3D Basketball Cake

Impress the sports fans in your life with this fun 3D basketball birthday cake. It’s easy to make with our 2-piece ball pan. Bake your favorite recipe or mix, then decorate with orange buttercream frosting stars and fondant strips. It’s a great centerpiece for any basketball fan’s birthday party or to celebrate a big win!

Prep30 min
Total Time2 hr 30 min
Skill LevelIntermediate

Amount12 servings

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Instructions

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Preheat oven to 350° F or temperature per recipe directions.
Your cakes will unmold easily, without sticking when you prepare the pan properly. Grease the inside of the pans using a pastry brush and solid vegetable shortening (do not use butter, margarine or liquid vegetable oil). Spread the shortening so that all indentations of the pan are covered. Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons flour inside pan and shake so that flour covers all greased surfaces.
Turn pan upside down and tap lightly to remove flour. If any shiny spots remain touch up with more shortening and flour. You can also use Wilton Cake Release, Bake Easy® Non-Stick Spray or vegetable oil pan spray or vegetable oil pan spray with flour.
Prepare cake batter and divide into pans. Spread batter with spatula to cover all areas evenly. Be careful not to touch sides or bottom of pan.
Place pans in middle rack of pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes or until cake tests done according to recipe directions.
Remove pans from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. While cakes are still in the pans, use a serrated knife to carefully slice off the raised center portion. This allows the cake to sit level and prevents cracking.
To remove ball cake from pan, place cooling rack against cake and turn pan over. Lift pan off carefully. Cool completely for at least one hour. Brush loose crumbs off cake.
To transfer cake to serving board, hold a cake board against cake and turn both cake and rack over. Lift off rack. Repeat for bottom of cake. Be sure to hold cake, rack and board close together to prevent cracking.
Prepare Icing. Tint 3 cups icing: Combine Orange and a little Brown Icing Color for orange shown. Assemble cake halves and cover cake lightly with icing; reserve remaining icing.
Prepare Fondant. Use fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out black fondant 1/8 inch thick. Use Ribbon Cutter to cut into 20 inch long strip 1/4 inch wide.
Decorate Basketball Cake. Attach fondant to cake: Position fondant strips on cake using icing or a damp brush.
First, wrap fondant horizontally around middle of cake; you can use the area where the two layers meet. Next, wrap fondant strip perpendicular to the first. Add two curvy lines, on each side, 1 1/4 inch from the middle line.
Use tip 18 and orange icing to star fill in areas between fondant strips.