How to Make a Half Sphere Beach Ball Cake

How many times have you bought the stuff to make a cake and then procrastinated about making it only to end up buying one from the store? Creating a beautiful cake seems intimidating and we put it off because of that. Guess what! It isn’t as hard as you think. Find out how to make a half sphere beach ball cake easily for your upcoming summer party with this simple tutorial.

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Store bought cakes are delicious, don’t get me wrong. When you’re trying to save money, though, the savings of making a cake yourself is so worth it. A box cake mix and a couple of container of icing are roughly $6.00. Compare that with the $20-$30 of a store bought cake with a few plastic baubles on it. No thank you.

Last weekend was my mom’s birthday and I wanted to give her a super special cake. She loves the beach and since her birthday falls in the summer, I thought this beach ball cake would be the perfect idea. Even better, it’s super easy to make so I was able to get it made and decorated even with tiny tyrants running around my house.

Note:

You may need to invest in a ball cake pan but the possibilities of fun cakes you can make with it are so endless that it’s totally worth it. Don’t be fooled into thinking it always has to be a sports ball. I’ve used it to make a ball of yarn for a Lalaloopsy party and animal heads for kids parties. Seriously, it’s one of the best cake pan investments.

Beach Ball Cake Materials and Ingredients

Wilton Soccer Ball Cake Pan
1 Box Cake Mix of Choice + Ingredients on Box
2 Containers Vanilla Icing
Gel Food Coloring (Teal, Violet, Yellow, and Black)
Resealable Sandwich Bags or Piping Bags
Shortbread Cookies (I used Girl Scout Cookies)
1 Gallon-sized Resealable Bag
Spatula for Spreading Icing

Step 1

First, pre-heat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and mix up your cake mix according to the package directions.

Step 2

Then spray your soccer ball pan with cooking spray and pour your mixed batter inside.

Step 3

Bake your cake at 350° Fahrenheit for 50 minutes or until cooked through. Use a toothpick in the center of the cake to check if it’s baked. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. If not, continue cooking in 2-3 minute increments until it is. Use a fresh toothpick each time you check your cake.

Step 4

After the cake is baked, flip it onto a cooling rack and let cool.

Step 5

Once your cake is cooled, place it on a plate and toss in the freezer for about an hour.

Step 6

Next, pull your cake out of the freezer and in half at the middle of the dome.

Step 7

Spread a layer of icing on the bottom piece and then top with the remaining half of cake.

Step 8

Then spread a layer of icing over the entire cake. This is not a crumb coat so don’t be stingy. I used an entire container of vanilla icing to completely cover the cake.

Step 9

Again, pop the iced cake back into the freezer. It it easier to layer when it’s frozen because you’re using store bought icing.

Step 10

Once the icing on your cake is frozen, pull it from the freezer and divide your 2nd container of icing in half. Reserve 1 half to keep the original color. Divide the remaining half into thirds in separate small bowls.

Step 11

Color one of each bowl of icing teal, violet, and yellow.

Step 12

Next, add your teal icing to a small resealable sandwich bag, press out the air, and cut off the tip.

Step 13

Pipe a small circle in the top center of your cake to act as a guide and then pipe one section of your beach ball teal as pictured.

Step 14

After you pipe on the icing, smooth and spread it with a small rubber spatula.

Step 15

Repeat steps 12 and 14 with your remaining 2 colors on your beach ball. Make sure to leave a white/off-white section in between each color.

Step 16

Once your colored sections are on the beach ball, fill in the remaining sections with the additional white icing (reserve 2-3 tbsp of white). Adding the colors on top of your cake makes the icing levels uneven which is why you want to fill in the white sections with additional icing.

Step 17

Lastly, color the 2 tablespoons of icing you saved black and pipe it over the circle at the top of your beach ball.

Step 18

Again, pop your iced cake into the freezer and leave it there until you’re ready to serve or transport.

Step 19

Once you’re ready to serve or transport, place your frozen cake on a tray. Place a dollop of leftover icing on the tray before putting your cake on. This will help hold the cake in place.

Tip:

If you are transporting your cake, place it on a the lid to a large plastic bowl. Then when you’re ready to move it, snap the bowl in place on the lid to protect the cake during transport.

Step 20

Lastly, create the sand around your beach ball cake by emptying a sleeve of shortbread cookies into a gallon sized resealable bag and crush them up with the flat side of a meat tenderizing hammer. You can also use a food processor to crumble the cookies but I really enjoy beating the cookies with a hammer. It’s cathartic.

Step 21

Spread your crushed up cookies around the edge of your cake and you’re done.

This half sphere beach ball cake is so much fun and absolutely perfect for your summer celebration. Whether you’re throwing a pool party or a summer birthday, this cake is sure to be a hit. No one has to know how totally easy it is to make.

See where I’m linking up!