Ball shaped cakes are awesome, and Wilton’s ball mold is one of the only mold pans I’ve ever used! The ball cake mold can be used for tons of different types of cakes and I've had a ball using it (no pun intended). If you do not have one, you can always bake a cake in two same sized glass bowls, but when put together, your ‘ball’ will have a slightly flattened top. So I highly recommend buying the $10 Wilton ball mold- it makes a perfect ball and you will get a lot of use out it.  Some of my favorites include the Golf Ball cake, the Bowling Ball cake, the Star Wars Death Star cake, the Tea Set cake and the Beach Ball cake.  To make a basic ball cake, simply follow these steps:

1) Make 1 cake mix according to recipe directions (yellow or chocolate work best) & fill each side of the Wilton ball mold (split the batter in half so your sides are even, eye-balling is fine).

2) Once baked and cooled, level the flat side of each half ball, and combine by putting frosting in between the two sides.  If one side happens to be bigger or heavier than the other, put that one on the bottom. 

3) Now you can crumb-coat and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more if possible).

4) You now have a ball-shaped cake that is ready to be frosted to your specific desires!

The Golf Ball cake:  I’ve done a couple Golf Ball cakes and they look great! 

• First, make a 9x13 cake & cut it into an organic shape for the ‘green’.  Frost it green, smooth it best as possible and set in ‘fridge. 
• On a separate plate, frost your ball cake (per above) with white buttercream and put it in the ’fridge as well.
• Once the frostings on both cakes are slightly hard & set, place the ball on your ‘green’ cake and add the dimples to your ball by slightly wetting the end of a wooden cooking spoon and gently pressing it into the frosting all around the ball.  (I've also done one Golf Ball cake where I covered the ball in fondant, and while it was a bit more difficult, it also looked great.   For the Fondant cover, simply roll out your fondant to a 1/8 inch thick circle, cover the crumb-coated cake and cut the folds off the cake, pressing together at the seams & dimpling it with the spoon handle. See Decoration FAQ’s for more details.) 
• You can also accent your cake with a simple ‘cup’ by poking the wooden spoon end into the ‘green’ cake, and then sticking a bamboo skewer in it with flag on it.  Make the flag using your PowerPoint (simply insert a triangle shape, color red, add your preferred text, print, cut & tape to the skewer...now your good to go!).

The Bowling ball cake:  It’s perfect for that bowling party or avid bowling fan!

• Take your ball cake (per above) and frost whatever color you prefer. I used blue frosting as black coloring can be super messy on people’s teeth. I swirled the blue frosting to mimic a real ball by frosting the cake in one color of blue & then smoothing a darker shade on the cake in only certain spots. 
• The pins in the picture are actually molded chocolate!  I washed out some plastic packaging that my child’s bowling set came in and poured Wilton’s melted chocolate into it.  Once cooled, I popped them out, laid them next to the cake, piped on the red stripes and voila, a strike!  It worked so well that now I save any plastic packaging that has an interesting shape in case I want to mold fun chocolates.  See Decorating FAQ’s for more details.

The Star Wars Death Star cake: Star Wars fans will go nuts over this Death Star cake!  I made it for my little boy and not only did he love it, but 2 kids from his party then wanted one, and then 2 more kids from their parties wanted one and so on.  I’m even making one for this weekend! I mean come on, a death ray for your birthday...you cannot beat that!  Just use that Force as follows:

• Take your ball cake (per above) and frost grey, and then pipe on accent lines & explosions to your hearts delight.
• Use green straws to make the death-ray by cutting 3 small straws and pinching them into the opening of one longer straw. Once assembled, stick the tripod  into the cake.  Put in fridge to set. 
• Take a 9x13 cake, frost black and dot with white stars & explosions. 
• Once all the cakes’ frostings are set-up, put the ball cake on the sheet cake base.  Add a Star Wars toy space ship to make a scene and the kids LOVE it as they not only have the coolest cake, but get a toy to go with it! 

The Tea Set cake: These Tea set cakes were such a hit with the little girls I made them for, that I’m sure they would work for big girls too (Mother’s Day, Grandmother’s birthday, etc!).  Now raise your pinky & get started as follows:

• Starting with the cakes, you will need the ball cake (per above) and 5 cupcakes. 
• First, cut off the rounded tops of the cupcakes. Put 1 of them on top of your ball cake (per above) and crumb-coat (this will be the lid on top of the tea pot).  Put the remaining 4 cupcakes on a separate plate & crumb-coat (these will be your tea cups).  Place in the ‘fridge for 30 minutes or more if possible.
• Once the crumb-coatings are set, frost your tea pot cake & cup cakes as desired. 
• Now, comes the fun part...the fondant handles & spout.  First, color your fondant as desired (See Decorating FAQ’s for how to color fondant).  Next, make 1 small ball & place on top of your tea pot cap (this is the tea pot lid handle).  Then, roll 4 small ropes (~2 inch long, 1/4 inch thick), add half a toothpick in each end (with ~1/2 sticking out), bend to mimic a tea cup handle and set out to dry (these are your cup handles).  Next, roll a larger rope (~4inch long, 1/2 inch thick) and insert a full toothpick in each end (with about 1/2 sticking out), bend to mimic a tea pot handle and set out to dry (this is your tea pot handle).  Finally, make another longer rope (~4 inch long but maybe 1 inch thick), mold/shape to mimic a spout, insert 2 toothpicks on the non-pouring end (with 1/2 sticking out) & a bamboo skewer as deep as possible through the spout & allow to dry (this is your teapot spout).  Once everything is hard & dry you will insert the small handles into the tea cup cakes, the large handle into the teapot cake and the spout into the other side of the teapot cake.  This fondant work may take some trial & error, but remember, it is just like playing with Play-doh, so you can do it!  If you want to go one step further, use any left-over fondant to make cup saucers (just roll out fondant to desired thickness, cut in circles a bit larger than your ‘teacups’, place teacups on top and embellish with piped frosting).

The Beach Ball cake: This Beach ball cake is perfect for any beachy occasion...a summer picnic, a birthday, a 4th of July, or more!  I added many other cakes to this cake as it was for a very special 40th birthday! So here goes:

• As I had to serve 45 people, I made 4 9x13 cakes and set them in 2 layers, side by side, and frosted as water & sand (blue & yellow) and set in the ‘fridge.
• I then frosted the ball cake (per above) as a beach ball with striped colors and set in ’fridge.
• Then I made a cake in a tin can and once cool, I frosted it to look like ice-cold beverage (I piped the juice & ice cubes, and used a real umbrella drink pick for fun) and set in the ‘fridge.
• Then I made an 8x8 cake to make the flip-flops.  I cut two flip-flops out of the 8x8 cake (you can eye-ball this shape), frosted and used some licorice as the thongs, and set in the ‘fridge.
• When all the cakes’ frosting were set-up & a bit hardened, I assembled (see picture, but organize however you’d like), and finished by dusting the ‘sand’ frosting with crushed graham crackers and added some shell-shaped molded chocolate (using Wilton candy melts and the Wilton shell mold. See Decorating FAQ’s for more details).  And viola...a beachy scene!  How sunny!