Perfect Sphere Cake
A perfect sphere cake can be tricky and yet achievable with the right technique and right method. This post will show you how to choose one of three methods I use that will help you make a perfect sphere cake every single time. No matter what size cake you make; it will be perfect every single time.
Who hates making sphere cakes? I use to! When I just started off I wondered how everybody else managed to get a perfect sphere except me..! No matter what I did … eventually, it would end up … not so perfect!
Well, for one practice helps but the right technique for the right cake will help even more. What do I mean by that? I’ll explain as we go along this post. Now, this is going to be a long post. If you know me I will tell you everything I know until I have exhausted myself and you. I know!! Not everyone appreciates the long post but most do..so feel free to scroll past what’s not for you.
A few important tips to make a perfect sphere cake
- Recipe – yes, you want to make sure you have a recipe that is not too soft. Preferably a butter-based cake that will firm up when you chill, making it easy for you to work. I have given you my vanilla as well as chocolate sphere cake recipes.
- Whether – if you live in a place with warm weather no matter how dense your cake, the possibility of the bottom cake and frosting getting soft is higher. What happens if the bottom cake becomes soft? It will not hold the weight of the top half. I think you know the rest.
- Dowel – one way to support your cake when weight is a concern would be to dowel the cake. While doweling is a great option – the base of the cake is pretty small so you usually end up making a three-quarter ball just so you can dowel it. Right?
- Cake Base – Another way to make your sphere cake more sturdy is, of course, to use a different base instead of cake. So the bottom one-third of your cake could be rice Krispy treats or foam. yes, form. Especially if you have a large cake foam makes a perfect bottom.
Support options to make a perfect sphere cake
- No Dowel
If I’m making a cake for my kids, this would usually be my go-to method. Quick, easy, less hassle. As long as the cake will not have to stay out for long.
BUT, if I’m making a cake for a customer, it usually needs to be stable for more time. I usually finish my cake a few hours before the customer comes to pick it up. In addition, the customer usually picks up the cake a few hours before the event itself. As a business person, you have to take these things into account to prevent any last-minute accident, and risk your good reputation. Hence, in such cases, I definitely use one of these options below. - With Dowels
Like I said above, the base is small so you have to cut a bit of the bottom cake and place a small cake board. This is a great way to make a quick ball cake. It works well in good weather but, it’s not a whole ball. More like a three-quarter ball. Also, it works well if you want to make a teapot or a carriage, etc. - Rice Krispy Treats
This is a great option to use if you want a whole ball effect. Since the rice Krispy treats are firm the base tends to hold the weight of the cake much better. You may remember this Cinderella Carriage Cake Tutorial. I used a sphere cake to make the carriage. The bottom base for the sphere is Rice Krispy treats.
- Foam / Styrofoam
This is the best option if you have a big ball cake. which of course won’t work with dowels or with Rice Krispy treats. This Barcelona ball has foam at the bottom 1/3. Because it’s an 8″ cake and it was made in the middle of summer. There is no way I would be able to do it any other way in our climate.
Do I need a ball pan?
Yes and NO!! A ball pan is not necessarily a bad idea. They aren’t expensive and you can make not just a ball but many other cakes that a spherical in shape. Alternatively, I’m sure you have stainless steel bowls or Pyrex bowls that are the same shape as a half-sphere. Bake two of those and use them just as I have in this post.
A perfect sphere cake with just a cake board and some dowels
- Bake your cake in two half ball pans.
- Cool cakes completely – then cut the domes off and torte the halves if you want.
- Prepare two small cake circles/boards using form core or similar. One about 2 inches for the bottom of the cake, and the other an inch smaller than the widest circumference of the ball. This will be in the middle for support. Here my ball pan is a 6″ circle. So my form core circle is 5 inches.
- Using the same ball pan you used to bake the cake – line the pan with a plastic or cling wrap so the frosting won’t freeze to the pan.
- Place the small circular board 2 inches from the bottom of the base.
- Now layer the cake in the ball pan alternating with cake and frosting.
- You should have two half spheres like below.
Chill for 10 mins then continue
- Using bubble tea straws, or similar, dowel to the bottom sphere. The one that has the small 2-inch base.
- The dowels have to be close to each other so they are within the 2-inch base.
- Next, add a little frosting over the dowels, and
- Place the second cake circle (the 5-inch one).
- As you can see in the image above – I have two half spheres – bottom one with dowels and centerboard and top sphere with only cake and frosting.
- Now fill frosting in any gaps of the two spheres and place the top sphere on the bottom sphere.
- The frosting should be the same height as the pan.. so no gap between the two spheres… remove any excess.
- The ball pan should have no gap between the top half and bottom half, making a perfect sphere. Any gap in between will result in an oval, instead of a sphere.
- Chill the cake in the pan for a couple of hours so it’s all nice and firm.
- Once chilled, slowly pick up the pans and remove the plastic wrap.
