My sister-in-law baked & decorated it herself, and it looked like a football field - complete with end zones & everything! I was so intrigued by her creation that I couldn't help but give it a try on my own when the Super Bowl rolled around a few weeks later. Five years later, the cake is still part of my Super Bowl tradition. I may watch the game at a different place with different people each year, but the cake goes with me everytime. :)
Though football season is over for a while now, I figured I'd share the process on here in case it inspires any of you for next season!
It all begins with a basic cake. I'm a big fan of Duncan Hines' Golden Butter Recipe, but it can be whatever flavor you prefer. Just be sure to bake it in a rectangle pan.
Next, it's time for the icing. While I won't think twice about using a box mix for the cake, I'm personally totally against canned "frosting." I'm not sure why, maybe it's because my mom never used that when I was growing up. But there's just something about it that tastes all wrong to me. So for my cake, I always make cream cheese icing, but again, it's a matter of your own preference. Whatever you decide to use, it's important that you have plenty of it, and that it starts out plain white, so you can add colors to it as needed. Separate the plain white icing into 4 different bowls - one for the field, one for each endzone, and one that will remain white for decorative touches. *NOTE: always wait for cake to cool before applying icing.
Once the cake has cooled, add green food coloring to one of the bowls to create the field. Spread it across the middle of the cake, leaving room on each side for an end zone.
Once the field is in place, create the appropriate colors for each end zone. This year, the Packers & Steelers were in the Super Bowl, so it was tricky choosing colors. I didn't want to attempt a "black" icing, so the Steelers had to be yellow. But the Packers' colors are yellow & green. So in an attempt to make a distinction between the field & the Packers' end zone, I mixed 2 different greens in 2 different bowls. The distinction is slight, but it's there. :) Once the colors are just right, spread the icing in the end zones.
Next up, I try to make yard lines on the field. At this point, I create my own pastry bag, & put the plain white icing in a small plastic sandwich bag, and cut a VERY tiny piece off the corner. That makes for maximum control & minimal mess. Obviously, it's a cake, so the accuracy of spacing & the # of lines are not terribly important. I usually just make one line up the middle of the cake, one line to border each side of the "field" & the end zone, and then alternate back & forth with lines on either side of the middle, until I run out of room.
I finish off the decorations with team names in their respective end zones, and the year in the middle of the field.
Typically, the ultimate finishing touches on this cake include little plastic football players & 2 goal posts that you can find at Party City. http://www.partycity.com/product/football+cake+toppers+10ct.do?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=ProductSearch&utm_campaign=GoogleMerchant&extcmp=GoogleMerchant
However, having just moved into a new home less than a month ago, I was unable to locate my football cake toppers. Personally, I think the field itself still makes a pretty fun statement, but if you've got the football players & goal posts, well, that's just the icing on the cake... :)
