Princess Birthday Cake

My daughter turned four and she is completely into princess dolls and princess stories. So I discovered this amazing princess cake recipe from the Betty Crocker website and it turned out just right. My daughter and all her friends totally loved it.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix boxes
• 3 containers Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
• Red food color
• 1 Princess Fashion/Barbie Doll (11 1/2 inches tall)
• 1/4 cup Betty Crocker® star-shaped candy decors

Method:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8 inches across top) and three 8-inch round cake pans with shortening; coat with flour (do not use cooking spray).
• In large bowl, make both cake mixes as directed on boxes. (Two boxes of cake mix can be made at one time; do not make more than 2 boxes, and do not increase beating time.) Pour 3 1/4 cups batter into 1 1/2-quart bowl and divide remaining batter among 3 pans (almost 2 cups batter into each cake pan).
• Bake cake pans 23 to 30 minutes and bowl 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. 
• Remove cakes from pans and bowl; place rounded sides up on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Chill cake in fridge for 45 minutes before cutting to reduce crumbs, if desired. If necessary, cut off rounded tops of cakes. Cut bowl cake in half horizontally. Cut 2-inch-diameter hole in center of all 5 cake layers.
• Spoon frosting into large bowl. Stir in enough food color until desired pink color. Place one 8-inch cake on serving plate; spread 1/3 cup frosting over top. Top with second 8-inch cake; spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Repeat with third layer; top with larger bowl cake layer, cut side up. Spread with a small amount of frosting. Top with rounded bowl cake layer, cut side down. Trim side of cake if necessary to make a tapered "skirt."
• Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of layered cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting.
• Wrap hair and lower half of doll with plastic wrap. Insert doll into center of cake.
• Starting at waist of doll, frost cake with downward strokes to make ruffled skirt. Gently press star decors into frosting to decorate neckline and skirt. Unwrap hair. Store cake in fridge until ready to serve.