Having a special birthday cake for your little princess does not have to be an expensive venture. Making a dolly varden birthday cake is much easier than you think. I am by no means very good at cake decorating or cooking in general but I love giving things a try. I have found that no matter what mistakes you make using fondant icing it can be covered up.
What you will need
Dolly Varden tin (bought or hired)
Doll
Cake stand
2-3 cake packets (additional eggs, butter milk as required on packet)
Fondant icing
(Fondant icing can be found at cake supply shops,
Kitchen Warehouse if you are in Perth WA,
Woolworths now sell small quantities)
Rolling pin
Mat
(I use an old tupperware pastry mat)
Knife
Baking paper
Clingwrap
Frill cutter
Small flower cutter
Edible metallic lustre
Sugar glue (optional - can use butter icing)
paintbrush (used only for cake making)
cachous balls (cake decorating balls)
Ready made butter icing
First, start by buttering the tin and line with baking paper. This can be a bit tricky with the shape but just cut paper into strips and place in a ring, one overlapping the
other until you reach the top.
I just used a 2 $3 packet cake mix. I probably should have used 3 as the dress was a bit short. Follow the instructions. Bake and allow the cake to cool.
Wrap the legs and dress of the doll in cling wrap. Trim the cake so it has a flat bottom and shave off the hardened edges of the cake. Cut out the centre and sit the doll in the cake.
As I had not placed enough cake mix in the tin, I had to build up to the waist of the doll with butter icing. The skirt should puff out from the waist but if it doesn't just build up with icing over the cling wrap like above. Spread the butter icing over the rest of the cake.
I used some white fondant first, rolling it out to about 3mm thickness. I have not been very successful at rolling out large amounts of fondant without it tearing so I decided to layer the skirt in panels. I laid a layer of white down the centre front and placed 2 panels
either side in dark pink.
I had placed a layer of lighter pink on the back of the skirt prior to placing the side panels.
Using the frill cutter I cut out a circle and then cut the circle in half to start making a frill placing on the bottom of the skirt.
Then cut more frill for the panels.
Then for the back of the skirt also.
I had pre cut some little flowers and stuck a ball to the centre. I had some sugar glue to stick the balls which can also be bought from cake supply shops but I also used the butter
frosting to stick some.
Allow the flowers to harden.
Using the sugar paste or icing, stick the flower to the joins of the frills.
Using a small paint brush, dust on the metallic lustre.
I used gold.
Decorate the stand with a few gems and pearls and place on your cake table.
She may not be shop perfect but your little girl with still be delighted.
My own daughter's reaction was
"She is so adorable!!".
