Ann Reardon

Ballerina Cake

ballerina cake ann reardon

Pretty ballerina cake recipe for all those girls who train hard so they can dance gracefully and make it look easy.

 

To make this ballerina cake you will need:
(serves 20)

Ballerina cake template
 

Buy$5.99

1 and a 1/2 x the fluffy sponge cake recipe baked in 12 cupcake cases and two 8″ round cake tins.
One quantity of the vanilla buttercream
half a quantity of the chocolate buttercream
white fondant
pink fondant
3-4 cake pop sticks
base round cake board
cake board for middle support
royal icing

For the cupcakes roll out some white and pink fondant and cut out 11 heart shapes. Then place each one over a cardboard roll and shape it so it curves around. These will take a couple of days to harden so you can make them ahead of time. Alternatively you can add tylose powder to the fondant to make them dry out quicker.

Warm the chocolate buttercream and place a teaspoon full on top of each cupcake. Starting at the centre pipe in and out to make the ballerina skirts.

Using royal icing pipe dots along the top of the heart. Then pipe two lines down and another criss crossing across the body so it matches the cake.
For some variety you might also like to pipe some that are different using swirls, have fun wth it and just try and make it symmetrical.
Push the hearts onto the top of the cupcakes.

pretty ballet cake how to

Level the round cakes and cut out the pieces shown on the template
Take a cake board and place a wooden skewer through the centre. Add the cake layers in order with buttercream in between each one and a cake board in the centre (see the video for demonstration). If you are not suing the cake on the same say you may like to add simple syrup to the cake. Simple syrup is made by heating together equal parts of sugar and water until it dissolves, then leaving it to cool.

Hold the template in front of the cake lining it up with the shoulders and then just trim around the template. Remove the template and use your knife to round out the corners.

Cover the whole thing in frosting then use a piece of acetate to smooth it out. Place it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

ballerina cake tutorial

Add some fondant top part of the cake smoothing it down with your hands.
Roll out some fondant for the dress and cut around the top of the template just letting your knife go straight out for the back of the dress so we can wrap it around.

slightly dampen the back of the fondant and place it onto the cake. Position the top where you want it then wrap the rest around the back. Squeeze to together at the join and then use scissors to trim it off.

Roll some white fondant so it is very thin then gently make ruffles and add them down the side. Cut a strip of white and add it down over the join of the ruffle on both sides. Then add more strips criss crossing across the front.

Place the cake on the top of your cake stand or plate. Roll out some white very thinly and add it around the base of the cake. Once you have the first layer in place cut thinner strips and place them ruffled around just the edge. Once you’re happy with the amount of ruffles add another strip of fondant over the top to make it look like it is a full skirt.

Using royal icing pipe dots around the join of the skirt to the body and add some lines coming out like a lace type pattern on top.

ballet cake how to

My Cookbook

ann reardon crazy sweet creations cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

24 Comments View Comments

  1. Rating: 5

    Hello, I was looking to make either this cake or the guitar cake for my 13th Birthday in a few weeks, and I wanted to see if I could have a few questions answered beforehand. My first question is can you use marshmallow fondant instead of sugar paste, and if so can they be substituted for both the ballerina cake and the guitar cake? I just find it easier to work with and I prefer its flavor. I just wasn’t sure since there’s a difference in texture, and obviously I’m worried about it sucking the moisture out of the buttercream and cake. Also, on the guitar cake, instead of alcohol can you just use water or some sort of sugar solution since my parents probably wouldn’t be into the idea of me using alcohol on a cake, even though it evaporates.

    • G’day Eva, Happy 13th for next month ?. Yes you can use marshmallow fondant instead of store bought fondant if you prefer. Yes you can use water instead of vodka – I did that successfully on the desk cake without a problem https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/laptop-cake/

  2. Rating: 4

    Where do I fint the ifgures whitch helps knowing how I should cut out the cake?

    • Hi Martha, the link to purchase the template is just below the video under things you will need to make this cake.

