Doll Cake

2 cups granulated sugar


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

1 tablespoon vanilla extract



Process sugar, flours (or flour and cornstarch if making the substitution for the cake flour), milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to combine. Add butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (you want this much finer than, say, a pie crust). Freeze the dry mixture in a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 months or use immediately.



To make the cake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan of choice (see the note above the recipe).



With an electric mixer, beat the prepared cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared 2 quart pyrex mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

For the vanilla frosting:
Whip together-2 1/2 sticks of softened butter, 3 T milk, 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. salt and 3 C confectioners sugar.









1/4 cup butter 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows 4 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided


Directions

Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.

Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.

Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.

Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.