Baseball Cake - Cooking Tips

Baseball Cake

• 1 white cake mix for a 2-layer 8-inch round cake (or favorite homemade white cake recipe). If you want to make two double layer cakes you will have to double this.
• Red shoe-string licorice
• Melted chocolate for decorating.
• Buttercream Frosting

• 3/4 c. shortening
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. meringue powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. Light Karo Syrup

• Cream the shortening and butter together on low speed just until well blended. Then combine the powdered sugar, the meringue powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.
• Add the vanilla and milk to the shortening and butter; mix until blended.
• Start adding the sugar mixture approximately 1 cup at a time and mix just until incorporated after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl as you are mixing. Do not over mix.
• Reserve the Karo syrup for adding to thin the consistency if necessary. You want the frosting to be a nice consistency for spreading. If it is too thick it will not allow you to have a nice smooth surface but you do not want it too thin or it will not hold up for decorating.
• This will be enough frosting to make one 2-layer baseball cake. If you need two, double this recipe.

Preparing the Cake

• Bake the cake according to instructions. Do not be concerned if the cakes are domed on top. That will just give the cakes a more rounded appearance.
  
  
• Place the bottom layer of the cake on the cake board or plate that you want the finished cake to be on. Add wax paper around the bottom to protect the surface while decorating.

• Frost the top of the bottom layer and then add the top layer with the domed side up. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Smooth out the top and sides as much as possible before you begin to decorate.

• Create the chocolate lettering before you begin other decorating so that it has time to set while you are doing the other decorating. Our Cake Decorating with Chocolate can help you with step-by-step instructions on creating the chocolate lettering.

• While the chocolate lettering is setting up you can apply the red licorice for the lacing on the baseball. Cut the shoe-string licorice into pieces that are approximately 3/4 inch long.
  
  
• Carefully place the licorice pieces in a "V" pattern, forming a curved line on each side of the cake to look like the lacing on a baseball. See below.

• After the lacing is finished on each side you can place the chocolate lettering on the cake as desired. Be careful when placing the letters so that they do not break. You may have to place them in the refrigerator if they begin to soften when you are working with them.

• Note: If a letter does break sometimes you can fix it by just placing the pieces together and press them lightly in the frosting to hold together.
  

• When you are all done decorating it for your special occasion, it is ready to serve. If you need to store it be sure to refrigerate it if you added any perishable ingredients to it, such as fruit as a filling between the layers.