- You should now have a perfect sphere cake – ready to be frosted with either buttercream or ganache, and then fondant.
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A perfect sphere cake using Rice Krispy treats as a base
As you can see Rice Krispy treats are easy to make with just melted marshmallows and Rice Krispy treats. I’ve given you the recipes and lots more info in my post – Rice Krispy treats in cake decorating So I’ll skip the basics here.
- Melt marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Add Rice Krispy treats and mix to combine.
- Mold the treats into the bottom of a ball pan so you have the shape of the ball pan.
- If you plan on adding a center dowel to your cake, make a hole in the center now – (making a hole later may cause cracks).
- Place the pan with the Rice Krispy treats in the fridge so it becomes firm and hard.
- When the Rice Krispy treats are firm, follow the same process as I shared above.
- Layer both the pans with cake and frosting until you have two halves.
- Then place the top sphere on the bottom sphere and chill as before.
- Remove when cold, unwrap and continue frosting the cake.
A perfect sphere cake using a foam base
To use foam as your base use a foam ball that is the same size as your cake. You can find these at any arts & craft shop near your home. These are not food safe but we will cover the base with foil before we use it.
- Cut the bottom part of the ball. Depending on how big your cake is I’d say use between 1/3 to 1/2 of the ball.
- I used 1/3 of the ball for an 8″ ball – I’d use 1/2 if the cake was larger.
- Once you cut the foam base – make a cake circle the same size as your base.
- Glue the two together with hot glue. (see image above)
- Then wrap the whole thing in foil to make it food safe.
- A large ball cake needs a center dowel not just for stability but it also makes it easier to work.
- Place a center dowel thru the foam and
- Stack cake/frosting on the cake board (no pans for large ball cakes).
You remember the pumpkin cake?
In this pumpkin cake – I used a sphere cake too! But I made it simple with no dowel and no support. Because I made it in winter. You can see some of the process in this video on how to make the pumpkin cake video tutorial.
I must admit I have learned a lot the hard way. Since everybody shows you a perfect sphere but no one tells you the little details that are required to make that perfect sphere cake. Small things that you learn only by doing it yourself. I have in my short career as a cake artist learned so much about these cakes. I hope that this post will help you with your next sphere cake. Feel free to ask me any questions via the comments below and I will be happy to answer them for you.
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Perfect Sphere Cake Recipe Vanilla or Chocolate
Making a shaped cake can be intimidating especially, a sphere. Having the right sphere cake recipe can be a great place to start. Here I share my two go-to recipes: Vanilla sphere cake recipe and chocolate sphere cake recipe. I use them when I bake my sphere cakes, such as a sports ball cake, teapot cake or even a Cinderella carriage cake.
Video
Ingredients
Makes 2 x 6-inch vanilla or chocolate cakes
Vanilla Sphere Cake Recipe
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) White sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 1¾ cups (210 g) All-purpose flour plain flour
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whole milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Sphere Cake Recipe
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted Butter room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar or white sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) White sugar
- 2 large Eggs large
- 1 ¼ cup (155 g) All-purpose flour plain flour
- ½ cup (40 g) Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whole Milk or buttermilk
- 1 tsp ( ) Vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C/ Gas Mark 4 and prepare two ball pans by greasing and flouring them.
Vanilla cake batter
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.1¾ cups All-purpose flour, 1½ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.½ cup Unsalted butter, 1 cup White sugar, 3 large Eggs, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.½ cup Whole milk
Chocolate cake batter
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.1 ¼ cup All-purpose flour , ½ cup Cocoa powder, 1 tsp Baking powder , ½ tsp Baking soda , ½ tsp Salt
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.½ cup Unsalted Butter, ½ cup Brown sugar, ½ cup White sugar, 2 large Eggs , 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.½ cup Whole Milk or buttermilk
Bake
- Fill each half of the ball pans with the respective batters, spreading them evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, remove them from the pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, trim the tops to create flat surfaces if necessary.
- Join the two halves of each cake together with a thin layer of frosting or ganache.
- Decorate the sphere cakes as desired.
Notes
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- Prepare the Pan Properly: Grease and flour the ball pan thoroughly to ensure the cakes release easily after baking.
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- Evenly Fill the Pan: Fill each half of the ball pan with an equal amount of batter to ensure the cakes bake evenly and are the same size.
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- Check for Doneness: Use a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes to check for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs when the cakes are ready.
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- Cool Completely: Don’t force the cake out of the pan, for some pans you may need the cakes to cool completely in the pan before removing them. Which is why it is very important to grease your pans properly before adding the batter. Cooling also helps the cake set and maintain their shape.
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- Level the Cakes: Trim the tops of the cakes if necessary to create flat surfaces for easier assembly.
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- Use a Sturdy Frosting: Use a thick and stable frosting to hold the two halves of the cake together. You can also use a dowel rod through the center of the cake for added support.
