I hope you are ready for another special-occasion cake post!
We are not done with celebrations in our family. 🙂
Our youngest daughter turned 3 years old in February!
It was another chance for me to pull out my creative-ideas-for-cakes notebook as I wanted to make something girly and pink for her.
It also was a chance for me to be a little girl again and have my dream doll, but in a cake form! 🙂
I remember designing clothes for my barbie when I was little. I might even have sewn a few of them. But my skills were pretty lousy back then. 🙂 And lets face it, working with frosting is much easier and more fun than with fabric, thread and needle!
Our daughter loves to dress up as a princess and has pretty much the whole collection of princess barbies. She didn't mind me taking one of her dolls and using it for the cake!
The result: One Happy Princess!
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| Modeling chocolate roses |
I had this idea for a cake in my head for a while now. I googled out the princess cake and found a lot of inspiration, especially from this video.
I baked all the layers of the cake and made the frosting. I used gel food coloring in soft pink and tinted the buttercream and the cake batter. I stacked all the layers and with a shaky steady hand - I trimmed the edges to create a dome for the gown. Then, I took a shot glass and cut out a hole in the middle of the top layer only. The doll ( without the legs ) fit perfectly inside. I filled all gaps with frosting. After a crumb coat and 30 minutes in the freezer, I applied the rest of the frosting ( reserving about 1/2 cup for the bodice ) onto the gown. The texture was created with a small spoon submerged in hot water ( that way it glides on frosting, instead of pulling it away ).
I used modeling white chocolate to make the roses and gathers of fabric for the gown and added them to the cake before the final refrigeration of the cake. I recommend making the modeling chocolate pieces the day before and storing them in the fridge, so they have time to harden.
Vanilla Cake
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c milk
Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, baking powder and salt ). Set aside.
Measure out the milk and set aside, next to your dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for about a minute. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure all is well combined. Add the eggs, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla.
Add the rest of ingredients, starting with the dry, alternating with milk and ending with dry ingredients.
Divide equally into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.
Cool the cake in pans for few minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting.
source: Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book Bridal Edition
Buttercream Frosting
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened ( 1 stick )
1 tsp vanilla extract ( or any flavoring you like )
4 - 5 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter for 2 minutes.
Add the flavor extract and beat it in.
Start adding the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency.
Add milk, starting with 1/2 Tbsp, until you reach desired consistency.
Use right away or store in refrigerator, covered. You may have to mix it for few minutes before using.
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| "Fabric" gathers and roses made from modeling chocolate. |
The cake was delicious! I apologize for a lack of slice photo, but I totally forgot to take it during the party.
I think I am going to take a break from making a special occasion, elaborate, multiple layer cakes for a while.
Hope you don't mind. 🙂
Lea says
Wow beautiful cake.Any little girl would love it.
Cakes and Teacups says
What a beautiful cake.
Monica says
Hello!
Congratulations for the blog, if you want to greet passes
Zoe says
Your little princess is so lucky to have a wonderful baking mum like you. This is beautiful!
Katie says
Adorable! You did a very good job...XoXo
Christine's Pantry says
Beautiful cake!
Maggie says
You have the luckiest kids in the world! For real. This would have been my dream cake too when I was a little girl. Oh, adored Barbie and had over 50 of them! Maybe I was obsessed. I can't wait until my Anna is old enough to appreciate something this awesome...maybe birthday #2? Great job!!
The Foodie Physician says
Wow, such a beautiful cake! What girl (small and grown up) wouldn't love it? 🙂
Kristina says
haha aww this cake just made me smile! Soo adorable! When I was little I always wanted the barbie cake 🙂 Your daughter's lucky to have such a good cake decorator at home!
Lauralovescakes says
A great barbie cake...I bet your daughter loved it!! I made a flamenco barbie in the summer and was really pleased with the result!! 🙂
Slow Cooking Kitchen says
Absolutely beautiful!!!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Beautiful! what more could a little girl ask for!!
Mary x
mr. pineapple man says
someone is going to be very happy about this!!
Jessie says
Wow, CCS, you daughter is the most lucky girl in the world! The cake looks amazingly pretty!It must be a tedious works to put everything into a nice looking cake like this!
Lizzy says
Anna, this is one gorgeous cake! I love your roses...so beautiful!!! One of my best friend's mom used to make these cakes each year for her daughters...but not nearly as impressive. You rocked this one!
All That I'm Eating says
What an incredible cake and what a lucky 3 year old! It looks brilliant, I'd have been upset to cut into it. Thanks for following me - am following back.
Kit says
Wow! What a beautiful cake! Really a gorgeous cake, perfect for a sweet little princess! Happy belated birthday to your daughter! 🙂
What's Baking?? says
It's a beautiful cake, Anna. Happy birthday to your lil darling!
kitchen flavours says
That is a beautiful cake! It is lovely, you did a great job! A special cake indeed for a special little princess!
Suchi says
Belated birthday wishes to your daughter...this cake is a work of art...I would not want to eat it... but I am sure it must have finished very quickly...the roses look so good...
Ann says
This is so pretty! I remember barbie cakes and how special they are to young girls. BRAVO
Sofie Dittmann @thegermanfoodie says
That has GOT to be the most adorable cake I've seen in a while...!!!
Soni says
Happy Birthday to your little Princess Anna!Wow, such a pretty cake, I'm sure your daughter liked it a lot!I just love the decoration and attention to detail 🙂
Marina says
This cake is so cute! That Princess of yours deserves every bit of it! Happy Birthday!
Terry says
Beautiful cake!
Tiffany says
Happy birthday to your little girl. Beautiful cake! Have a great week. 🙂
Sadaf Afshan says
I had also made a Doll cake for my daughters and posted on my blog last year. However, I had used Wilton's Wonder Mould instead of baking and carving 3 round cakes.
Choc Chip Uru says
What a beauty of a birthday cake - perfectly fit for the occasion 😀
Happy birthday to your daughter 🙂
Cucina49 says
A very happy birthday to your daughter--I'm sure she loved this cake! Those roses are just amazing--I wish I were better at cake decoration.
Tina says
I really like how you decorated this princess cake. I think the the modeled chocolate is so much better than the buttercream. The pink and the yellow really look good together. You did a wonderful job! I can tell you had fun making this and your daughter really enjoyed getting it for her birthday. Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Richard says
Awesome! Tell her cyberspace says happy birthday!
SerenaB says
I always wanted a cake like that when I was a little girl! Great job! I love the roses too btw... Have a wonderful week my friend!
Curry and Comfort says
Anna this is just beautiful!! My daughter would love this doll cake..what little girl wouldn't.. well even this big girl/old lady would. 🙂 Happy birthday (in February) to your little one! 🙂
S.V. says
What a pretty cake! I would totally make a princess cake if I had girls. 🙂 It looks professionally done. It is so pretty...Happy Birthday to your lucky little girl. Also I hope you had a wonderful anniversary last month my hubby and I celebrated ours in February as well. 🙂 Your chocolate cake looked fantastic.
Lisa says
This is adorable!
Pacheco Patty says
Beautiful princess birthday cake, how fun! The fabric gathers and white chocolate roses look perfect;-)
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Gorgeous! What a great little girl (or big girl!) cake. Happy Birthday to her. 🙂
TITA says
delicious...
Denise says
That is beautiful. What little girl wouldn't love a cake like that! The recipe sounds delicious. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Jenn Kendall says
aww, this totally brings back memories for me! my mom used to make these princess doll cakes for birthdays as well! this is soooo cute and sounds delicious!