Life's a piece of cake

Dads don’t usually make the best dates for Barbie parties, but this dad took his daughter to a Barbie cake launch and makeover session at Red Ribbon Bakeshop in Fort Bonifacio last weekend (since my wife Therese had a flamenco class at the time).

A whole roomful of pink-attired little girls with moms and dads in tow were there, so it didn’t feel so strange. The girls were lining up for hair styling sessions adding glitter and product to their everyday tresses while others were seated at various mini salon tables to get temporary tattoos or their nails painted. A special treat was the photo booth. The only trouble was getting Isobel into the spirit. She seemed a little tired that Saturday (well, we had just come straight from her piano lesson) so she submitted to the hair makeover with not too much zest.

But once we headed upstairs to the ongoing Barbie-themed Red Ribbon party, it was a different story. Red Ribbon was celebrating the release of four new 3D Barbie cakes each with a theme designed to win over the hearts of any young girl.

Project Barbie: Fashion Week Barbie shows Barbie strutting down her own runway with real blinking lights and colorful sugar stars.

There was Fashion Week Barbie, a 3-D cake showing Barbie strutting down her own runway. Real blinking lights and colorful sugar stars make this cake a paparazzi magnet.

Then there’s Barbie as Merliah in the Barbie Mermaid Lagoon Cake. Her dolphin friend, Zuma, joins her under the sea. Barbie Fairy Garden Cake displays Barbie sitting under a beautiful rainbow arch perched on a real swing; and finally, the Barbie Palace Princess Cake features Barbie strolling the royal garden with a majestic castle as a backdrop. The 3-D cakes are P2,500, while Barbie Picture Cakes (some with a rendering of your own child in icing) run from P800 to P2,150.

The kids engaged in a “Pin the Shades on Barbie” and “Pass the Pink Bag” contests and collected prizes before heading downstairs again to the nail salon. Elle enjoyed the hot-pink nail polish and we then took some fun photos (wearing provided props, like hats, boa wraps, jewelry and the like). I finally saw Isobel’s face light up, truly enjoying the moment.

We tucked into some party food chicken lollipops, spaghetti, Salisbury steak and such and the final icing came with a slice of Red Ribbon chocolate cake: I never saw Isobel demolish cake that quickly before.

Red Ribbon’s partnership with Barbie dates back decades, but this is the first selection of 3D Barbie cakes available here in the Philippines. Also wheeled out were some off-the-hook personalized photo cakes for the young guests actually celebrating birthdays. Special prizes including more cakes, gift bags and special collector’s Barbies awaited lucky attendees. According to Red Ribbon product manager Pamela Reyes, the event shows the bond that exists between little girls and Barbie. “She’s more than just an iconic toy Barbie is every little girl’s favorite and much-loved doll. The long hours they spend doing dress ups, hair makeovers, and tea parties does not just make them playmates, they’re each other’s best friend. That’s why we have created a new line of Barbie Birthday Cakes as a fitting centerpiece for every little girl’s dream birthday celebration.”

You don’t have to tell this dad.