Russian Nesting Doll Cake! Learn how to make this charming, folk art–inspired, watercolor-painted doll cake with an easy step-by-step tutorial from Mary and Brenda Maher of Cakegirls.
When our cake shop was at its busiest, baby shower cakes were consistently the most requested. It’s one of those occasions where people love to celebrate and spoil the expectant mother. A special cake makes the event feel even more memorable.
Early on, duck-themed cakes were everywhere. While classics remain popular, baby shower themes have evolved. We designed this bright, bold Russian Nesting Doll Cake as a fresh take on the celebration cake. The nested-doll motif is a clever nod to pregnancy, and the graphic, folk-art details keep the design modern and fun.
We used standard cake pans to form the doll shape and chose a bold color palette instead of the usual pink-and-blue split. The cake is iced in buttercream, and we used a floral applique fondant cutter set to create the decorative details quickly and cleanly. Personalize the facial features to resemble Mom and Dad for a sweet custom touch that guests will love.
RUSSIAN NESTING DOLL CAKE
a tutorial by Cakegirls
Supplies:
6″ and 8″ single-layer cakes
Basic buttercream (large batch, crusting)
Red fondant
White fondant
Floral applique folk art cutter set
Food-safe paintbrushes
Assorted gel food coloring: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, light blue, black
Bake one 6″ and one 8″ single-layer cake. Chill or freeze the layers for a few hours to make trimming and icing easier. Trim the bottom of the 6″ layer and both sides of the 8″ layer to create flattened edges so the cakes can nest and stack neatly.
Tint two-thirds of your buttercream an aqua tone by mixing small amounts of blue and green gel paste; leave the remaining third white. Apply a crumb coat, chill briefly if needed, then ice the cake with a smooth layer of buttercream. A spatula warmed in hot water, shaken off, works well for smoothing. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about an hour before adding fondant and decorations.
Roll out red fondant to a circle roughly the size of the doll’s head coverage. Aim for about 1/8″ thickness so it drapes smoothly and you still have enough to form bow tails. Cut a scalloped edge along the bottom to create the traditional headscarf shape.
Drape the red fondant over the top of the cake, smoothing by hand and trimming excess at the base for a neat finish.
Roll the leftover red fondant and cut two leaf-shaped bow tails about 2½” long. Pinch one end of each leaf for shape and attach them to the cake with a small amount of water. Add a small fondant ball in the center for the bow knot.
Tint about one-third of your fondant a flesh tone with small amounts of pink and yellow. Roll and cut a 4″ circle for the face; a clean round object such as a well-washed can can serve as a guide for diameter.
Roll out remaining white fondant and use the floral applique cutters to create decorative pieces for the doll’s body.
Tips for clean fondant cuts:
1) Roll fondant fairly thin; cutters will not cut cleanly through overly thick fondant.
2) Avoid a sticky surface—dust lightly with powdered sugar on both sides, then brush off excess to create a slightly chalky surface ideal for cutting.
3) Press the cutter firmly, wiggle it slightly to break the fondant cleanly, then lift to remove the shape.
Arrange the applique pieces on a work surface to organize your pattern before attaching them. Use a small carving tool or toothpick to mark hair texture on the face piece; the bottom of a piping tip works well for indenting the eyes.
To paint the fondant pieces, place a drop of gel color on a plate and dilute with a few drops of clear alcohol or clear extract to create a watercolor-style paint. Test colors on an extra fondant scrap before painting the appliqués. We used red, pink, and yellow for the floral elements and orange, black, and pink for facial details.
Attach the painted face to the red headscarf area with a light coating of water to secure it. If your chosen applique pattern doesn’t fit exactly as planned, don’t worry—rearrange pieces as needed. We adjusted our layout to make everything fit harmoniously on the doll’s belly. Finish by piping small white buttercream dots around the face and along the applique pattern for added detail.
Your Russian Nesting Doll Cake is complete and ready to be admired—and enjoyed. Have fun serving this playful, personalized centerpiece at your next baby shower.
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