How to Make a Princess Cake Using Fondant
How to make a princess cake – Step 1
Make your cakes and gather what you need
You will need:
A round and a bowl shaped cake – see recipe at end of post
1 quantity of buttercream – see buttercream recipes here
Doll to go inside you cake – or you can make your own out of fondant. The video below shows you how to make a fondant face. Lots of people seemed to be having trouble finding the reusable food grade molding gel, you can get it here: Food grade reusable mold making material
Cake board or cake stand to put the cake on
Large serrated knife to cut the layers
Simple syrup – see recipe at end of post
Fondant and red gel colour FONDANT RECIPE CAN BE FOUND HERE or you can purchase it ready made
Royal Icing – see royal icing recipe here
silver cachous (edible little silver balls)
flower cutter or small round lid or icing tip that you can use for cutting a circle
fine paint brush
baking paper
rolling pin
plastic wrap
small circle cookie cutter – you can use a knife to cut a circle if you do not have one
How to make a princess cake Step 2:
Vanilla Cake Recipe
(you need to double this recipe to make the princess cake. If making cupcakes this recipe makes twenty)
20mL (0.68 fluid ounces) or 2 Tbsp oil
120g (4.23 ounces) or 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups or 324g (11.43 ounces) sugar (caster or super fine)
2 1/4 cups or 360g (12.7 ounces) plain or all purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups or 313mL (10.58 fluid ounces) milk (4% fat)
1 Tbsp vanilla essence
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
For best results put the butter, oil and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add all of the remaining ingredients at once and beat on low speed for 1 minute only so it is just combined. Just over half fill a 20cm (7.87 inches) round cake tin and spread mixture over to the sides so it dips slightly in centre. Pour remaining mixture into an 2L (0.53 gallons) ovenproof mixing bowl. Bake in moderate oven until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Tip: For the mixing bowl cake: once it looks done – but when you insert the skewer it is still gooey – move it to the bottom shelf and place an empty baking tray on the top shelf to allow it to keep cooking without the top burning.
Turn your cakes out of their baking dishes and allow to cool completely (warm cakes will melt the buttercream).
Buttercream recipes for various flavors of buttercream area available on the buttercream post.
Simple syrup recipe
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar (caster or super fine)
100 millilitres (3.38 fluid ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp water
Optional – 1 Tbsp vanilla
Heat sugar and water stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue to heat until makes a syrup (approx 104ºC or 220ºF).
Remove from heat, allow to cool completely and put into squeezy bottle.
Assembling the Princess Cake
To shape the bowl cake place it flat side down and then slice off the bulging round bits at the top edge so that it looks more like flowing hooped skirt and not a bowl. Hooped skirts are tailored in towards the waistline.
Cut this cake into 3 layers – that is make two cuts through the cake. Split the bottom layer round cake into two layers. Then take a round cookie cutter and cut a circle out of the centre of all of these cake layers.
To construct the cake, first brush each layer with syrup using a pastry brush, then place buttercream between the layers and stack. Make a very thin ‘crumb coat’ of buttercream on the outside of the cake and place it in the fridge to harden – this helps to stop crumbs mixing through the icing which makes it hard to get a smooth finish. Then apply a slightly thicker layer of buttercream and use a strip of baking paper to smooth – stretch it out firmly and drag it up the cake.
Place in the fridge to firm.
Roll out a strip of white fondant and wrap around the base of the cake creating creases and ruffles as you do.
Roll out the pink fondant into a rectangle and wrap around the cake. Making a rectangle helps you to get the fabric gathered look at the waist of the cake. If you roll your fondant into a circle and place it over the cake it results in a skirt that is smooth at the top and ruffled only at the bottom which is not how fabric on these skirts fall. Around the base of the cake at even intervals push up the pink fondant to create a swagged look.
Take your doll and make the hair how you want it to be. This is easier to do while you can hold the doll rather than when you can’t hold it because it is iced. If you are having the hair down then you may like to loosely put it up while you are icing. Surround the legs of the doll in plastic wrap.
Cover the body of the doll in pink fondant and then using a knife shape the top of the bodice. Place the doll into the cake – bending the legs slightly if it needs to sit lower in the cake. Roll out some white fondant and cut it into a circle. Using the base of an icing tip or small round cutter cut a scalloped pattern around the edge of the circle. Cut a small circle out of the centre of this and then split one side and place around the waist of the doll, cutting off any excess.
Using either a flower cutter or the technique shown in the video make fondant flowers, place a silver cachous in the centre. You will need one for the waist and one for each swag on the skirt, make a couple of extra just in case you break one.