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- Decorate Carefully: Handle the assembled cake with care when decorating to avoid damaging the shape.
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- Chill Before Serving: For best results, chill the assembled cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to help it set and hold its shape.
Getting ready to make my first sphere cake that’s for your advise/recommendations
Hi, Thank you for the detailed tutorial! I have never made a full sphere cake because I have always been worried about stability. I plan to make it full cake (no foam or rice krispy treats). How do you keep the ball cake from simply rolling away. Did you just use a bowl rod pushed into the cake base? Thanks!
Yes, I have made a full sphere cake many times like this Barcelone ball.
Veena,
I have an 8″ hemishpere cake pan (Fat Daddios) and want to make a full ball. Will this work for your chocolate sphere cake recipe. I bake a lot but this is my first attempt at a sphere. I have a heating rod also. Thanks for any help.
Renee
Yes, Renee, the sphere cake recipe would work great. You will need to double the recipe for an 8-inch cake.
I’m making the 10 inch sphere what ingredient quantities should I use
Can you give me the ingredients using a 10 inch sphere
Denise, I have given a sphere cake recipe already – it’s for a 6-inch cake. To make a 10-inch sphere you will need X3 the recipe. Just click on the X3 above the ingredients and it will calculate the recipe for you. 10-inch is a very large and heavy sphere, make sure to support it properly. I would recommend making the bottom 1/3 as a rice crispy base. Hope this helps.
Can you explain how you made the texture and color so accurate on the basketball cake? Was it covered in fondant and then textured with some sort of tool? It’s amazing!
Yes, Traci, you can buy [eafl id="44123" name="Fondant texture mats - assorted" text="fondant texture mats"] on Amazon or any cake decorating store. For the black strings, I use the [eafl id="43930" name="Fondant Extruder Amazon" text="fondant extruder"].
Hi! I have a question about quantities. I am using your chocolate sphere cake recipe with your American buttercream as a filling and your chocolate ganache to frost. I will also be covering it with fondant. I have the Wilton 3-D Sports Ball 6-Inch Aluminum Cake Pan Set. In this case, how much of each recipe should I make? And how much fondant should I buy? Thank you!
I do have a sphere cake recipe in both chocolate as well as vanilla. The recipe is good for 2 x 6-inch ball pans.
Hi Veera,
If I wanted to make a semi sphere cake with 8” diameter then can use the whole batter in your recipe ?
Thanks
Yes, you can use the whole batter in one bowl or double the recipe for two bowls
Hi Veena
I have been asked to make a sphere cake which serve 20peopke
Wondering if I make 8”sphere cake with dowel support
Shall it enough to feed 20 people
Thanks in advance
Yes, a 20-inch full sphere cake should feed 20 people
Hi Veena
Thanks for your prompt reply
Would you mind to suggest me would the full sphere cake be stable enough
Or
If you have any suggestions so please share
Thanks
Yes, if you follow the instructions I have given and use the right recipe, it should be very stable. I have made 3 tier stacked Christmas ornament cake and they were very stable.
Hi Veena! Just wondering if I can scale this recipe up for a larger hemisphere cake tin. What I have here is 10 inches in diameter and 5 inches in depth. Have you had any success with using a larger tin?
I have tried 2 chocolate cake recipes and both weren’t successful. Used a heating core (design similar to a flower nail) and still it collapsed in the middle and came out gooey. Baked both for 90 minutes at 160 degrees celsius and checked the middle using a wooden skewer which came out clean in both instances and yet they’re still raw in the middle.
Thanks very much!
Hey Peter. I have used this recipe to make an 8-inch Barcelona ball cake. I don’t see why it won’t work for a 10-inch pan. Perhaps you can try wrapping the pans in wet paper towels ( using aluminum to hold it) That way the outside will not cook so quick leaving the middle more time to bake. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for your reply Veena! For your chocolate or vanilla sphere cake recipe, do I increase the portions to 12 serves instead of 8 for the 10 inches sphere cake pan? Cheers!
I think 12 would be more like it.
The batter did not fill the pans even half full……..:(
This is a standard 6-inch cake recipe for a 6-inch ball pan, Jan. It does not need to be too full. It will rise some and you also will layer it with frosting.
You want the cake to come up to the top once the frosting is added. Hope that makes sense
Hi Veena I was just wondering if your chocolate cake recipe would be good for making Pokemon cake pops.? Thank You
Hey Sheri, Yes, this recipe would be perfect for cake pops. Let me know how it was. Thanks
Hi there, this has been so helpful to me. I have created a half sphere of Rice Krispie treats and half of cake. Can I ask, is it essential to have a cake board between the two halves in this instance, or would frosting in between be ok without the board? Many thanks!
Hey Cat. Yes, there is no need for a board in between the Rice Krispie treats and the cake. A little frosting should be able to hold it together. Happy this tutorial has been useful.