Instructions: YELLOW CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 10-inch tube pan. Dust the bottom and sides of pan with flour and tap out any excess.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter with paddle attachment until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl. Mix together the buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

Pour batter into prepared tube pan and bake 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Cake can be stored in freezer for up to 1 month.

FOR THE BOWL SHAPE: Make half the yellow cake recipe and bake in a buttered and floured 3-quart, 9 1/2-inch diameter stainless-steel bowl at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. (Makes one 10-inch tube cake)

MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees on a candy thermometer). Meanwhile, place egg whites in bowl of a standing mixer and beat with whip attachment on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat. With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream; beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit; beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, keep beating until smooth. (Makes 4 1/2 cups)

ASSEMBLY: Trim the tops off the 2 tube cakes to level. Trim the flat end of the bowl cake to level. Cut a hole through the center of the bowl cake the width of the Barbie doll. Place 1 tube cake, trimmed-side up, on a cake plate. Place the second tube cake, trimmed-side up, on top of the first. For the top layer, place the bowl cake, trimmed-side down, on top of the tube cakes. Spread 1 cup of frosting between each layer.

Remove all clothing from the doll and wrap the dolls hair in plastic wrap. Insert doll into the hole of the bowl cake up to its waist. Use half of the remaining frosting to completely cover the outside of the cakes, evenly smoothing to form the skirt part of the doll.

Tint remaining frosting with food coloring to desired colors. Using pastry bags and decorating tips, decorate the skirt and upper half of the doll with colored frosting, as desired. Remove plastic from the dolls hair, and serve.

Makes 1 Barbie doll cake.

Cuisine: "Mexican"

Yield: 1 cake

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