Simple Football Cake: The Ultimate Game Day Dessert

A football cake is the perfect centerpiece for any sports-themed celebration, from Super Bowl parties to a child’s football birthday bash. You don’t need a specialty pan to create this impressive shape; it is actually one of the easiest cake “hacks” in the baking world. By simply removing a center strip from a standard round cake, you transform a circle into a perfect oval that looks just like a football.

This design allows you to focus on the fun part: decorating with rich chocolate frosting and white “laces.” Whether you are a seasoned baker or a beginner looking for a quick win, this tutorial will help you create a festive dessert that wows your guests without the stress of advanced carving.

Reasons to Try This Football Cake Recipe

There are many reasons why this football cake is a go-to for game day. First, it is incredibly efficient. Since you only need one 8-inch or 9-inch round cake to make the shape, you can use a single box of cake mix to make two footballs or one football and a batch of matching cupcakes.

Second, the shape is achieved through a simple “cut and slide” method that requires no professional carving skills. Third, the decoration is classic and satisfying. The combination of chocolate frosting and white icing laces is timeless and appeals to both kids and adults. Finally, it is highly customizable; you can surround your football with edible “grass” made of frosting or coconut to create a complete stadium look on your serving platter.

Save

Ingredients Notes

You only need a few pantry staples to bring this football to life. Here are the items you need and why they matter.

• Cake Mix or Homemade Batter: You can use any flavor, but chocolate or red velvet are popular choices that pair well with the exterior frosting.
• Chocolate Frosting: This provides the “leather” look of the football. Use a rich, dark chocolate frosting for a more authentic appearance.
• Vanilla Frosting: A small amount is needed to pipe the laces and the stripes on the ends of the ball.
• Green Food Coloring: This is used to tint extra vanilla frosting or shredded coconut to create the green field around the cake.
• Shredded Coconut (Optional): If you prefer texture, dyed green coconut makes for a very realistic and easy “grass” border.

Save

How to Make a Football Cake

Follow these steps to turn a round cake into a festive football.

1. Step 1: Bake your favorite 8-inch or 9-inch round cake and allow it to cool completely.
2. Step 2: Remove the cake from the pan and use a serrated knife to level the top if it is domed.
3. Step 3: Use a ruler to find the exact center of the cake. Cut a 1-inch to 2-inch wide strip straight down the middle of the cake.
4. Step 4: Remove that center strip (you can snack on this part later!).
5. Step 5: Push the two remaining semi-circle pieces together. You will see that they now form an elongated football shape.
6. Step 6: Place the reassembled cake on your serving board or platter.
7. Step 7: Cover the entire cake in a smooth layer of chocolate frosting.
8. Step 8: Fit a piping bag with a small round tip or a flat ribbon tip and fill it with vanilla frosting.
9. Step 9: Pipe one long vertical line down the center of the cake, then pipe several short horizontal lines across it to create the “laces.”
10. Step 10: Pipe two curved white lines near the pointed ends of the football for the classic stripe detail.
11. Step 11: Tint the remaining frosting or coconut green and decorate the board around the cake to look like grass.

Save

What You Must Know About This Recipe

You must ensure the cake is completely cool before you attempt to cut the center strip. If the cake is warm, it will crumble and tear, making it difficult to get a clean edge when you push the two halves together.

Another important rule is to “glue” the two halves together with a bit of frosting on the cut edges. This prevents the cake from sliding apart on the platter once you start decorating. Also, if you are using a cake mix, remember that one standard box usually makes two round cakes, so you have enough batter to make two separate footballs if you are hosting a large crowd.

Helpful Tips

As an expert, I suggest using a “grass tip” (Wilton #233) if you are decorating with green frosting. It creates hundreds of tiny blades of grass with very little effort. If you find that your chocolate frosting is too soft to hold its shape, chill the cake for 15 minutes after the first layer (the crumb coat) before adding the final smooth layer of frosting. This helps the football maintain its sharp, clean lines. For the white laces, if you don’t have a piping bag, a simple plastic sandwich bag with the corner snipped off works perfectly.

Variations and Substitutions

You can modify this cake to fit your specific needs or flavor preferences.

• Flavor: Use a white or yellow cake mix if you prefer, as the chocolate frosting will cover the inside color anyway.
• Grass: Instead of coconut or frosting, you can use green sprinkles or even crushed green candies for the turf.
• Size: If you need a massive cake, use two 9×13 inch rectangular cakes, trim the corners to create an oval, and follow the same frosting steps.
• Cupcake Pairing: Use the leftover batter from your box mix to make cupcakes, frost them green, and place them around the football like “players” on the field.

Serving Suggestions for a Football Cake

This cake is best served on a large, flat rectangular board or a specialized cake board to allow room for the green “field” around it. It pairs perfectly with other game-day favorites like wings, sliders, and nachos.

For a birthday party, you can use the white frosting to pipe the age of the birthday child or their name onto the field next to the ball. It is a dense, easy-to-slice cake that serves about 10 to 12 people per football.

Save

Storage and Reheating

Keep your football cake fresh by following these storage guidelines.

• Storage: Store the cake in an airtight container or under a cake dome at room temperature for up to three days. If your frosting is made with fresh cream, it must be refrigerated.
• Freezing: You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to three months. Once frosted, it is harder to freeze without ruining the decorations, but it can be done if wrapped very loosely.
• Reheating: Cake is best enjoyed at room temperature. If it has been in the fridge, let it sit out for 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Save

Simple Football Cake: The Ultimate Game Day Dessert

Create the perfect football cake for your next game day or birthday party. This easy hack uses a standard round cake and chocolate frosting for a pro look.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 383 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 box 15.25 oz cake mix (any flavor)
• Ingredients required by box mix typically water, eggs, and oil
• 1 can 16 oz chocolate frosting
• 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
• Green food coloring
• 2 cups shredded coconut optional, for grass

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease one 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan.
• Prepare cake batter according to box directions and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing.
• Cut a 1-inch to 2-inch strip out of the center of the round cake.
• Remove the strip and push the two semi-circle pieces together to form the football shape.
• Place the cake on a serving platter and frost completely with chocolate frosting.
• Pipe vanilla frosting in a vertical line and several horizontal lines to create the laces.
• Pipe two white curved lines near the ends of the football.
• Tint the coconut or remaining frosting green and spread it around the base of the cake for grass.

football cake, game day dessert, super bowl cake, easy cake hack, sports themed cake