Ball Cake

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare batter using 1 tablespoon of oil (instead of 2 tablespoons), for a firmer-textured cake. Fold chips into batter and divide between pan halves. Place pans in baking stands on a baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. With a serrated knife, level tops of cake halves. Invert halves onto wire racks; lift off pans and cool completely.

2. Tint frosting orange with food coloring; mix in a small amount of black icing to deepen orange color. Place cake halves together on a serving plate; frost cake. After 10 minutes, before frosting is completely set, lightly press large side of four-sided cheese grater into frosting to achieve a textured effect.

3. Use black icing to mark lines of basketball.

Note
Round cake pans are available from Wilton Industries. To order, log on to www.wilton.com.