Barbie Birthday Cake

Do you remember your favorite toy? Is it a cuddly teddy bear or a nice barbie doll that you can play dress up with? When I was a child, I vaguely remember that some of my favorite toys were a simple set of wooden blocks, paper dolls, cheap plastic tea set and a plastic baby doll that closes her eye lids when you lay her down. Although all these toys are not really fantastic or branded, they left me such fond memories of my childhood. I remember how much I envy my friends having barbie dolls at that time. However, I knew my parents doesn't have that kind of money to buy one for me. Somehow I still manage to have loads of fun with those toys I own. ;) 

Nowadays, owning a barbie doll seems like such a norm. Even my girls, already owning up to 6 barbie dolls, princess version, ballerina version etc., which they collected through the years from birthday / xmas gifts. My girls love them to bits, and yet they ask for more every time they pass by the displays at the mall. So I took this opportunity on my daughter's birthday, killing two birds with one stone....baking her a barbie birthday cake! She gets a cake and a barbie for her birthday, haha!

Do you like it? Personally I love the design! I got this fabulous idea of the dress from a dear friend of mine, EP,  whom is a pro cake baker in KL. Her work is top notch and never fail to impress me. Funny that we started "playing" fondant together and I'm still stuck here while her work is in such demand! Lol!

I actually bought the most basic barbie I can find at the store. Because I didn't need all that fancy accessories, hairdo or dress on her. I was gonna recreate the dress with fondant alone. ;)) As for the cake, I decided to go with the all raved Mrs Ng SK's butter cake from Wendy's blog. I made some  changes to it since I didn't have self rising flour and salted butter. Plus I reduced the sugar since mine will be served with strawberry compote buttercream. Here is the version I baked:

Ingredients for Butter cake (Makes X1.5 recipe, which was needed for the barbie dress)

345g unsalted butter, room temperature
6 large eggs, separated
75g + 210g sugar

1/2 tsp salt
300g cake flour, sifted

1.5 tsp baking powder
90ml milk
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 170C. Prepare a 18cm, a 12cm tube pan and a 6 cm muffin tin (yes, chiffon cake tube pan), grease and set aside.
• Separate the eggs, and place the whites into another large mixing bowl.
• Cream the soft butter with 210g of sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and beat till mixed in. Then add in the egg yolks one at a time and mix to incorporate each one after addition.
• Sift in half of the cake flour and baking powder to the yolk batter. Stir well and add in the milk all at once. Stir again till all mixed in and then sift in the rest of the cake flour and mix. Set aside.
• Beat the egg white and salt till foamy, then gradually add in the 75gm sugar until stiff. 
• Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the yolk batter. Then continue to fold in the rest in 2 separate portions till all is folded in.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan and place in the oven to bake for 14mins (muffin tin),  25 minutes (12 cm) and 45mins (18cm). I covered the top of the cake with aluminum foil when I notice the cake was turning a little dark.
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• Remove from oven when baked and cool completely in the pan before removing. In the meantime, prepare the strawberry compote buttercream. Click link for recipe.
• Remove the cloths of the barbie and wrap her lower body with plastic wrap. 
• Slice the 2 tube cakes side ways to obtain 2 discs each. Placing the largest disc at bottom, spread a layer of strawberry buttercream, then stack the next largest disc over it. Spread more butter cream and layer with cake until all is stacked.
• Insert the doll into the cavity of the cake and shave off the extra cake to shape the dress out. Then spread a thin layer of strawberry buttercream all around the cake.
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• Decorate your cake as you desired. :)) Just remember to have loads of fun!!

Although I made several changes to the butter cake recipe, it still turned out really nice. Everyone whom tasted it all raved about it. ;)) Soft fine crumbs, light & buttery! Definitely a keeper, thanks Wendy! I was really glad it paired off nicely with the strawberry buttercream...my daughter polish off a big slice within minutes!

 

I was really happy I managed to complete this cake in a day. In fact this cake was so much simpler to handle compared to her last year birthday cake! And after my young one saw this barbie cake, she immediately booked the same cake for her birthday this Oct....OK my dear. Hmmm....not sure is it the cake she wants or that new barbie? Go figure! :))

Hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have made this cake. ;) 

Take care all and have a great day!