"Basketball Cake"

[Moosetoo]

I want to make a basketball shaped cake for my Homemakers group. If I make a perfectly round one (two layers made in pyrex bowls), how can I prevent it from rolling around on the plate - or 'relaxing' into a mess. My alternative is to make half of a basketball. Has anyone tried this? Any hints?
Thanks.

[kitchenelf]

I would be tempted to do the 1/2 basketball. Not only do you have to worry about your cake rolling around but the top sliding off the bottom - unless you can insert straws and countersink them when cake is cooled and before frosting. If you want to try that you can always make mini cupcakes and place all around the bottom of the "ball" to keep it from moving - Just frost maybe with a chocolate icing so they don't really show up.

[runninduo]

I was intrigued by your request......my son is a baseball fanatic (and he's not even three)......so I popped over to google to search for round (spherical) cakes......i found this one. It's deocrated like a globe, but hopefully the recipe and directions for keeping it spherical will help!

Let me know how it turns out.

http://www.sandisrecipecorner.com/recipe142M.htm

[jkath]

or............
you could make the two basketball halves, and put them side by side on a large cardboard (for holding sheet cakes) and put two opposing teams' logos on them :)

[Raine]

Just cut off the bottom slightly to level it out.

[Moosetoo]

Wow, this was my first post and the answers were wonderful. I did a Google and a Jeeves search too, but didn't find the globe cake site. I like the idea of slicing some off the bottom half to make it 'sit still'. My Homemakers meeting is next Wednesday, I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.

[kansasgirl]

I would definitely level off the bottom of the ball to prevent rolling, and then use a good amount to frosting to 'stick' the bottom half to the serving plate. It is the same idea used when frosting a cake to prevent it from slipping.

[PA Baker]

Hi moosetoo--be sure to go to www.wilton.com. They now have a spherical cake mold! It looks very cool, plus it comes with directions to decorate it as all sorts of things, including a basketball (and baseball, golf ball, etc.). I've seen it in my local Michael's craft store so you may be able to find it locally and not have to order on line.

[Moosetoo]

Well, I made the cake. I went for broke and made a round one using two pyrex bowls to bake in. The cake wasn't baketball size (I don't think a cake that size would have baked well - too dry on the outside before the middle was done). It was about 7" in diameter. I took your advice and put frosting on the plate to anchor the cake and frosted the bottom layer before putting it on the plate. It turned out pretty good. Thanks for all the good advice.

[runninduo]

I was in Michael's today looking at Yarn (in addition to being a baking fanatic, I've also been on a knitting kick). Anyway, after looking at yarn, I walked through their cake decorating section, not looking for anything in particular. My almost 3 yr old son who is a baseball fanatic spotted the round molds to make ball-shaped cakes. He actually spotted it and asked me to buy it. It was only $9.99.....so I picked it up and said we'd make a cake this week. As I was paying, I realized that there would probably be a coupon for Michael's in the paper......sure enough, when i got home, there was a 40% off coupon. I went back to get the price adjusted.......so it was only $6. Not a bad deal.

I'll be making a baseball cake with my son......I'll let you know how it comes out with the molds.