SOCCER BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. Grease 1-quart ovenproof glass bowl with shortening; coat with flour (do not use baking spray).
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour 1 1/3 cups batter into 1-quart bowl and remaining batter into 13x9-inch pan.
• Bake 13x9-inch pan 21 to 26 minutes (23 to 30 minutes for dark or nonstick) and 1-quart bowl 26 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and bowl to cooling racks (place cake from bowl with rounded side up). Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Cut off uneven bottom of cake from bowl so it will stand flat. Freeze cakes 1 hour.
• On tray, place 13x9-inch cake, bottom side up. Stir food color into 1 1/2 cups of the white frosting; spread over cake.
• Spread remaining 1/2 cup white frosting over rounded side of other cake for soccer ball. Place ball on green field. Use black decorating icing to create soccer ball design. Use green decorating icing to make tufts of grass. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 2 1/2 to 3-quart ovenproof bowl. Place sugar in a bowl and stir in black food color until desired color is achieved. Set aside.
• Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour batter into the prepared bowl and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cake cool for 15 minutes in the bowl then invert and let cake cool completely.
• Once cake is completely cool, trim flat side of cake and place on a cake board. Trim edges into a ball shape. Frost with the white frosting. Next, using a toothpick, draw a pentagon in the center top of the cake. Surround the pentagon with five hexagons. Repeating to cover entire cake. Cover lines with black licorice cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Fill the pentagon shapes with black-colored white sugar.