Description

Celebrate game day with this fun and easy Football Cake Design Chocolate Cake! Moist chocolate cake layers are baked to perfection, frosted with rich chocolate buttercream, and decorated to resemble a classic football. Perfect for parties, this crowd-pleasing dessert combines moist texture, deep cocoa flavor, and playful decoration to impress fans of all ages.

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 zip-top bag with 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: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy cake removal. Lightly dust the pan sides with flour to prevent sticking.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk thoroughly to blend and remove lumps.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined—do not overmix.
Add the hot coffee: Slowly stir in the hot brewed coffee while mixing on low speed. The batter will be quite thin, which is normal and ensures a moist cake.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28–34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat on low to combine, then increase speed until fluffy. Add additional cream a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Shape the football: Place the cooled cake on a large board. Use a toothpick to lightly outline a large football shape—an oval with pointed ends—leaving a border around the edges. Trim the cake along the outline with a serrated knife. Save the trimmed scraps for snacking.
Crumb coat: Spread a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream over the entire cake to seal in crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
Apply final frosting layer: Frost the cake with a thicker, even layer of the chocolate buttercream using an offset spatula. Follow the football shape carefully; texture is encouraged to mimic 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. Add 5–7 short crosswise laces over the center line. For best results, hold the piping bag just above the surface and gently let the icing fall into place.
Create an optional field effect: If desired, spread a thin layer of white or chocolate frosting on the board around the cake and press green shredded coconut or sprinkles into it to simulate turf. You can also pipe yard markers or team initials if you like.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate the decorated cake for 15 minutes to set the icing design. Slice using a hot, dry knife to achieve clean, neat cake pieces. Serve and enjoy your festive game day dessert!

Notes

Use hot brewed coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor and keep cake moist; hot water can be substituted if coffee is not desired.
Room temperature eggs and milk help the batter mix evenly and rise properly.
Chilling the crumb coat is essential to prevent crumbs from mixing into the final frosting layer.
If you don’t have an offset spatula, a butter knife can be used to spread frosting, though an offset spatula gives better control.
For a dairy-free version, substitute milk with almond or oat milk and use dairy-free butter and cream alternatives.
The trimmed cake scraps make a delicious snack or can be crumbled and used as cake pops or dessert toppings.
Pipe white frosting carefully to create clean football lace details—practice on parchment paper if needed before applying to cake.
Green coconut can be dyed easily by mixing shredded coconut with a few drops of green food coloring.