In our May 2011 issue, we profile a family living in southeast Kentucky to show the extreme poverty that still exists in rural America, and what the nonprofit organization Save the Children is doing to change the lives of children in these communities. There are several ways to contribute to the cause, but we thought we’d ask the Georgetown Cupcake sisters, Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne, to help us give back, and they were more than happy to get involved. The stars of TLC’s DC Cupcakes are donating 100% of the profits from the sale of these special Save the Children red velvet cupcakes beginning today through May 9th. Red velvet is their most popular flavor for a reason, so if you’ve never had one of their delicious cupcakes, you’ll just have to trust us on this one.

You can purchase the cupcake at one of their retail shops in Washington, DC and Bethesda, Maryland, or you can order the cupcakes by the dozen online at georgetowncupcake.com/order. To learn more about Save the Children’s mission, check out our May 2011 issue, which officially hits newsstands on April 12th. Thanks again to Katherine and Sophie for helping LHJ support such a great organization!

The first step was to bake some cupcakes. They look a bit messy but Lily made them. They taste good anyway! Moving on to the meringue buttercream icing. Somehow this was the first time I have separated an egg. What do I do with the egg yolks? Seeing as it was 9 p.m. and the kids didn’t seem to be interested anymore, they went into garbage can. But we were doing good so far. I dissolved the sugar with the egg whites. Then I added the butter. (I microwaved for ten seconds as I forgot to take it out of the fridge.)

After adding the coloring to the white icing (a little at a time so we didn’t end up with fluorescent cupcakes) and putting the colored icing into the piping bag, it was time for my first attempt (on the left). Yikes!! That is not going to pass the 5th grade Halloween party test. My next few attempts went better. I realized you have to be bold with the piping bag. Just go for it! When I got into a roll it was easy. And finally, the finished product. Pretty good if you ask me! Not as good as the ones in the magazine, but they tasted great and they passed the Lily test! — Clare Lissaman, LHJ photo director

Now comes the time-consuming part; spoon about a tablespoon of each color into the cupcake tins. I started with purple on the bottom, then blue, green, yellow and finally, red. Once that’s done, pop them into the oven and bake them according to the instructions. Mine were in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Here’s how they turned out:

I love how they look fresh out of the oven—so fun! Then I just topped them with vanilla cream cheese icing, and added some pretty sprinkles for extra pizazz:

Ta-da! They turned out great (and tasted pretty good too). They’re even more fun to look at after you take a bite:

Do you have any fun recipes you love to make? Tell us in the comments!

The details: Red Cross Cupcake, Magnolia’s classic vanilla-vanilla cupcake (vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream frosting) topped with red sprinkles in the shape of the Red Cross logo.

Locations after the jump…

401 Bleecker Street (212.462.2572)

200 Columbus Avenue @ 69th Street (212.724.8101)

1240 Avenue of the Americas @ 49th Street (212.767.1123)

Rachel Kramer Bussel
What makes me a lady: I write thank you notes (and send snail mail), I’m a good friend and I try to think outside of the box.
Favorite guilty pleasure: Tabloid magazines. (Love ‘em and read way too many of them.)
Three things on my life list: Become a mom, cook a fabulous meal for someone special and get published in The New York Times.
If I could have a superpower, it would be: Mind reading.
Ladies I admire: Jeannette Walls, Martha Stewart, Michelle Obama, Anna Quindlen, Mary Lou Lord, Guinevere Turner, Christina Hendricks, Madonna, Virginia Postrel, Molly Crabapple, Samara O’Shea, Hollis Gillespie and Mary Pols.

Nichelle Stephens
What makes me a lady: I enjoy hosting events, making introductions and connecting people. Hopefully my efforts make New York City seem more like a friendly small town than a big scary city.
Favorite guilty pleasure: Cupcakes.
Three things on my life list: Owning my own home, meeting Oprah Winfrey and visiting Hong Kong.
If I could have a superpower, it would be: To teleport myself down to Atlanta whenever my Dad makes his famous chili.

Ladies I admire: My mom (Regina Stephens), Santigold (recording artist) and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Stacie Joy
What makes me a lady: I’m a hard-working, driven, empathetic, well-mannered, witty and amusing woman. I’m also a lady because I was raised to be one—manners are important to me, even as they become less-important to those around me. I am a lady because I remain old-fashioned when it isn’t politically correct, and maternal, even though I have no children. You can also call me a lady because I am a mass of contradictions, a work in progress, and devoted and loyal to those I love.
Favorite guilty pleasure: Cupcaking, for sure.
Three things on my life list: Around-the-world travel (still so many places I have yet to see!), making a difference and leaving a legacy.
If I could have a superpower, it would be: Invisibility.
Ladies I admire: The list is very long…Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor, Sojourner Truth, Margaret Sanger, Rosa Parks, Virginia Woolf, Marilyn Monroe, Mother Teresa, Diane Arbus. Alice Waters, Bettie Page, Janis Joplin, Lily Tomlin, Julia Child, Drew Barrymore, J.K. Rowling, Tina Fey, Gypsy Rose Lee, Margaret Cho, Erica Jong, Donna Jean Godchaux, Billie Holiday, Cleopatra, Nancy Pelosi, Anne Frank, Frida Kahlo, Isabel Allende, Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Ann Corio, Joni Mitchell, and Susan Faludi. (I am sure I am forgetting so many!)