Barbie Cake

Last weekend was my youngest nieces 5th birthday. It's scary how quickly they grow up. My sister never makes the cake, my mum still always does it. Since my first niece was born, I've always helped (unless the cake calls for marzipan, that's Ian's department!)

This years cake was one of those fun stick-a-barbie-in-it cakes. I like these because I get to rip the legs off the barbie! It's always hard work trying to get the dress to look right, and covering the cake with the icing without it ripping and then working out a way to cover the joins.  This year, barbie got a nice flowery trim to her dress.
 

My sister wanted to use the barbie cake for both the family party, and the school/other friend party so we made a second cake that we decorated plainly for us to eat.  I ended up spending about an hour putting the hearts in a pattern on the icing my mum piped.  To start with, I only did it on the top two circles.  

 

 

My mum suggested adding it to the bottom circle and annoyingly I agreed with her.  I don't ever want to see one of those hearts again! But I think you'll agree it does look better with the hearts on the bottom too.