Inspired by our iconic Children’s Birthday Cake Book, we have made mini Dolly Varden cakes.
These charming Dolly Varden cupcakes capture all the magic of the classic cake in super cute miniature form. With their sweet buttercream base and delightful pink and white marshmallow gowns, these cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties and afternoon teas.
To make the cupcakes from scratch, use our easy vanilla cupcake recipe.
Ingredients
Method
To make the buttercream, place butter in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter until it is as white as possible. Gradually add about half the icing sugar, beating constantly. Add milk gradually, then gradually beat in the remaining icing sugar. The mixture should be smooth and easy to spread with a spatula.
Level the top of the cupcakes with a serrated knife. Remove 6 cupcakes from wrappers and place them upside down on a chopping board. Using a small round cutter or small knife, cut a small hole in the centre of the cupcakes about 2cm deep for the Dolly Varden dolls to be positioned.
Spread the top of the cupcakes in the wrappers with a little of the buttercream and press the upside down cupcakes on top. Spread buttercream all over the cupcakes. Wind the ribbon around dolls’ body to represent a bodice, tie at the back in a large bow. Gently push the dolls into the hole in the top of the cupcakes, down to the waist.
Using scissors, halve the marshmallows; press marshmallows, cut-side down, alternating pink and white, all over the Dolly Varden ‘skirt’, starting from the bottom until you have reached the ribbon at the top of the ‘skirt’.
How long will these doll cupcakes keep?
Decorated Dolly Varden cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe swaps
Instead of making cupcakes from scratch you can use a 470g vanilla packet cake mix. If you’re short on time use uniced store bought cupcakes.
Undecorated cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
The history of the Dolly Varden cake
As Chief Home Economist in The Weekly’s Test Kitchen back in the late 1970s, Pamela Clark was responsible for many of the famous creations in the Children’s Birthday Cake Book. But the one that’s remained her perennial favourite is the Dolly Varden.
Named after the flamboyantly dressed character in Charles Dickens’ novel Barnaby Rudge, Pamela’s Dolly Varden came about quite easily.
The marshmallows, she says, were perfect for the skirt “because you could buy them easily and then just stick them on. Then you can put a ribbon around the bodice of the doll, play with the hair.
“I don’t know how many Dolly Varden cakes I’ve made in my life now – every child loves them.”
And our mini-cupcake version means there is even more dolly love to go around.
Watch: the original creators of the Children’s Birthday Cake Book
