The cake is a cream cheese buttercream covered red velvet cake...so is the book. The girl turned 14 and wanted a gothic looking ballerina. Without time to mold one, I bought one and airbrushed her tutu black...added royal icing to her top and airbrushed and teased her hair. The birthday girl hollered...."Now that's no Wal-Mart cake!!" From the mouths of babes lol.