Food & Drinks

How to make The Australian Women’s Weekly Barbie bubble cake

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In one of the cooler collaborations of 2018 — even if we do say so ourselves — The Australian Women’s Weekly has joined forces with Barbie to create The Australian Women’s Weekly Barbie Cookbook.

With recipes by the award-winning pastry chef Anna Polyviou road-tested in The Weekly’s Test Kitchen, with the help of Anna’s Junior Executive Chef Lola, there is something for all budding chefs to try at home. From eye-catching sweet treats to healthy after-school snacks, these delicious triple-tested recipes are sure to please the kids. (And the big kids!).

So what are you waiting for? Get the kids in the kitchen and give them a whirl now. Here’s a sneak-peek of one of our favourite recipes from the book…

Anna’s Barbie bubble cake

PREP + COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

SERVES 15

You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

For the cake base:

  • 600g vanilla ice-cream

  • 2 cups (80g) caramel nut popcorn

  • 600g strawberries and cream ice-cream

  • 1/3 cup (50g) coloured sprinkles

  • 600g chocolate ice-cream

  • 100g brownie, chopped

For the pink bubbles:

  • cooking-oil spray

  • 6 titanium grade edible gelatine sheets (30g)

  • 1/4 teaspoon pink food colouring

For the pink Italian meringue

  • 2 1/4 cups (495g) caster sugar

  • 3/4 cup (185ml) water

  • 7 egg whites

  • 1 teaspoon red food colouring gel or 3 teaspoons of regular red food colouring

Method

For the cake base:

  1. Make pink bubbles. See below.

  2. Mix vanilla ice-cream and popcorn in large bowl until just combined. In separate bowls, repeat with strawberry ice-cream and sprinkles and chocolate ice-cream and brownie.

  3. Grease a 20cm-wide (10-cup/2-litre) Dolly Varden tin. Line with two layers of plastic wrap, extending 10cm over side. Fill the tin with alternate scoops of ice-cream; press down with the back of a spoon and smooth the top. Fold plastic wrap over ice-cream;

freeze overnight until firm.

  1. Remove legs form Barbie. Turn ice-cream cake onto a plate; remove plastic wrap. Cut a small hole in the top of the ice-cream. Push Barbie into the hole to waist level. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

  2. Make pink Italian meringue. See below.

  3. Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1 1/2cm round nozzle. Working quickly, and using the picture as a guide, pipe meringue over top and side of cake. Press bubbles into the meringue. Serve immediately.

For the pink bubbles:

  1. Blow up 10 water balloons to a variety of sizes.

  2. Tape the tied end of each balloon to the tops of wooden skewers.

  3. Spray balloons evenly with oil spray; wipe off excess with paper towel.

  4. Place 1/4 cup water and gelatine in a small microwave-safe bowl; stand 3 minutes.

  5. Microwave on High (100%) in 10-second bursts, stirring until gelatine just melts.

  6. Add colouring; mix well. Stand for 2 minutes or until mixture is runny but will coat the back of a spoon. Allow bubbles to subside.

  7. Dip the balloons in mixture to coat, leaving a 5mm gap where the balloon is tied. Allow excess to drip off. Stand in tall glasses for 30 minutes or until touch-dry.

  8. After 20 minutes, reheat gelatine mixture in microwave on High (100%) in 5-second bursts, stirring until gelatine just melts. Stand for 2 minutes.

  9. Repeat to form a second coat.

  10. Stand in tall glasses for 24 hours or until balloons are dry.

  11. Remove from skewers. Use a needle to puncture each balloon where the gap is. Carefully deflate and remove the balloons. Store bubbles in an airtight container.

For the pink Italian meringue:

  1. Stir sugar and the water in a small saucepan over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves.

  2. Bring to the boil.

  3. Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until syrup reaches 121C on a sugar thermometer.

  4. Towards the end of syrup cooking time, whisk egg whites in a clean large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

  5. On low speed, slowly add the hot sugar syrup to egg whites in a thin steady stream. Increase speed to high; whisk for 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy.

  6. Add the food colouring and whisk until just combined.

Brought to you by Barbie. You can be anything.

The Australian Women’s Weekly Barbie. You can be anything. The Australian Women’s Weekly Barbie Cookbook is available now at The Warehouse nationwide.” target=”_blank”>Barbie Cookbook is available now at The Warehouse nationwide.

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