Place your royal icing in a ziplock bag (royal icing recipe here), cut off a tiny corner and pipe details onto the cake. If you want to do rows of dots like shown pipe three dots down then two dots next to it in line with the spaces, then another three… when you reach a swag pipe a few more dots going up the dress. Attach the flowers using the royal icing.
Buttercream recipes for various flavours of buttercream are available on the buttercream post.
2013
My Cookbook
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All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
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dear ann
i would like to try making this beautiful doll cake. how much fondant is required for the dress? i have about 500gr. of white. do i need more?
kind regards from Switzerland
marina
Hi Marina I am getting better at measuring things like how much fondant I used but did not measure it for this cake. Going on that the minion cake took 800g of yellow and it is much much bigger then yes 500g is plenty.
Hi Anne,
Just thought I would let you know how my daughters cake went today. I used satin ice fondant and found that it dried out fast and started to crack, especially when I did the petticoat. It ended up all looking ok but was just very frustrating to work with. Not sure if its just the brand or what but I did knead it lots and it still dried out fast. Anyway everyone was gobsmacked when they saw the cake and my daughters face this morning was worth all the hard work, time, money and stress lol! I also made a hungry little caterpillar cake for my son who had his 1st bday party today as well. Thanks for all the advice!
wow gina, you can’t tell that you had trouble with the fondant at all, looks fantastic. Happy birthday to your daughter.
Thanks Ann. Just wondering what type of fondant you use and what I can do to stop it from drying out so fast? Is it better to make my own?
Hi Gina I use all different brands I like duff for covering cakes but it hard to get here, fondx is good, satin ice, and orchard is ok too and the easiest to get hold of for me. Try rolling out on non stick baking paper and using pam or cooking oil spray on your rolling pin instead of icing sugar or cornflour. If you use too much of them they can dry out the fondant. Let me know if it helps
Thanks Ann I’ll try the spray and see if it helps next time. I have a silicon mat to roll it out on but I was using icing sugar to dust it with so maybe that was the problem. I do have the vegetable shortening but the spray sounds easier!
Thank you so much Amn for your amazing video. I made this cake for my first time on Saturday for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. Then I made another one for another party for her on Sunday. It was such a huge hit at both parties! Everyone absolutely loved it. They couldn’t believe I made it! I couldn’t believe I made it. Thanks to you, it was easy.
Daniela, this is fantastic what a marvelous job you did the cake looks beautiful and Happy Birthday to your daughter.
hi ann
can I use the packet cake mix and how many do I need to make the doll thank you ann
Hi Lisa, Yes, and how many you need depends on the brand, I would use a cupcake mix instead of a cake mix as they tend to be fluffier. At a guess one packet for the round cake and two for the bowl.
Well the video instruction was brilliant for the decorating but unfortunately I had 3 disasters with the baking – did exactly as the recipe said but they came out badly each time with a nasty after taste. Used a completely different recipe in the end which came out perfect first time. Was disappointed by this but the decorating side was good.
Hi Ann
I tried making the chocolate cake mix for this cake and the top came out all hard like a brownie. How do I stop that? Also, the recipe made 1 round tin and I small bowl. Should I make 2 round cakes plus a bowl?
Thanks
Hi Bronwyn, I round cake and a full bowl should be enough, but if you have a smaller bowl then yes make an extra round cake. The top will go firm by the time the middle is cooked, you can trim it off, or while it is cooking place an empty baking tray above it to deflect some of the heat coming from the top.
Is it possible to use s raising flour?
hi yvonne, yes you can use sr flour but you will still need to add some extra baking powder
Thanks Ann..so far so good..Just a quick question, when decorating the day before, do u put the cake in the fridge after putting the fondant?
Hi Nats, I put in the fridge and then take out a few hours before the party so it can come to room temp. If you do this it will ‘sweat’ and get a thin layer of moisture on the outside of the fondant making it look shiny. It is fine like that or will dry out if you leave it our for longer.
Hi Anna,
I need to make this cake for a friend’s baby’s 1st birthday which is on Saturday. Can I make the cake tomorrow or will it taste stale by Saturday? Also do I need to do the fondant on Sat itself?? if I do it on Friday will it dry out or crack on Saturday? Please advise.
Nats (India)
*Ann
sorry autocorrect was on 🙁
hi nats, the fresher the better, i usually make and decorate the day before the party. if making earlier be sure to add the simple syrup to stop it getting dry.
