Batter Bowl Doll Cake Food

DO-IT-ALL CAKE BATTER

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch round or square cake pan with nonstick baking spray; line the bottom with parchment. Set aside.
• Beat the butter with the sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes (see Cook's Note). Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 45 seconds after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl until combined.
• With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top with a rubber spatula.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
• For chocolate cake: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder to the flour mixture. After the eggs are incorporated, beat in 4 ounces melted and cooled bittersweet chocolate, beating until combined. Alternate adding 1/4 cup of hot brewed coffee with the flour mixture and buttermilk.
• For lemon poppyseed cake: Beat 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest with the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the buttermilk before it goes into the batter. Before pouring the batter into the cake pan, gently fold in 2 tablespoons poppy seeds using a rubber spatula. For a lemon glaze, whisk 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Add more lemon juice, a few drops at a time, if needed. Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze over the top.
• For coffee cake: To make a streusel, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Pour half of the batter into the cake pan and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the remaining streusel over it. For a maple glaze, whisk 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup with 1 teaspoon water and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a small bowl until smooth. Add more water, a few drops at a time, if needed. Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the maple glaze over the top.
• For confetti cake: Increase the vanilla extract from 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons. Before pouring the batter into the cake pan, gently fold in 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles using a rubber spatula.
• For raspberry jam swirl cake: Bring 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam to room temperature and stir it vigorously with a spoon until smooth. Pour half of the batter into the cake pan and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula. Place 4 dollops (about half) of the jam on the batter. Spread the remaining batter over top and make 4 more dollops over the batter with the remaining jam. Drag a long wooden skewer through the batter, making sure the skewer reaches down to the bottom of the pan, creating swirls of jam.

BATTER BOWL DOLL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease Classic Batter Bowl with shortening. Sprinkle with flour, tapping out excess. Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a separate mixing bowl. Pour into batter bowl. Run a table knife through the batter to prevent air pockets. Bake 60-65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake in batter bowl on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Gently invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely. To assemble cake, invert again so domed/rounded portion faces up. Trim off domed/rounded portion of cake to create a flat base (do not discard). Place rounded portion onto a cutting board and cut a 4-in. (10-cm) circle out of the middle using a biscuit cutter. Invert cake onto a serving platter. Place a small amount of frosting on top of cake and top with cake circle. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake. Chill in freezer 45 minutes. Tint remaining frosting with desired food coloring and frost cake to make the doll's dress. Insert doll pick into center of cake. Frost upper portion of doll to resemble the top of a dress. Decorate as desired.

PRETTY PRINCESS CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a deep 15cm round cake tin, making sure the lining is higher than the top of the tin. Grease and base line a 1 litre ovenproof glass pudding basin.
• Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt.
• Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, and spoon into the prepared tin and bowl. The mixture will come almost to the top. Place the bowl and cake tin on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour 40 to 1hour 50 mins. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• To make the butter icing, put the butter into a bowl and beat well until softened. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Trim the tops of the cakes level. Slice the pudding basin cake in three and the 15cm cake in half. Using a 5cm round cutter, stamp out the centre of each piece of cake.
• Place one half of the 15cm cake on a cake board. Spread with a little butter icing and place the other half on top. Spread a little icing on this layer and top with the widest layer of the basin cake. Repeat with the other layers. Spread the remaining butter icing all over the assembled cake.
• Take 250g white fondant icing and roll out into a long strip about 7cm wide. Press the edge gently with a teaspoon to give a frilled effect or use a ball tool. Attach to the base of the cake, pushing gently onto the icing.
• Roll out the pink icing to a large circle about 36cm in diameter. Cut a hole from the centre using the 5cm cutter. Cut away just under an eighth section of the icing. Drape the icing over the cake, making the join at the back. At even intervals push up the pink fondant to create a swagged look.
• Spray the cake lightly with the edible lustre. Take the doll and wrap the legs in plastic film. Place the doll in the cake. The top of the cake should come to hip not waist level. Using the trimmings, roll out an oblong of pink icing and wrap around the body of the doll to make the bodice. Smooth the bottom of the bodice onto the top of the skirt.
• Roll out some white fondant and cut out a 9cm circle using a fluted or flower cutter. Cut a small circle from the centre of this and then split one side and place around the waist of the doll, cutting away any excess. Use the remaining white icing to make a large bow and place at the back of the dolls waist.
• Make up the royal icing according to pack instructions. Using a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle (or use a strong plastic bag and cut off the tip), pipe around the edge of the pink skirt. Attach a rose to the top of each swag. Pipe three lines of dots just above the roses going up the dress.
• Pipe across the top of the bodice and half way down the front. Using the icing attach a sugar butterfly to the top of the bodice and one large sugar rose at the waist.

