This Barbie Doll Cake for your little princess is so much easier to make than you might think. We used a Mermaid Barbie and small mermaid dolls for mini-cakes, too. Any Barbie you choose will work!
What do you need to know to make an easy princess Barbie Doll dress cake? That depends on how easy you want your experience to be. Some people buy a premade cake from Costco or some other retailer and modify the cake to incorporate the Barbie doll.
Others bake their own cake and work from there. What follows are some tips and tricks for both. This isn't a recipe per se, since you'll either buy a cake or make one following the instructions on the box, but it can help you get a lot closer to the presentation you want when you need to make one of these cakes.
How to Make a Barbie Doll Cake
Barbie Options: Doll or Cake Topper
You'll have two options to choose from to create the Barbie version of it--one is to cut a hole out in the center of the cake so you can place a Barbie Doll inside her "dress", then add frosting accordingly.
If you opt for the full sized Barbie Doll option, be sure to use plastic wrap to cover any parts of the doll that might touch the cake. You do not want the plastic of the doll, which is not necessarily food safe, to touch the cake. It's best to insert the doll when the cake is 100% cool.
Any Barbie doll or similar doll will work including a Barbie the Movie doll, a Disney Princess, Ken doll and more.
The other option is to purchase a barbie cake topper which is specifically designed to sit on top of the cake without modification to the desert itself. You can pile on frosting to the base of the topper to make it stable, and you don't lose any cake in the process, unlike cutting away enough of it to fit the doll inside.
Do you want to put sprinkles on the top of your cake, but you need to keep the sides clean? Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit all the way around the sides of your cake, then you can pour the sprinkles on top without them reaching the sides.
Barbie Doll Cake: Using Store Bought Cake
There are three basic things to be aware of when selecting your store-bought cake. The first is the icing that may already be on it; will you remove the icing or try to stay true to the original color scheme? De-icing a cake may remove this recipe from the "easy" category, so proceed with caution.
If you don't have any experience removing the frosting from a cake, it may be best to skip buying one you have to modify so extensively.
You may be able to ask your local grocery store bakery to make you one "naked" but it helps to explain what you're doing with it once you get it home as your baker may have a recommendation for you about which of their cakes may be best to use.
If you use a store-bought cake that is already frosted, you'll want to match the frosting already there, and don't forget to coordinate Barbie's outfit with those colors!
You can do the same trick for putting sprinkles or other decorations on the sides--you can protect the top with parchment paper and do the sides. Be sure to do the sides FIRST if you have sprinkles to put on top, too.
Barbie Doll Cake: Making Your Own Cake
You don't need a recipe for this, just follow the recipe on the box. Most store-bought cake mixes are of at least decent quality, and you won't regret baking your own unless you are in a hurry.
Most of the same tips and tricks mentioned above for store-bought cakes apply to homemade cakes, but there are a couple of really good tips to follow--some of which you should use on ANY homemade cake.
It's easier to decorate a completely cooled cake
The general advice that a cake is easier to decorate when it is cool or cold. Do not ice a warm cake for the best results. Homemade cakes can be subject to a bit of drying out; did you know you can keep cake moist in the decorating process by making some simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar heated in a saucepan on medium heat until the sugar dissolves (before it starts bubbling).
Drizzle the simple syrup on the cake, and do not neglect the edges which are where the cake is most likely to dry out first. Like with store-bought cake, be sure to cover any parts of the doll that might touch the cake in plastic wrap, and always insert the doll when the cake is cool.
When frosting any homemade cake, you may wish to add an initial layer (the "crumb layer") to catch any cake crumbs that might otherwise mar the appearance of your cake. The second layer of frosting is the decorative layer. Not adding the crumb layer may result in your Barbie Doll cake looking a bit lumpy or inconsistent.
Choosing Your Frosting
Buttercream frosting is easy to work with but there are many options for frosting a Barbie Doll cake, but some of the most popular are buttercream, fudge frosting, ganache, cream cheese frosting, and whipped cream frosting. Your frosting choices may be dictated by the flavor of the cake itself, or personal preference.
Tips for Decorating
- Cover up or protect parts of the Barbie from getting cake frosting. e.g. hair, upper body
- Use a lazy Susan or cake decorating plate to make it easier
- Use food coloring to color the frosting or icing, if desired.
- Use sprinkles or any shape, size or color e.g. Jimmies Quins, Nonpareils, Dragées, Sugar Pearls, Sanding Sugar, Edible Glitter
How long does the Barbie Doll cake last?
A cake will last about 3 days at room temperature and 3-7 days refrigerated depending on the frosting and filling used. You will want to loosely cover it with plastic wrap unless you have a cake keeper that is large enough to hold it. Store cake under a cover or large bowl.
More great kids party recipes:
- Marshmallow Pops
- Rice Krispies Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cups
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- How to make a Candy Cake
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