Nothing is more iconically blonde than
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, specifically the 1953 film starring Marilyn Monroe as the ditzy, gold digging bombshell Lorelei Lee. Based on the best selling 1925 book by Anita Loos, the plot revolves around two glamourous, NYC showgirls on a cruise ship to Paris and their search for sugar daddies, designer clothes and diamonds (not rhinestones)!
Mmmmmmmmarilyn!!
Diamonds R A Gurls BFF!
The original design sketch by Bill Travilla
The image of Marilyn wearing the hot pink satin dress during her performance of "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" has become just as legendary as Marilyn herself. Yet it wasn't the original costume design! Costume designer Bill Travilla had originally planned on a fishnet body stocking dripping with diamonds. However, two days before the scene was to be shot, Marilyn's pre-fame nude photographs surfaced in the press and the studio rejected the design for fear it would cause even more scandal and drama! Travilla had to hustle to create a more tasteful option. Sometimes the best creative ideas happen under pressure!
The "scandalous" original look
Marilyn's look in this scene has managed to stand the test of time and nearly 60 years later, it continues to be ultra-sexy and flawless. An interesting bit of fashion trivia: the dress was actually made of satin covered felt, which was extremely stiff and yet Marilyn moves like she's wearing weightless silk.....WERK!
Madonna borrowed it for her "Material Girl" video in 1985
Anna Nicole Smith worked it for PETA in 2004
Kylie Minogue knocked it off for a live TV performance in 1999
Miss Piggy OF COURSE couldn't resist lampooning it (and Madonna) for the fall 1985 issue of Muppet Magazine
Even I got in on the action for Halloween in 1995!
As a way to pay homage to this classic blonde fashion moment, I have created something VERY special:
platinum blonde coconut cake with hot pink satin frosting and accessorized with sugar diamonds.
Rich, expensive and DELICIOUS!!
Ingredients:
* 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature,
* 2 cups sugar
* 6 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon
Frontier Natural Flavors coconut flavor
* 2 tablespoons coconut rum, at room temperature
* 3 cups cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the frosting:
* 1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
* 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure vanilla extract
* 5 drops
Lorann Champagne Flavor
* 8-10 drops hot pink food color
* 1 box confectioners' sugar, sifted
*
edible sugar diamonds, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with black foil cupcake papers.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. You can NEVER beat the butter/sugar too much. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla extract, coconut flavoring and rum. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the coconut milk/cream to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, champagne flavoring and food color on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and increase the speed to high , mixing until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with sugar diamonds. Serve with expensive champagne!
Makes 24 cupcakes
