Description

This Football Cake Design Chocolate Cake is a perfect centerpiece for any game day party. Featuring a moist, rich chocolate cake layered with creamy chocolate buttercream, it is shaped and decorated like a football for a fun and crowd-pleasing dessert. The cake is decorated with piped white frosting laces and optional green coconut or sprinkles to mimic a football field, making it both festive and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process or natural)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
½ cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed coffee (or hot water)

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup heavy cream or milk, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For Decorating:

½ cup white frosting (store-bought or homemade) for laces and stripes
Green shredded coconut or green sprinkles (optional, for a “field” border)
Piping bags and small round tip (or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped)
9×13-inch baking pan (or two 8-inch rounds)
Offset spatula or butter knife
Paring knife and toothpicks (for outlining the football shape)

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Instructions

Prep the pan and oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment for easy removal. Lightly flour the sides to prevent sticking.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined and lump-free.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined to avoid overmixing.
Add the hot coffee: Slowly pour in the hot brewed coffee while mixing on low speed or stirring gently. The batter will be thin, which helps produce a moist cake.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 28–34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the chocolate buttercream: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat on low speed initially, then increase to high until fluffy. Add more cream a little at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Shape the football (sheet-cake method): Place the cooled cake on a large board. Use a toothpick to outline a large football shape—an oval with pointed ends—leaving a small border around the edges. Carefully trim along the outline with a serrated knife. Save the scraps for snacking.
Crumb coat: Spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream over the entire cake to lock in crumbs. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
Final frost: Apply a thicker, even layer of chocolate buttercream over the crumb coat. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula, maintaining the football shape. Don’t worry about a perfect finish; the texture resembles leather.
Add the white details: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with white frosting. Pipe two short stripes near each pointed end of the football. Then pipe one long vertical line down the center, followed by 5 to 7 short horizontal cross laces across it. For clean lines, hold the piping bag just above the cake surface and allow the icing to fall naturally.
Optional field effect: For a football field look, spread a thin layer of frosting (white or chocolate) on the board around the cake. Press green shredded coconut or green sprinkles into the frosting to mimic turf. You may also pipe yard markers or team initials if desired.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate the decorated cake for 15 minutes to set the design. To slice, use a hot, dry knife for clean pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

The hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor and keeps the cake moist.
Make sure the eggs and milk are at room temperature to achieve best batter consistency.
Be gentle when mixing wet and dry ingredients to avoid developing gluten and toughening the cake.
Crumb coating ensures a neat final frosting layer by trapping stray crumbs.
Use a hot knife for slicing to get clean cake pieces without smearing the buttercream.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
If you don’t have green coconut, green-colored sugar sprinkles work well for the turf effect.