Lakers Basketball and a Pound Cake Recipe

When a Lakers fan’s birthday coincides with the start of a new basketball season, a special cake is in order.

I’ve always loved to bake a cake and then coat it with frosting, but for the longest time I didn’t care if it looked pretty.  Frosting was just the last step in the process of making a cake.  The last step before the all-important tasting step.  Sometimes I would even draw on the cake, if it happened to be for a special occasion.

Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears

Not the prettiest football cake, but it certainly got the point across.

Last year, I took my first cake decorating class at my local Michael’s store.  I spent 4 Monday nights learning basic decorating techniques and had a blast!  My coworkers also had a blast demolishing my creations the next day.

I even take requests once in a while, just because I like a challenge.  That’s how this Lakers cake came to be.  One of my coworkers requested it for her mother-in-law’s birthday this weekend.  She’s a Kobe fan, so I wrote his number on top of the ball.  Also, her family calls her “Mom’s”, so that’s the intentional spelling.  Nope, it’s not a Cake Wreck!

I used the Wilton Sports Ball Pan.  It’s a super easy way to make a spherical cake.  It comes with two half-ball pans, each with a small baking stand.

Because this cake is 3D, a sturdy cake recipe is essential to prevent the bottom half of the basketball from collapsing under the weight of the top half.  This pound cake is popular among cake decorators, and I can see why.  It’s delicious and sturdy!

1234 Pound Cake
Adapted from Cake Central

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 325°.  Grease and flour each half of sports ball pan, or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla extract, whip until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and water.  With the mixer on low speed (speed 2 on a Kitchen Aid mixer), add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 parts.  Beat well in between additions.

Split batter between pans and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely (preferably overnight) before frosting.

Note: The original recipe uses a 10-inch bundt pan, and bakes the cake for 1 hour, 25 minutes.  Feel free to experiment with different pan sizes, just be sure to keep an eye on the cake and check it often!

I used a traditional buttercream icing for this cake.  The original recipe comes from Wilton, and calls for vegetable shortening.  I prefer to use all natural ingredients, so I usually substitute butter for shortening.  If the cake cannot be refrigerated, I would recommend to use shortening, as butter should not sit out at room temperature for a long period of time.  The icing tends to get soft and melty, and can even slide off the cake!

Buttercream Icing
Yield: 3 cups (enough for one 2-layer cake)

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk or water
1 pound pure cane confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder

With an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat butter, vanilla extract, and milk on low speed until well incorporated.  Add the confectioners sugar and meringue powder, and beat on medium speed until fluffy.

Depending on the climate, you may need to increase or decrease the amount of milk or water.  You can also increase the amount of confectioners sugar if the icing gets too thin.  Simply beat more liquid or sugar into the icing, a small amount at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.