  3. How do you slice a cake like this at the event? In the beginning of the video, a dowel was in the bottom board. What kept dowel from moving? How many people does it feed?
    Thanks,
    Wanda Blount

    • Hi Wanda, For any cakes with support board you cut down until you reach the first board and serve slices of cake up to that level (just like you would if that board was a plate with a cake on it). Once that layer is done remove the board and the cake pop sticks and cut slices from the lower part of the cake. The dowel is snuggly fitted into the wooden cake board – if you drill a hole that’s a little tight it will hold nicely. How many pole does it feed? Depends on how big the slices are but typically 10 people from the top cake plus 12 people get a cupcake.

  4. Hi Ann, when you want to make a cake, how do you choose sponge cake or vanilla cake? Is one better for sculpting? Is vanilla cake more dense because of butter compare to sponge where you use oil?

    • Hi Vy, Ann likes to use chcolate cake where a lot of sculpting is involved, because the denser cake holds up to the shaping better.

  5. Rating: 4.5

    Hi Ann,
    I made these ballerina cupcakes for two of my daughters born on the same day! I used more buttercream for the tutus as I ran out of my marshmallow fondant to continue around the cupcakes! We had a movie day out and at a cafe afterwards a customer asked if she could buy one off me! I declined!

    • They look gorgeous!

  6. Sorry. Lol… also can I use a white cake or does it have to be a sponge cake.

    • Hi Brenda, You can use a different type of cake if you prefer.

  7. Rating: 5

    Hi I just wanted to say that this ballerina cake is beautiful I’m going to try to make it for my granddaughter. I was just wondering when you start to build the cake what size board are you putting it on and what size is the cake stand.

    • Hi Brenda, I think this was an 8 inch cake board but you could use a 10 inch if you prefer. The cake stand was one that was made for an event and so is not a standard size but would be similar to a medium sized cup cake stand.

  8. Rating: 4

    Wow, this is so cute!!! But I have a little boy…. Could you make a smurf cake, please Ann?

  9. Rating: 4

    Do you like my Eton Mess

    • Looks yum!

  10. As always amazing Ann 🙂
    make a One piece cake (anime) pllsssss

  11. Can you do a cake that is suitable for celiacs?(people who are allergic to wheat)

  12. Hello Ann! Beautiful job! I’m 12 years old and I LOVE watching all your creations. My birthday was last week and for my party I attempted sugar bowls! Thank you for all your inspiration to me and my mommy. ? Good luck in future creations.
    Love, Aurora

    • Happy 12th Birthday Aurora!

  13. Being a mother of four girls, this cake, of course, warms my heart. What a beautiful design of cup cakes and cake together!
    If only it was as easy as it seems to be on your video. But while everything is ready to be used (the buttercream, the icing, the cake) in the video, in reality it needs to be prepared beforehand. I can already see myself in action for a cake like this, and then the royal icing turns out to be too thin or too thick or too dry, the buttercream was left in the fridge for too long, so it is too hard, …. Do you have any advice on useful preparations?
    And one more question: This cake looks gorgeous. Some fresh fruit would add to its taste nicely. How could this be done without distroying the cake´s stability? Could layers of fruit jelly be added?

    • Hi Corinna, Preparation is key. If you find it a little overwhelming, then the best way is to prepare is to make a small batch and give yourself permission to experiment so you know what works for you. Icing that isn’t right can always be thickened or thinned. Buttercream will soften within a few minutes out of the fridge.. Everything is resolvable or redo-able if you give yourself time to do it. The second batch is always better than the first! Two great tips.. If you find the baking stress ful, you can always get a bake shop to bake a slab, round or cupcakes for you. Here we can order it through the supermarket, pick it up the day prior and content ourselves with just doing the assembly and decorating. The other tip is always to make more decorations than you need. That way you can choose the best for ‘display’ and those that didn’t quite work for your snack when all the work is done!

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