If you're hosting a Super Bowl party, chances are you're searching the internet for easy recipes that feed a crowd. Well, consider dessert done, because not only does this sheet pan cake tick the "easy" box, it also doubles as an impressive centerpiece for your football food table. No special baking or cake decorating skills are needed. Simply slice it up at halftime and let guests serve themselves right from the pan. Go team!
Video: How to Make a Sheet Pan Football Stadium Cake
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Sheet Pan Football Stadium Cake Recipe
Things You'll Need
Box cake mix (plus required ingredients)
12-by-17-inch sheet pan
Cooking spray
Green frosting (or green food coloring and white frosting)
Parchment paper
Sprinkles
White cooking icing
Gummy bears
Tootsie roll or candy football
Pretzel sticks
Chocolate chips
Sports teams toothpick flags (optional)
1. Make the cake mix
Mix up your favorite box cake mix (or homemade recipe) according to the instructions. One box will fill a 12-by-17-inch sheet pan, but if you want a thicker cake, you can make two boxes.
2. Bake the cake
Coat a sheet pan with cookie spray. Pour batter into pan, smooth it into the corners, and shake the pan to ensure batter levels out evenly. Bake according to cake mix directions, then let cool completely.
3. Frost the field
Frost the entire cake with green frosting. If you can't find ready-made green frosting, simply mix several drops of green food coloring into white frosting until you get a deep green color.
4. Sprinkle on the crowd
Cut a piece of parchment paper smaller than the cake's width so that it leaves a 2-inch border on each side, and place lightly on center of cake. Add sprinkles (a lot of them!) along sides of exposed frosting, and gently press them into the frosting so they don't roll around.
5. Make grid lines
Remove parchment paper and smooth out the frosting with a knife (dipping knife in hot water and wiping it off helps smooth the frosting). Pipe lines of white icing across cake to create grid lines.
Tip
Place a ruler next to the sheet pan, find the mid-point of the field, and pipe the middle line first. Then pipe three evenly spaced lines on each side of the middle line.
6. Add the players
Put 'em in, Coach! Add 11 gummy bear players on each side of the field. (Bonus points if you use gummy bears in the teams' colors.) Place a candy football in the middle of the field. We shaped a tootsie roll into a football and drew laces with icing, but you can also use a store-bought candy football, or even a small chocolate egg.
7. Create goal posts
Melt about 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips in microwave. Dip the tips of pretzel sticks into chocolate, then arrange into a goal post shape, laying the pieces down on parchment paper. (Make a few extra goal posts in case one breaks.) Let chocolate harden, and carefully peel up assembled posts. Stick one into each end of cake.
8. Add team flags
Either buy toothpick flags with the teams' pennants, or screenshot the pennants from the internet and use a free template to print them out. Stick a couple of flags into each side of the sprinkles.
Your sheet pan stadium cake is ready to impress your guests — and feed a hungry crowd of football fans!