How to make a DIY soccer ball ice cream cake

Some call it soccer. Others call it football. However, we like to call it tasty, because we’re about to show you how to make a soccer ball cake out of a Carvel Happy Birthday Ice Cream Cake. You can even call it a football cake if you prefer.

Despite what you might think, this delicious, round cake doesn’t require a lot of hard work. So put away all those bowls and cake mix, and forget about cleaning up the messy cake batter aftermath, because this confectionery creation is easy to make—which is perfect for when life gets a bit busy.

Ready? Let’s get started!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to get started on making your soccer ball/football cake:

1 Carvel Happy Birthday Ice Cream Cake
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Fondant
Powdered sugar
Black food coloring
Green icing

Supplies

Soccer ball stencil
Baking/icing spatula
Paintbrush
Piping bag
Grass piping tip
Cake stand (cake board also works)

Decorating the Cake

Before you get started, gather all the ingredients and supplies needed, except the ice cream cake. You’ll want to keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to decorate it.

A stencil of a soccer ball pattern rests in the top left corner. In the center, there’s a plate lined with powdered sugar and a circular cutout of fondant resting on top. Next to the plate on the right is a small cup/bowl with black food coloring and a small paintbrush sitting on top.

Step 1: Roll out fondant, and cut a circle in the shape of the ice cream cake. Set on a plate lined with powdered sugar.

The soccer ball stencil rests on top of the fondant, which sits on a circular stone plate that looks like marble. A hand on the left holds the stencil, while the right hand dabs the paintbrush into the food coloring.

Step 2: Place the stencil on the fondant.

The soccer ball stencil rests on top of the fondant, which is almost completely painted.

Step 3: Use a paintbrush and black food coloring to fill in the cut-out areas on the stencil.

The finished soccer ball pattern that’s been painted onto the fondant rests on top of the stone plate, and a paintbrush sits on top of the bowl of black food coloring.

Step 4: Set the soccer ball fondant pattern to the side.

The fondant with the soccer ball pattern has been moved to the top left corner of the image. In the middle, a person’s hand uses an icing knife to remove the frozen icing from the top of a Carvel Happy Birthday Ice Cream Cake.

Step 5: Remove the Carvel Happy Birthday Ice Cream Cake from your freezer and set it on a plate or cake board. Then, using a knife, remove the icing from the ice cream cake, doing your best to make sure only white icing remains.

The fondant with the soccer ball pattern remains in the top left corner of the image. A Carvel Happy Birthday Ice Cream Cake without any icing on the top sits in the middle of the image.

Step 6: Remove the icing from the sides as well.

Step 7: Smooth out the remaining white icing.

Two hands place the fondant with the soccer ball pattern onto the top of the ice cream cake.

Step 8: Place the soccer ball fondant pattern on top of the ice cream cake.

A large bowl of green icing with a spoon in it rests on the stone plate in the top left corner. The soccer ball cake is in the middle, and a hand on the right holds an icing piping bag that’s full of green icing. It has a grass tip attached to the piping end.

Step 9: Add green icing to a piping bag with a grass tip.

A large bowl of green icing with a spoon in it rests on the stone plate in the top left corner. The soccer ball cake is in the middle, and the person’s hands add icing to the bottom of the ice cream cake.

Step 10: Add the “grass” icing to the sides of the cake, starting at the bottom and working your way up.

The completed soccer ball ice cream cake rests in the center of the image, while the large bowl of green icing and spoon remain in the top left corner.

Step 11: Finish by adding a ring of icing where the fondant and cake meet to hide the edges.

A finished soccer ball cake rests front and center, while a silver cake spatula sits in the foreground. In the background on the left, there’s a stack of green plates with referee-patterned and green napkins stacked on top. On top of the napkins rest black disposable forks. In the background on the right, there are referee-patterned cups.

Step 12: Marvel at your handiwork before placing this cool cake (pun intended) into the freezer until serving time.

Whether you’re making this soccer/football cake for a birthday party, Father’s Day, game day, or any of life’s special occasions, it’s sure to please any crowd. However you celebrate, take a picture and tag us on Instagram. We can’t wait to see what you create for your friends and family.

Summary