in the early years of WWII. There is mystery, adventure, thrills, romance, and tears.

But even more importantly, Casablanca is made like a prototype of a product of the Dream Factory. It is an icon of classic Hollywood precisely because it looks and feels so much like one. The cast includes Warner’s titans of the day. Humphrey Bogart leads the cast as the cynical Rick Blaine, an American ex-pat hiding out in Morocco while Vichy officers patrol the markets. Running the most popular café not only in Casablanca but also in all the movies and maybe even the public consciousness, Rick is hinted to be hiding from a past ruffling of wrong political feathers, but he is later revealed to be hiding at least in equal measure from heartbreak. And what a powerful scene it is when the woman who broke his heart walks into his gin joint out of “all the gin joints in all the world”. I cannot think of a better example for the case that some movies improve with repeat viewing. 

In part the power of this moment is due to the striking features of Ingrid Bergman, who was just beginning to sweep American cinema off its feet. Bergman, who none other than Roger Ebert labeled his favorite actress, had real-life qualifications for the role of Ilsa, the freedom fighter. She was an outspoken anti-Nazi pundit and demonstrated great skill in previous works for Alfred Hitchcock. But what’s truly important is what we can see on film and she makes Ilsa the strongest heroine Bogart ever came across. She has her political convictions and has made great sacrifices for them along with her contrabandist husband Victor Lazlo. But she is also human and has never stopped loving Rick. That she even has to think about following her heart or sense of duty says something about the weight of the film.

Many of the supporting actors would frequently appear in future Bogart projects, including Peter Lorre, who had had a successful film career in Germany, Sidney Greenstreet, and Edward Arnold. Claude Rains, of course, was a well-established actor by the time he appeared in Casablanca would continue to be long after. Still, he was immortalized as the morally and ideologically ambiguous (all the more fascinating a character because of this) Captain Louis Renault. Despite all the subplots going on, Casablanca pulls off the miraculous feat of allowing everyone in this amazing ensemble shine.

Casablanca is, in many ways, the movie of movies and the embodiment of the magic of movies. We love it for many reasons, not the least of which is for the way it knows how to be a movie.

Thanks, Dan! Now on to the recipe.

This recipe was as fun to bake as it was to eat. Quite simply, they are the best red velvet cupcakes I've ever had. A pretty red color, a soft consistency, an incredibly creamy cheesecake frosting...yum! This recipe came from McCormick's spice/extract company. I will keep trusting them because this was so good.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from McCormick 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 bottle (1 oz) red food color
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 box (16 oz) confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Mix cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, food coloring, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Be careful not to overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes on wire rack. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
5. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes when cool.

 Next Time: Irish Soda Bread and The Quiet Man