Prep Time: 35 Minutes • Start to Finish: 4 Hours 15 Minutes • 15 servings
Kids that are into sports will love having this for a birthday cake—you can vary the colors to suit the child and whatever sport that they enjoy.
1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13 x 9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2 Make and bake cake as directed on box for 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
3 Meanwhile, tint 2¼ cups of the frosting with food color as desired for your choice of color. Tint ½ cup frosting as desired for team name and numbers. Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cake to level surface; place cake cut side down on work surface.
4 Place short side of cake toward you. Poke toothpick in cake at a point 4 inches from top and 1 inch from outside edge, on both sides. Poke toothpick in cake at bottom, 1 inch from outside edge, on both sides. Cut 1 x 8-inch piece (marked with toothpicks) from outer edge of each side. Cut each piece in half crosswise, forming 4 (1 x 4-inch) pieces. Cut neck hole from top of cake.
5 On tray, place largest piece of cake. Using small amount of jersey-colored frosting, attach 2 small rectangular pieces on each side of top of cake to lengthen sleeves. Spread with a thin layer of frosting to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.
6 Frost entire cake with jersey-colored frosting. Pipe other color frosting onto cake to create team name, numbers and shirt trim. Store loosely covered.
*For all chocolate and devil’s food cake mixes, use only 1 cup of the water.
1 Serving: Calories 340; Total Fat 16g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 2g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 250mg; Total Carbohydrate 45g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 2g Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Other Carbohydrate, 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3