Party Princess Cake

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted oven)/Gas mark 4. Grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper. Grease a 2L oven-proof glass bowl (measuring 20cm across the top) and line the flat base with a small round of baking paper.
2. Make up one cake mix as directed on the box using 3 eggs, 90ml of the oil and 180ml of the milk. Divide evenly between the two round cake tins. Make up the second box with the remaining eggs, oil and milk and pour into the oven-proof bowl.
3. Bake the cake tins for 23-25 minutes and the bowl cake for 55-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into each cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins and bowl for 10 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely (use a long flexible palette knife to gently loosen the cake from the bowl before turning out). When the bowl cake is completely cooled, cut it in half horizontally.
4. Spoon the icing into a large bowl. Beat in enough pink food colouring paste to give the desired pink colour.
5. Place one round cake on a cake board or flat serving plate. Spread with 100g icing and top with the second round cake. Spread another 100g of icing on this cake and top with the bottom half of the bowl cake, cut side up. Spread another 100g of icing on the cut side and top with the domed half of the bowl cake, cut side down. Use about 225g of the remaining icing to spread a thin layer of icing all over the layered cake to seal in the crumbs, making sure to fill the gap between the round cake and domed cake with some of the icing. Chill in the fridge for 45 minutes.
6. Wrap the doll pick's hair in cling film then gently press into the top of the cake. Spread the rest of the icing over the layered cake and body of the doll pick. Spread the icing on the skirt with a palette knife to give a swirled effect. Decorate the base and waist of the skirt with jelly beans and white star sugar sprinkles. Remove the cling film from the dolls hair. Cover the whole cake loosely and store in a cool place until serving.

Tips

• You can buy doll picks in cake decorating shops or order them online. But you can also use a whole toy fashion doll, if preferred. You will need to cut out a 4-5cm hole using a cookie cutter from each cake before stacking them up. Place the cakes in the freezer for about 40 minutes before cutting the hole to firm them up and reduce crumbs. Wrap the lower half of the doll in cling film before inserting into the cake.
• There are cake tin kits available with a skirt-shaped cake tin and a doll pick which can save time cooking and layering separate cakes. If you use a kit that has a tin size 20.3cm x 12.7cm you will need to use 2 boxes of cake mix. Bake in the greased tin for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. There’s no need to cut and layer the cake simply crumb coat and decorate with the icing. You will need 1 1/2 tubs icing.
• Substitute your favorite colour for the pink food colouring paste. Use your favourite sweets or sugar sprinkles for the finishing touches on the dress. Try piping the frosting using different decorating tips to create a look all your own.