Gayathri's Cook Spot: Barbie Cake

Sruti celebrated her birthday on Feb 5th. For the past 2-3months, she is giving me ideas of cakes I have to prepare for her birthday. The cake which always stays in the list is the barbie cake. I have done this cake for her 3rd birthday. So I set on preparing the cake the previous day. In Tamil Nadu, the power supply is unpredictable. While I was baking a cake, there was a power shut down, and I couldn't use it in the barbie cake. So I had to send my hubby to shop for another set of ingredients. I prepared two sheet cakes and used it in the main cake. This was easy compared to baking in small pans. I also prepared a rectangular cake for the candle blowing. I am giving a step by step instruction for the barbie cake here. Sruti loved the cake so much. We invited some of her friends and they were praising the cake a lot. Sruti was so proud to have two cakes for her birthday. Though this may not be a perfect cake, it indeed made my daughter happy.

For The Vanilla Cake:

Condensed Milk-1can(400ml)

Vanilla Essence-1tsp

For The Chocolate Cake:

Condensed Milk-1tin(400ml)

Vanilla Essence-1tsp

For The Butter Cream Icing:

Vanilla Essence-2tsp

For The Vanilla Cake:

1. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda.

2. Cream butter and add the condensed milk. Beat it until creamy.

3. Preheat oven to 160C.

4. Grease a deep baking tray and dust it with flour.

5. Add the milk and vanilla essence.

6. Add the milk and flour mixtures alternately in three batches to the butter mixture.

7. Do not over beat.

8. Pour batter into the prepared tray and bake for 15-20minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

9. Allow it to cool.

For The Chocolate Cake:

1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.

2. Follow the same procedure as the vanilla cake.

3. Bake and allow it to cool.

4. Both the cakes can be made the previous day and stored for decorating the next day.

1. Mix sugar and water and allow it to boil.

2. When it starts boiling, simmer and boil for 5minutes.

3. When the syrup is sticky to touch, remove from flame and allow it to cool.

1. Cream butter with a hand mixer until fluffy.

2. Sift the icing sugar to get rid of any lumps.

3. Add icing sugar a cup at a time and beat with the hand mixer.

4. When the mixture becomes thick stop adding the sugar.

5. Add milk with a table spoon until the required consistency is got. Crumb coating needs a thinner cream while the frosting needs a thick cream. Have the cream thick and add milk while doing the frosting.

6. Cover with a wrap and keep it ready.

Method of arranging and frosting the cake:

The two sheet cakes.

Cut out 4 circles measuring 16cm, 14cm, 12cm and 10cm in diameter.

Place the circles on the cake and cut out the cakes.

You will have 8 circular pieces.

Leaving the 16cm vanilla cake, cut a circle of 2 1/2" in the centre of the remaining circles.

Cut a circle out of hard board measuring 17cm diameter.

Wrap it with foil to make a base for the cake.

Apply a tsp butter cream on the base to act as adhesive.

Place the 16cm vanilla round on the base.

Prick the cake with a tooth pick all over and brush the cake with syrup. Add butter cream and spread it with a spoon or spatula. Place the chocolate cake on it.

Again prick the cake and coat with syrup. Apply butter cream. Cover the hole with butter cream.

Stack the cakes in order. Prick, coat with syrup and apply a coat of butter cream and place the next cake.

With a sharp knife, trim the cake to make it look like a skirt. Do this carefully.

Apply a thin coat of butter cream on the cake. This is called as the crumb coat. This helps in avoiding the crumbs getting into the main cream layer. Smooth out the icing. Use it to fill any gaps. Allow it to dry for 1 hour.

Now apply generous amount of butter cream and smooth it with a spatula. Allow it to dry for 1hour. The cream should not stick when touched. Use a plain tissue paper to smoothen out the surface.

Remove the dress of the doll, wrap it with plastic wrap to cover the legs. Insert it into the hole in the middle until the doll's hips are inside the cake. Fill the gap with butter cream and decorate the top to resemble a bodice.