Hi Ann,
Thanks for the great recipes and tips! I am planning to try this out very soon and I was wondering, is this a pyrex-type bowl? I have the exact same one, which I actually only use for salads, but I’m a bit worried it is going to break… Can I be sure it’s completely oven-proof (it has “pyrex” under it, but doesn’t indicate if it’s safe to put it in the oven)?
Thanks again for making it look so easy, I hope my result is half as beautiful!
Katerina
hi katerina yes it is a pyrex one, according to their website “Pyrex® glassware can be used for cooking, baking, warming and reheating food in microwave ovens and preheated conventional or convection ovens.” with the disclaimers “Avoid sudden temperature changes to glassware. DO NOT use on or under a flame or other direct heat source, including on a stovetop, under a broiler, on a grill or in a toaster oven.”
Hi just wondering how long the cake will last if I pre-make it? My daughters 4th birthday on the Sunday I was thinking of making on Friday as I’m also making my son a 1st birthday cake. Thanks!
Hi GIna, Yes you can bake friday, be sure to add some simple syrup in the layers to keep it moist.
Hi Ann
Feeling inspired to try this, but I’m not used to baking with measuring cups. Would you be able to tell me the weights of the cake ingredients instead? I don’t want to fall at the first hurdle!
Many thanks
Hi Lorraine do you have a measuring jug? If so one cup= 250ml
Hi Ann,
I am making this cake for my daughter’s 3rd birthday coming up in April. She is super obsessed with anything pink and anything princess :). Hubby ask if we can make this in chocolate instead of vanilla cake. Can you please tell how to adjust that to the vanilla cake, do I just add cocoa? and how much? Thanks.
Hi Mel, If making a chocolate cake use this recipe here and cover in ganache, let set in fridge and then cover in fondant. https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/chocolate-cake-recipe/
Hi,
i made one for my dauther’s birthday, in march 2011, that looks quite the same. I think we are ”brain connected” (sorry, i’m french, my english is a little weird). Do you find your inspiration on a website or only on your head? I think i find mine on the web! I send you a picture. Have a nice day and congratulation for your beautifull website.
Myriam.
looks lovely myriam, glad you like the website. Inspiration comes from every where some like the mickey mouse cupcakes, buttercream roses and geodes coming this week are just totally made up out of my head. Others are requests sent in by viewers wanting to know how to make a specific cake or recipe.
sorry i mean is the italian hard to do .. do u have a video how to do it or any site thats closer the way u do it .. thank u so much ann..
hi lisa, yes the italian meringue recipe video is here… https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/lego-ninjago-cake-how-to-make-italian-meringue/
thank you so much ann is the italian cream hard to go to you a video saw i can follow it ..thats will be great thank you so much for your help
Hi, I’ve looked at serval clips on how to make this, this one is the best, and easy, I just wanted to ask, I want to use a different cake, red velvet, I just wanted to ask, do I just double the normal recipe, as shown on the cake recipe you did? Also red velvet is already a moist cake, should I still use simple syrup? (Will be eaten the day after)
Hi Nicole, Yes I would double the recipe, adding the sugar syrup is completely up to you, if using cream cheese frosting then that is fairly moist too so you may not need it.
So many excellent tips in this video. I made my version of this cake on the weekend for my daughter’s 4th birthday and was so happy with how it turned out. I have added a link to your video on my blog: http://make-it-funky.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/and-fairy-cake.html
Thanks so much!
love the fairy cake rebecca
hi just wanted to know going to try this for my daughters 3rd birthday
do you think i could put dora in the middle of the cake and not barbie,
and with the buttercream my husband doesnt like the taste of butter can i put somthing else in it so it wont have that much of the taste of butter and can i have the recipe,
and can i put chocolate mousse and not butter cream,.
do you think it will look good white then pink on the bottom or u think its to much white?.. any ideas you have will be great.. thank you..
Hi LIsa, sorry for the delay I sit down and reply to all the questions once a week. Yes you can put a dora in the middle.
Instead of buttercream try italian meringue icing recipe here: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/lego-ninjago-cake-how-to-make-italian-meringue/
Yes you can use chocolate mousse between the layers but i would suggest put your layer on the plate then pipe a circle of your italain meringue or butter cream on top of the layer near the outside edge, then fill in the inside with mousse (this stops the mousse going on the outside of the cake).
I would do pink (her t-shirt colour) then purpley mauve (backpack colour)
Thank you so much for the video and recipes. I made this cake for my daughters 4th birthday and I think it turned out great. She thought it was wonderful and that’s what really counts! I will be back.
Absolutely beautiful Mandy love the dots on the frill near the bodice and the way it comes up at the front, happy birthday to your little girl.