A friend asked me to make a replica of this cake (from Sugar Bakery in OKC) for her son's birthday. I had originally planned on making the basketball out of RKT, but now I'm wondering if I should just have it be cake instead. Which would be easier? I had a VERY challenging cake this past week, so I honestly just want to do what will be easier but still look great. She said she doesn't even really care if the basketball is edible, but I think it should be. I just want to know which one would be less labor intensive. (Oh, and she wants the basketball to be smooth, so I'm thinking the RKT might be more work...crushing them, coating them, etc., to get them smooth.)

Any input/advice is greatly appreciated.

One more question...is the logo on the front a sugar sheet adhered to gumpaste?

That's a BIG ball.

I'd do it out of all cake, or half cake + half RKTS ( or styrofoam).

I'd do it out of poundcake, put the bottom piece on a cardboard with 2 or 3 bubble tea straws in it, add the top half ball on it's own cardboard.
OR
I'd do the bottom out of RKTS on a board with the top cake on a board.
OR
I'd make the bottom piece out of styrofoam and put the top cake (on a board) on it.

Support with several bubble tea straws in the bottom square and probably dowel the ball all the way thru.

Yes, I see it as an edible image applied to gum paste or fondant & dried flat.

Rae

If you are charging for this cake, I'd be careful here with the copyright issue for the Thunder logo (NBA).

Just a thought.

I'll be making a smaller version of this; she only needs it to feed about 25 people, so I'm doing a two or three layer 10" square cake with the 6" Wilton Sports Ball mold for the basketball.

Thank you for the input!

One last thing (I hope)...what about the black lines on the basketball? Black fondant, paint, or what?

Can anyone tell me how to do the lines on a fondant basketball cake? Should the lines be fondant, too? Or is there something else I should use?

I'd do them like a real ball: use a tool (even a thin paintbrush handle would work) and then paint in the line carefully using black gel/paste color.

Rae

So, the paintbrush to make an indentation, and then paint within those indentations? Thank you so much for your help!

This cake is very nice, clean, and the basketball is done beautifully. Since your basketball will be smaller, you can use all RKT covered in buttercream and then fondant. You can make the black lines on the with Wilton edible black marker. I have used this method before and it is easy and looks great.