From HERSHEY’S

Makes 1 cake

 

For your favorite birthday basketball player, this cake is perfect for the big day. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser at the celebration and garner a lot of fans.

INGREDIENTS

BASKETBALL COURT CAKE (recipe below)

2 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Chips

36 REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups Minis, divided

1 KIT KAT Bar, divided

2 graham cracker squares

2 cans creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting (16 oz. each), divided

Yellow food color

Red food color

3/4 cup REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter

REESE’S PIECES Candies (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS

1.Prepare BASKETBALL COURT CAKE. Cover cake board with foil if not serving cake from pan.

2.Place milk chocolate chips in heavy-duty food storage bag. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds. Knead bag and chips. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, kneading bag and chips after each heating, until chips are melted and smooth. Cut off one corner of bag, about 1/4 inch from tip. Now, assemble 10 basketball players, 2 benches, and 2 backstops.

TO MAKE BASKETBALL PLAYERS, use melted chocolate to attach the tops of 2 mini peanut butter cups together to form body. Attach additional peanut butter cup (standing on edge) to body to make head.

TO MAKE BENCHES, Cut KIT KAT Bar into 4 sections. Attach 1 mini peanut butter cup to bottom side of each end of 2 sections.

TO MAKE BACKSTOPS, cut small small section from the backs of 2 mini peanut butter cups, so that you have a straight surface. Attach this smooth side to approximately the center of the graham cracker square with the melted chocolate. When set, attach 1 cracker to front of 1 candy bar section, about 1 inch from top. Repeat for second backstop. Allow chocolate to set.

3.Tint 1/2 cup frosting to desired shade of orange (2 drops yellow food color for each 1 drop red food color); place in heavy-duty food storage bag. Set aside. Stir peanut butter into remaining frosting; frost cake.

4.MARK BASKETBALL COURT LINES. Cut tip off bag of orange frosting about 1/4 inch from tip; pipe orange frosting along marked lines.

5.Place basketball players and benches in position. Push backstops into ends of court. If cake is on cake board garnish bottom edges of cake with REESE’S PIECES Candies, if desired. 

 

BASKETBALL COURT CAKE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter             

1/2 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup dairy sour cream

 

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 15 1/2”x10 1/2 x1” disposable foil baking pan or jelly-roll pan.

2.Combine water, butter and cocoa in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; set aside.

3.Stir together sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs and sour cream; beat until blended. Add cocoa mixture; beat just until blended (batter will be thin). Pour into prepared pan.

4.Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack or if serving on cake board, cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

 

Find this recipe and more holiday treats at hersheys.com