Barbie skirt tutorial

In my last post I promised that I would show you how to do the barbie cake I made for my daughters 4th birthday. Unfortunately it looks like I'm only going to be able to show you how to do the skirt part and you will have to use your imagination and my written directions for the bodice. About a month ago I dropped my camera :(. Now it seems as though it is slowly dying on me. More about that later though.

First I started out with 4- 6" cakes (yes I know there are only 3, lol, just imagine all of them are there :).

Cut each layer in half (this isn't necessary I just do it because I like the icing cake ratio), and using a 2" cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of each layer.

Now layer the cake and icing being careful to keep the holes in the center lined up.

Chill the cake for a few hours so it has a chance to firm up and will be easier to carve.

For the barbie I used a new one so that it could be a gift for the birthday girl afterward. In order to make her food safe you need to wrap her bottom half in plastic wrap before you insert her into the cake. It also helps with cleanup!!

Place the wrapped doll into the hole of the chilled cake.

And carefully carve a rounded top for the skirt. I had to add a little bit at the top of the skirt to hide the opening.

Ice the cake and return to the fridge to chill while you work on the fondant.

Now on to the skirt.

Roll out your fondant to 1/8" thick and about 6" x 10" rectangle. Then taper one end so it looks like the picture. The reason for this is to create less bulk at the top of the skirt.

Pleat the fondant piece and pinch at the top.

Bring cake out of fridge and spray with water or brush with piping gel so fondant will stick. Drape on the first piece and pinch and cut at the waist being careful not to cut too short.

Wet the first pieces edge and then drape the next piece, overlapping the first piece. Pressing down gently on the seam where the two pieces meet. Continue like this until you go all the way around the dress.

All the way around, now on to the top.

This is where my camera ate my pictures, or just decided it didn't like them enough to keep them :P. So for the top I just made a long rectangle that I made a v in the bottom and put it up against the barbie and marked where i needed cut for the top of the bodice. Then I cut a second v for the top. I trimmed the pieces to fit in the back and I was finished. Now you can use this method for the skirt and decorate it any way you want. With buttercreme or fondant and you can use any doll really. There are Disney princess dolls out there that would work great with this method too.

I just had to share this picture with you. It was a picture my sister took at the birthday party and for some reason it just struck me as funny/odd. I'm just glad I chose to make the baptism cake red velvet and not the barbie cake ;)

Happy Caking :D