Barbie Doll Cake

YELLOW CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 10-inch tube
pan. Dust the bottom and sides of pan with flour and tap out any
excess. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt; set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter with
paddle attachment until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add
sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well
incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl. Mix
together the buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the sifted flour
mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 3 additions,
beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Pour
batter into prepared tube pan and bake 40 minutes or until cake
tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to a
wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool
completely on wire rack. Cake can be stored in freezer for up to 1
month. FOR THE BOWL SHAPE: Make half the yellow cake recipe and bake
in a buttered and floured 3-quart, 9 1/2-inch diameter
stainless-steel bowl at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake
tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. (Makes
one 10-inch tube cake) MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: In a small
saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil.
Continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees on
a candy thermometer). Meanwhile, place egg whites in bowl of a
standing mixer and beat with whip attachment on low speed until
foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until stiff
but not dry; do not overbeat. With mixer running, add syrup to whites
in a stream; beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3
minutes. Add butter bit by bit; beating until spreadable, 3 to 5
minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, keep beating until
smooth. (Makes 4 1/2 cups) ASSEMBLY: Trim the tops off the 2 tube
cakes to level. Trim the flat end of the bowl cake to level. Cut a
hole through the center of the bowl cake the width of the Barbie
doll. Place 1 tube cake, trimmed-side up, on a cake plate. Place the
second tube cake, trimmed-side up, on top of the first. For the top
layer, place the bowl cake, trimmed-side down, on top of the tube
cakes. Spread 1 cup of frosting between each layer. Remove all
clothing from the doll and wrap the doll’s hair in plastic wrap.
Insert doll into the hole of the bowl cake up to its waist. Use half
of the remaining frosting to completely cover the outside of the
cakes, evenly smoothing to form the skirt part of the doll. Tint
remaining frosting with food coloring to desired colors. Using pastry
bags and decorating tips, decorate the skirt and upper half of the
doll with colored frosting, as desired. Remove plastic from the
doll’s hair, and serve. Makes 1 Barbie doll cake.