Football Stadium Cake

Preparation:

Special equipment

Ingredients:

Football field and flags

• 1 package (425 g) of yellow or chocolate sponge cake mix + additional ingredients as needed
• Stretch tape of any color for flags
• Two 450g containers of vanilla icing
• 2 cups sweet coconut flakes
• 1/4 tsp green food coloring
• White candies, such as Airheads Mystery Flavor, to create field lines

Stadium walls

• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Two packages of 280 gr. mini marshmallow
• 12 cups puffed rice

Stands and fans

• Vanilla glaze
• 30 vanilla wafers, 10 cut in half lengthwise
• 1 pack of multi-colored small dragees

Gates

• 1 pack of thin straws
• 1 cup yellow melting candies

Players and ball

• 22 gummy bears, 11 of one color and 11 of another color
• 1 white taffy
• 1 chocolate-covered almond

Preparation:

1. Football field:
   
   Mix the dough according to the package instructions and bake into a 27x37 cm cake. Let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the colored taffy into triangles and wrap the wide end of each triangle around a skewer. Place on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
3. Remove the cake from the pan and trim the top so it's flat. Place the cake, cut side down, on a cardboard cake stand or a 33x47 cm cutting board. Frost the cake with vanilla frosting. Use frosting to draw a rectangle in the center of the cake, approximately 18x27 cm. This will be the border that will be covered with green coconut flakes.
4. Place the coconut flakes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low speed and add food coloring until the coconut is completely green. Press the coconut flakes into a rectangle, creating a border 4-5 cm from the edge.
5. To make lines on the field, cut thin strips of white taffy and roll them into thin ropes about 18 cm long; make 9 of these strips. Place one in the center of the field, then distribute 4 evenly on either side of the center line.
6. Stadium walls:
   
   Spray a 12x17 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
7. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and heat, stirring, until completely melted. Remove from heat, add the puffed rice, and stir. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and press evenly. Let set.
8. Cut the crispy snack into three 8.5 cm wide strips. Cut one strip 22 cm long and leave the other 2 strips 42 cm long. Arrange the strips around the cake, pressing them to adhere.
9. Stands and fans:
   
   Place frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Place 3 whole wafers close together along each side wall (the area without coconut) and press them onto the walls of the puffed rice stadium. Place 2 whole wafers end to end in each end zone of the cake. Pipe a few dots of frosting onto each wafer and top with another whole wafer. Pipe small dots of frosting onto the back edge of the second layer of wafers and top each with a wafer half. Place the remaining 10 wafer halves in front of the stack of wafers, close to the coconut field. Place colorful jelly beans (fans) in the stands.
10. Gates:
    
    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut four 5cm long straws for the stands. Cut two 4cm long straws for the crossbars. Cut two 7-10cm long straws for the base.
11. Melt the melt-in-place candies in a double boiler. Frost 2 crossbars with candy icing and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Frost 4 vertical pieces of broken candy with candy icing and press the uprights onto both ends of the crossbars. Frost the bases and place one in the center of each crossbar from the bottom. Refrigerate until the icing hardens. Once the icing has set, place the goals on the field.
12. Players and ball:
    
    Place gummy bears on the field to represent the players. Cut small strips of white candy and press them onto chocolate-covered almonds to form the laces of the ball. Place the soccer ball in the center of the field. Hang flags on the stadium walls.