Raggedy Ann Cake

My girls birthdays are just over two months apart. With one celebration done and one coming soon we have been reminiscing about about past birthday cakes. After looking at some of the pictures I decided to share some of the past cakes I have made. 

Even though I look at some of these cakes and see all of my mistakes, I have to remind myself that everybody has to start somewhere and you learn best by doing. I found five cakes that I am willing to share and decided to do a week of birthday cakes.

This cake was the first shape cake that I ever made and it was for my first daughter's first birthday. The nursery was decorated in Raggedy Ann and Andy, so it only seemed fitting to do a Raggedy Ann cake.

This cake is not too complicated. It is really all about the decorations. The directions below are for putting the cake together. You can use any cake and frosting you like.

Raggedy Ann Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 batch cake batter
• 32 ounces frosting (approximately)
• pink gel or paste icing colors
• yellow gel or paste icing colors
• royal blue gel or paste icing colors
• red gel or paste icing colors
• toothpicks
• 14 ounce package pull-apart cherry licorice twists

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 9-inch round cake pan and one 1 1/2 quart ovenproof round casserole dish. Pour 2 cups batter into greased and floured 9-inch cake pan and remaining batter into casserole.
2. Bake 9-inch pan for 25 to 30 minutes; bake casserole 45 to 50 minutes. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Cool cakes in pan and casserole for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.
4. In medium bowl, tint about 1 1/2 cups frosting with pink and yellow icing colors to make desired peach color; blend well.
5. With serrated knife, cut 9-inch round cake in half horizontally, making 2 cake layers. Place one cake layer down on desired serving plate.
6. Lightly frost top with peach frosting.
7. If necessary, trim top of casserole cake to make level; place casserole cake, trimmed side down, on lightly frosted cake layer for face. Trim around edges of cake layer to be even with casserole cake.
8. Frost cake lightly to seal crumbs; let set in refrigerator.
9. Frost again with a final coat.
10. In small bowl, tint about 1 cup frosting with royal blue icing color to make desired blue color for dress; blend well.
11. In another small bowl, tint about ¼ cup vanilla frosting with red icing color; blend well.
12. Cut remaining cake layer in half crosswise.
13. For shoulders, place half cake layer with rounded side toward face. Lightly frost top with blue frosting. Top with remaining cake half. Lightly frost both cake halves with blue frosting to seal in crumbs. Let set in refrigerator.
14. Frost again with a final coat of blue frosting.
15. With remaining frosting, leave some white and tint some black.
16. Decorate the face and dress with white, red and black frosting.
17. For hair, divide cherry licorice twists and apply to head.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
Liquid food coloring is not recommended.