Hello, All:

I've got to make a "regulation" size basketball for this coming Friday (May 28th), and therefore I can't use the Wilton 3-D ball pan. Anyone seen a tutorial on something like this - or something similar to this that I could adapt to a ball shape? I want to make sure it's very sturdy, and that it has enough internal support. After the guy ordered it, he said it was going to be placed on a painted wooden board and suspended from an actual basketball hoop. OMG! I can just see the thing falling. A nice, level table is bad enough for my nerves!!!

Thanks everyone. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, what do you guys think about fondant vs. buttercream in this instance? I've got to texture it like a real basketball, which I can do with either.

I was thinking a pound cake recipe would be the sturdiest cake. Thoughts? The guy doesn't really care as long as the cake tastes good.

Thanks,
Laina

I can't help with anything but the shape...you can bake it in Pyrex bowls. Bake two halves, and voila!

Just grease normally and reduce your oven temp a little - HTH!

I just made one, used the 5 qt.bowls from my old KA mixer, one batch of batter in each. I rigged a heating core out of aluminum foil for each bowl. After baking, I put bubble tea straws in the bottom half and put the top half on a board, then put them together and iced. I used buttercream to ice and fondant to trim. I textured with the help of a paper napkin and it came out fine. HTH

I don't think you'll have time to order this, but I'll post it anyway...it's a 5 page tutorial that Earlene Moore sells (scroll down): http://www.earlenescakes.com/store/instructions.html

If you're really worried, you could make the bottom half styrofoam and set the cake (now half ball) on it.