Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix enough cake batter for three layers, preparing according to your recipe or cake mix instructions.
- Grease a 9-inch bundt pan thoroughly with melted butter or shortening and fill it two-thirds with batter. Prepare two 6-inch round cake pans by greasing and lining the bottoms with parchment, then fill each round pan two-thirds full with batter.
- Bake the cakes until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in their pans before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Use a biscuit cutter or measuring cup along with a knife to cut the center out of the two 6-inch cakes, making an opening large enough for the Barbie doll.
- Prepare the strawberry or buttercream frosting for assembling and crumb-coating the cake.
- Trim the bottom of the bundt cake to level it. Place it on a cake stand or cardboard cake round as the bottom layer.
- Spread frosting over the top and inside of the bundt cake’s hole. Frost both the inside hole and top of the first 6-inch cake, then lay the second 6-inch round on top.
- With a serrated knife, shape the stacked cakes by shaving down the sides until they resemble a bell-shaped dress.
- Cover the entire cake in a thin layer of frosting for the crumb coat. Chill for at least 1 hour to set the frosting before piping rosettes.
- Make the buttercream frosting for decorating. Set aside about 2 cups as plain white; divide the rest into two bowls and tint one dark pink and the other light pink. Add the dark pink to a piping bag fitted with a #1M tip.
- Wrap the Barbie doll’s legs securely in plastic wrap to keep them clean. Style and pin up her hair before inserting her into the cake.
- Pipe a row of dark pink rosettes along the bottom edge of the cake using the prepared piping bag.
- Gradually blend the remaining dark pink frosting with the light pink and then the white frosting to create lighter shades. Continue piping rows of rosettes in increasingly lighter shades as you move up the cake.
- Gently insert Barbie into the center opening of the cake. Pipe the last row of rosettes around the top, making sure they meet the doll and fill the center hole.
- Fit a #18 star tip to a piping bag and use it to fill in any gaps around Barbie’s waist and pipe a ‘corset’ on her bodice. Add small stars and place pink sugar pearls as needed to fill spaces between rosettes.
- If you’d like, use a #5 piping tip to add details such as a pearl necklace onto the doll. Keep the decorated cake chilled until serving.
Notes
This cake can be made with any flavor of cake or frosting, and you can switch up the color palette to fit your party. For best results, use gel food coloring to achieve vibrant, smooth ombré shades in the buttercream. Chill the crumb-coated cake thoroughly before piping decorations so the layers stay sturdy. Barbie cakes can be assembled and decorated a day ahead—store in the fridge until about an hour before serving. Leftover slices keep well wrapped in the fridge for several days; freezing is possible, though piped details may soften after thawing.