Cake "Doll" (from Carol Deacon's book "Party cakes for children")

Cake "Doll"

INGREDIENTS
-   2 pudding bowl cakes
-   1 quantity buttercream
-   Icing sugar for rolling out
-   450 g (1 lb) pink sugarpaste
-   450 g (1 lb) flesh-coloured sugarpaste
-   560 g (1 lb 4 oz) white sugarpaste
-   Black and red food colour pastes
-   300 g (10,5 oz) pale blue sugarpaste
-   200 g (7 oz) yellow sugarpaste.

EQUIPMENT
- Carving knife
- Palette knife
- 25 cm (10 in) square cake board
- Rolling pin
- Small sharp knife
- Cake smoothers (optional)
- Plastic cake dowel (avalable from decorating shops)
- Assorted circle cutters Of lids
- Paintbrush

NOTE: To make flesh-coloured sugarpaste, use ether "paprika" food colour paste or a mixture of yellow and pink sugarpastes.

Method:

1. Take the two cakes and slice little off the base of one cake so that it sits comfortably on the board and won't fall over. Turn the second cake onto its side and slice away a strip of cake from the base so that it sits securely on top of the first cake (1).

If the lop of the base cake is too rounded and the head falls off slice a little off the top of the first cake to flatten it. Carve away any unsightly corners on the second cake to make a rounded head shape. Remove the head cake and place to one side.

2. Slice and fill the base cake horizontally with one or two layers of buttercream. Don't overdo it though - the body will have to support a lot of weight and if you sandwich it using too much buttercream, it will simply squish out of the sides of the cake. If you are using a chocolate chip cake as a base then you won't need to fill with buttercream - it should he rich enough without a filling. Place the base cake towards the rear of the cake board.

3. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the outside of the cake. Knead and roll out 400 g (14 oz) of pink sugarpaste. Place over the cake and  smooth into position. Trim away any excess from around the base and place the cake and hoard to one side. Buttercream and cover the head with  300 g (10,5 oz) flesh-coloured sugarpaste. Trim and neaten the icing around the base.

4. For added security to slop the head from falling off the body, you could push a plastic cake dowel through the middle of the base cake. It should go right down until it reaches the cake board leaving about 5-8 cm (2-3 in) protruding from the top. Place the head into position (2).

5. For the eyes, roll out 30 g {I oz) white sugarpaste and cut out two discs using a circle cutter or lid. Pull each of the circles lo stretch it into an oval shape and stick onto the face. Stick a small ball of flesh-coloured sugarpaste underneath for her nose.
Paint her eveballs, eyelashes and mouth using black food colour and a paintbrush (see page 24 for hints about painting on sugarpaste). Also paint a few freckles around her nose and two discs on her cheeks with red food colour paste.

Carof suggests
Remember that you can use decorative features, such as the collar and mobcap, to hide any problem areas.

To make the eyes, take two 10 g (0,25 oz) lumps of white sugarpaste, roll them into balls unit then flatten slightly into two  thick discs. Stick one on either side of the nose (3).

6. Take a 20 g (0,75 oz) piece of flesh-coloured sugarpaste and divide it into two pieces for the ears. Roll each piece into an oval shape and stick them to the side of the cake, level with the nose and eyes. Using black food colour paste, paint pupils onto the eyes and then add two slightly curved lines for the mouth|forehead.

Carol suggests
The ears should be long and thin ratter than rounded, or else gravity will make them fall off the cake.

7. Finally, cut a length of ribbon about 70 cm (28 in) long. (If you have used a larger cake, measure the circumference first with a tape measure as you will need this length plus extra for the bow.) Wrap around the sides of the cake and secure the join with clear sticky tape. The join should be at the top of the head/bottom of beard where it will be hidden by the bow. Tic the remaining ribbon into a bow and trim the ends if necessary. Stick in position using a little melted chocolate or battercream.

Candies
As the cake takes up virtually all of the board, you will have to use a larger board (25 cm (10 in)} diameter minimum) if you wish to add candles.

Position the cake off-centre on the larger board so that the bow sits on the very edge of the board well away from the candies which should be set at the opposite end in sugarpaste holders.

8. For the skirt, roll out 250 g (9 oz) pale blue supiirpaste. Cut out a large horseshoe shape. Press a paintbrush along the length of the skirt then wrap and stick the skirt around the base of the doll. The join should be at the back. Don't worry if it doesn't meet at the back as it won't be seen. Using the end of n paintbrush, poke a line of small hollows around the waistband to neaten it (4).

9. Make two 60 g (2 oz) flesh-coloured sugarpaste sausage shapes for the arms and stick into position on the body.

Roll 30 g (I oz) pink sugarpaste into a ball for the sleeves. Flatten into a disc and cut in half. Stick one half over the top of each arm (5).

10. To make the hair, first roll out 120 g (4 oz) yellow sugarpaste and cut out a 15 cm (6 in) disk. Press lines across the circle using the back of a knife and cut in half {6}. Stick in position on the front of the head. To make the plaits, divide 45 g (1,5 oz) yellow sugarpaste in half and roll each half into a sausage. Flatten one end of each and cut a fringe. Press diagonal lines down both plaits and stick onto the head.

11. For the bows, cut two restangles out of 15 g (0,5 oz) blue sugarpaste. Squeeze the centre of each rectangle and stick a small rectangle across it. Press a few lines either side at the centre and stick onto the plait.

12. To finish, roll out 250 g (8 oz) white sugarpastc and cut out a disc about 23 cm (9 in) in diameter for the mobcap. You can either do this freehand or use a plate or cake board as a template. Frill around three-quarters of the outside of the disc by rolling a paintbrush backwards and forwards. Moisten the top of the doll's head and stick into position.

 Candles
There should be enough room at the sides of the board to stick some candles inserted into thick sugarpaste discs.

More details you can find in
Carol Deacon's book "Party cakes for children"
or on the website  http://www.caroldeaconcakes.com/

* This material is presented for information and educational purposes.