How to Make a Soccer Goal Post Cake

This year my boy asked me again for a soccer cake. This is the 3rd year in a row that he wants a soccer theme for his birthday. I first did a soccer ball and the second year a logo of his team: The Chicago Fire Juniors". This year I decided to do a soccer goal post with a figurine that looks just like him.

I made the soccer figurine out of polymer clay for 2 reasons: 1) I have fallen in love with this new craft and 2) and most important is that he will be able to keep it on FOREVER! (or at least for as long he wants to). Click here for a tutorial on how to make the soccer figurine. Also, if you like it and want one, I am custom making them at my etsy shop (click here to go to my easy shop and send me a condo from there with your request - the soccer boy is not listed)

OK, now back to the cake. The field was relatively simple and straight forward to make as you will see:

Ingredients:

• 2 rectangular cakes of about 9" by 13" - if you have a bigger pan you can do one cake
• 1 batch of my chocolate filling recipe  (click here for recipe) (optional but recommended)
• 1 batch of my buttercream recipe (click here for recipe)
• Color the majority of it in green (like grass)
• Leave about 1/2 cup in white for details
• Cake board - big enough to have both cakes side by side
• Cake decorating tips: Circle #4 and grass #300
• Cake decorating bags

Cut both your cakes in half horizontally and place the bottom halves side by side on a cake board. You can put a little buttercream icing under the cakes to help them stick to the board. 

Pour the chocolate filling over both halves and spread with a knife, making sure that all the cakes are covered with the liquid. Top the cakes with the other halves. If you are not doing the filling, skip all of the above!

Put a thing layer of icing over the cakes, making sure you fill all the cracks, seams, etc. The cake should now be as it was one rectangular cake and not two, this is called a crumb coat as it will prevent crumbs to get to your final icing later one. Put the cake in the fridge for about an hour or so so the crumb coat hardens a little and seals in all the crumbs!

Now it is time to cover the cake with your green icing. With a big spatula, put a big blob of green icing on top of the cake and spread carefully. Do the same to the sides. We are going to do a grass effect design on the sides of my cake so do not worry too much about making the sides perfect (they will be cover with the grass). However, as the top was my field, I wanted it as smooth as possible. A good trick is to warm your big long spatula with hot water, quickly dry it out and slide it carefully over the cake, the heat will melt the buttercream a little leaving you with a nice smooth cake.

Decorate the edges of the cake and the bottom with the grass in random patterns .  I used a grass tip and put "grass" all around my edges and borders.

With the white icing and a circle tip #4, draw the goalpost lines and add your polymer clay goal post. To do the goal post. I made the frame out of polymer clay and crocheted a net that I then weaved all over the polymer clay frame.

Now add your figurine anywhere you like.

You are done! Enjoy your cake!