BARBIE DOLL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart ovenproof Pyrex glass mixing bowl with shortening and dust with flour.
• Prepare cake as directed on box. Pour batter into prepared bowl.
• Bake 50-60 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
• Invert on cake plate with widest part of cake on the bottom. Cool 3 hours before decorating.
• Insert a clean doll into center of cake. Decorate the skirt with icing tinted any color or use more than one color. Use a decorator tip to make the skirt as fancy as you like and decorate the top of the doll for the top of the dress also.

BIRTHDAY BATTENBERG

Steps:

• For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Turn an 8-inch square baking pan into a Battenberg pan: first, fold a long piece of foil onto itself a couple of times to a create a foil barrier to divide your pan in half, making sure that the barrier is at least the height of the pan or even a little more. Then, spray the pan and each side of the foil with cooking spray (to help the parchment stick) and line each half of the pan with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper, one going widthwise and one going lengthwise, with enough overhang to come all the way up the sides and then some. Get your scissors out and trim the parchment so that it lays nicely and doesn't curl around the corners and make you go crazy. Sorry, I know this is a lot of parchment paper (I reuse parchment all the time!). Okay, set this aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then lightly stir in the salt and set aside. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and sour cream and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter, coconut oil and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each and periodically scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Reduce the mixer to medium-low and add the dry mixture and cream mixture in 3 alternating additions, mixing until 80 percent combined.
• Divide the mixture in half. In the first half, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and fold in the sprinkles as you mix until the batter is combined. Pour into one side of the pan and use a small offset spatula or a spoon to carefully spread it out evenly. In the second half of the batter, add a few drops of red food coloring and fold it in as you mix until the batter is combined.
• Pour into the other side of the pan and use a small offset spatula or a spoon to carefully spread it out evenly. Bake until the tops of the cakes are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it; begin checking for doneness at 45 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then use the parchment wings to lift them out of the pans and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Level the cakes and trim off the sides if they're uneven. Halve each cake crosswise to yield 4 equal rectangles that are as wide as they are thick (measure the thickness of the cake once it's leveled, then turn your ruler 90 degrees to measure that same amount on top of the cake and score with an accordion pastry cutter). Enjoy a bite of cake scraps and set these aside.
• To assemble: Knead the marzipan with the blue food coloring to get your desired color, dusting with powdered sugar if it gets too sticky. On a silicone mat (or a big piece of parchment or a counter dusted with powdered sugar, but I strongly recommend a silicone mat so that you don't get powdered sugar all over what will eventually become the outside surface of the marzipan), roll the marzipan out into a rectangle that's about 7 1/2 inches wide by 13 inches long, dusting the top with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking, and rolling in a scattering of sprinkles at the end. Trim the edges so they're straight. Brush all over with a thin layer of jam and place a rectangle of pink cake at one end. Brush the exposed surfaces with a thin layer of jam. Squish a rectangle of sprinkle cake right next to it and brush the exposed surfaces with a layer of jam. Stack the other two rectangles of cake on top, brushing with jam, to form a checkerboard pattern. Carefully roll it onto its side, pressing the marzipan all over so that it sticks, then continue to roll until the cake is covered. Trim off any excess marzipan, then decorate with additional marzipan decorations as desired.
• Wrap in firmly plastic wrap and let set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Let come to room temperature and enjoy!

ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE BATTER

Steps:

• Mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the hot water until smooth.
• Turn this one-bowl chocolate cake batter into three different desserts.
• Layer Cake:
• Brush two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil, line with parchment, then brush with more oil and dust with flour.
• Divide the batter between the pans; tap against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks to cool completely; discard the parchment.
• Sheet Cake:
• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil and brush with vegetable oil.
• Pour the batter into the pan; tap against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• Cupcakes:
• Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about halfway. Tap the pans against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

BLUEBERRY DOLL CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment and set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together 4 cups of the flour, the baking powder and cinnamon, then lightly stir in the salt; set aside. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and sour cream and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, butter, coconut oil and lemon zest on medium high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract, if using. Reduce the mixer to medium low and add the dry mixture and cream mixture in 3 alternating additions, mixing until just combined.
• Toss the frozen blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour and fold them into the batter (don't rinse the blueberries). Distribute the batter evenly among the cake pans and spread it out evenly (don't be alarmed if the frozen blueberries cause the cake batter to firm up, that's ok!).
• Bake until the tops of the cakes are starting to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it; begin checking for doneness at 33 minutes and try your darnedest not to let it over-bake. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: Combine the frozen blueberries with 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring and mashing occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the blueberries have broken down and released their juices, about 10 minutes. Strain the juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or measuring cup, using your rubber spatula to mash the blueberries and wring out any juices that they're still holding onto. You should have around 3 tablespoons of liquid (if it's much more than that, discard any excess or reserve it for another use).
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the heavy cream, vanilla, salt and blueberry juice until creamy.
• To decorate: Shaping this cake is easiest to do when the layers are cold. So if you have the time, wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze overnight or even up to a few weeks. (If you don't have the time, it's not the end of the world, just make sure the layers are fully cooled.) Use a sharp serrated knife to level the cake layers if they're not totally flat on top and save the scraps in a large bowl. (If the cakes are frozen too solid to cut, you can let them thaw at room temp for a few minutes so they soften just slightly.)
• Place an 8- to 10-inch cardboard cake circle on a rotating cake wheel and add a small dollop of frosting to "glue" on the first layer. Add the first layer of cake, followed by a thin layer of frosting, another layer of cake, another thin layer of frosting and the third layer of cake. Use a thin knife to cut a hole down the center of the cake that's just big enough for a Barbie doll. Try not to make the hole too big so that she doesn't flop around. Shove her in! The cake will only come up to her thighs at this point but fear not, the rest will be filled in by cake scraps.
• Now it's time to carve the cake. Use a serrated knife to slowly carve away the cake into the shape of a skirt. Start at the top and shave it off gradually, cutting away from yourself and down the bottom, transferring your scraps to the scrap bowl. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of uncarved cake all around the top to allow room to build up the remaining skirt with your scraps. This doesn't need to be perfect AT ALL! Frosting will cover up any imperfections! Once you've got a general skirt shape, use your hands to mush up the scraps in the bowl. The frosting and the cake's moisture should help them stick together into a dough-like consistency, but if they're too dry, add a plop of frosting. Pack the cake dough firmly on top of the cake to build the skirt up to reach Barbie's waist (or higher to be an empire waist! Or a low-rise waist! You are your own fashion designer!).
• Take a step back to look at the general shape of the skirt and make any adjustments you'd like: carve off some more for a slimmer skirt, add some Victorian-era dimension with some cake dough, etc.
• And then frost! Frost all over with thick swoops of frosting. Swirl in food coloring to create a groovy tie dye look, add sprinkles for a bedazzled look or get out your piping bags and pipe a whole lace wedding dress if that's your vision.
• Enjoy!