How Barbie Got Baked for VOGUE

Charles James Ball Gown as seen in Vogue 1951

I was definitely one of those kids who loved Barbies and all things dress-up growing up.  So, I really loved seeing this in the subject line of in my inbox: VOGUE story/Charles James. Vogue.com wanted to do a story in anticipation of the Met Gala in honor of Charles James assigning a handful of bakers to create "barbie cakes" modeled after iconic Charles James dresses. Yes!  I didn't even check my schedule, because it was just too fun to say no to! I have to admit, I have never made a Barbie cake before, but I have always been tickled the pure kitsch of it.  Then there was also something brazen and ironic, in the best possible way, about draping her in a gown by the legendary master of complex sculptural fashion design, Charles James.  

Here's a STEP BY STEP:

(this Barbie cake is dedicated to Brenda Maher :)

1. Paper dolls: cut out dress templates to a barbie-size scale

2. Barbie gets baked!

3. Cutting circles of moist and delicious chocolate cake for the gown

4. Clockwise from top left: Barbie wrapped in floral tape, and secured to base with dowel and modeling chocolate; the cake was built by cutting the circles in half and filling with buttercream; a quick crumb coat and carved for basic skirt shape

5. Cover cake skirt with modeling chocolate, and little run trial run with parchment paper

6. Drape modeling chocolate with fondant

7. Build up skirt poofs with modeling chocolate

8. Mold bodice onto figure and cover skirt with a super thin layer of fondant

(Queen's wave)

9. Details, details, details, then time to gild the Barbie

10. Barbie (looking pretty and oh so realistically hot at 55)

(Runway moves)

Charles James Ball Gown Barbie Cake as seen on Vogue.com 2014

To see the full Article: 6 Barbie Cakes Modeled After Dresses by Charles James by Mieke ten Have.

Thank you, Mieke ten Have!