Description
This Princess Tsunami Cake is a show-stopping dessert that uses a gravity-defying ganache “waterfall” to create a beautiful dress for a central doll. It is the perfect interactive centerpiece for birthday parties, offering a high-impact reveal with minimal technical piping skills required.
Ingredients
- 3 6-inch round cake layers
- Crusting buttercream frosting (tinted to match)
- 12 oz blue candy melts or white chocolate with oil-based food coloring
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 standard fashion doll
- Plastic wrap
- Assorted sprinkles
- Acetate sheet
- Tape
Instructions
- Wrap the bottom half of the fashion doll in plastic wrap to keep it clean for assembly.
- Core the centers of the three 6-inch cake layers using a round cutter, then stack them on a cake drum with buttercream between each layer.
- Freeze the stacked cake for 20 minutes to firm up, then use a serrated knife to carve the stack into a tapered cone or skirt shape.
- Apply a crumb coat of buttercream over the entire skirt, smooth it with a spatula, and freeze for another 10 minutes to set.
- Make the ganache by heating heavy cream until warm and stirring it into the candy melts until smooth and pourable.
- Wrap an acetate sheet tightly around the top of the cake to create a tall collar, secure it with tape, then place the doll in the center hole.
- Pour the cooled ganache into the acetate collar around the doll’s waist, top with sprinkles, and lift the sheet straight up when ready to serve for the tsunami effect.
Notes
For the smoothest flow, ensure your ganache is barely warm to the touch before pouring; if it is too hot, it will melt your base buttercream, but if it is too cold, it will clump instead of cascading. Always place the cake on a rimmed baking sheet before the reveal to catch any excess ganache and prevent a mess on your table.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Assembly
- Cuisine: American