The Barbie-cake-baking has begun.....

I've studied the video on the web, I've used my positive imagery, and now the wheels have been set in motion.

Step One: Baking the Cake Layers

*First, a disclaimer: I realize in my original plan I stated I would be baking the cake, frosting the cake, and assembling all cake-related items AFTER the kids go to bed tonight. Then, when re-reading the instructions, I noticed that it said, "TOTAL TIME- 3 HOURS and 40 MINUTES"!

So, for those who know me well, you know that I can't stay awake past 10:30 p.m. to do much of anything, let alone create a Barbie doll dress out of sugar and sprinkles! I decided the best course of action would be to let the girls help me bake the layers, and then do the frosting/assembling after bedtime. Hopefully this will go okay!*

The cake mixing went pretty much according to plan. I used my big Kitchen Aid mixer. I greased and floured the pans and bowl. (The instructions say to use 2-8" round cake pans PLUS a 1.5 quart bowl with a diameter of 8 inches across the top. My bowl was about 7 3/4 inches, but I'm figuring I can make up the 1/4 inch with frosting.)

The round cakes just came out of the oven- I was hoping for as little doming as possible, but I can see that we are going to have to trim some off the tops. That is also going to be true for the bowl cake. Its actually domed so much that its cracked a bit on top.

We're headed to the doctor this afternoon (Rory's 5-year checkup with shots), so I will let them cool until we get home. The video then describes freezing the layers for a short amount of time so they trim easier with fewer crumbs.

Stay tuned for Step Two: Trimming the Cakes.....