Welcome To Death, Clemson

Were in the College World Series!!!!

Saw it here first in the cake, so it must be true.

dbeutel - that was the first thing I noticed too [cake wrecks].

yes, def. Penn State over Minnesota.

getting in is one of the bigger crocks of shit I've seen by the committee in a long time. I'm not sure Penn State should have been their replacement, but I'm not convinced Arizona should have made a 72-team tourney, much less 65. 2-9 on the road with wins over, wait for it, Oregon and Oregon State. Lost 5 of their last 6 when the schedule actually picked up in difficulty.

Ahh...it all makes sense now.

I do enjoy Buzz Killington:

And I've seen the MGoGirlfriend, so I know she exists. Unless there's another hippie rocking the M hockey jersey around town....

I don't know ... normally I'd agree, but this time I think a recipe would clash with the delicious cake featured in the post.

i know you were kidding, but in case anyone wants to re-create the baseketball cake (hey, it's a time for celebration, no?):

Golden almond cake

For one 9x13 layer (x2/3 for one 9" round pan, the above is a two-layer cake, so double the ingredients but mix batches separately)

3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1.5 tsp. almond extract
3/8 tsp. vanilla extract
2.5 cups cake flour (8.625 oz)
.5 cups ground almonds (1.875 oz)
1.5 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
18 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease pan, line bottom with parchment, grease again and flour. In medium bowl, combine eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, and extracts. In mixing bowl, combine cake flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and 3/4 cup sour cream to the dry ingredients and mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop structure. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg mixture in three batches, beating 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate. Scrape down sides. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35-45 min or until wire cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake springs back when pressed lightly. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 min, loosen sides gently with metal spatula and unmold onto greased rack (ha). Let cool 1 hr before frosting or wrapping airtight

Sour cream ganache (to fill between layers)

8 oz. dark chocolate (60%+)
4 oz. milk chocolate
1 2/3 cups sour cream

Melt chocolate in double broiler, remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Buttercream stabilized with egg yolks (for crumb coat and tinted decorations)

6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 cups softened butter
2-4 T. liqueur or eau de vie or 1-2 t. extract (I used amaretto, and almond and vanilla extracts)

Grease a glass liquid measure. Beat yolks until light and lemon-colored. Combine sugar and corn syrup in small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, immediately transfer to prepared measure. Pour in a steady stream into yolks, beating continuously. Don't let the syrup fall on the beater(s) or it will spin onto the sides and harden. Continue beating until completely cool. Gradually add butter, and then extracts. If made in advance, re-beat before using to restore texture. Yield: ~4 cups, enough to fill and frost one 2-layer 9" round cake.

Buttercream stabilized with egg whites (for main covering)

5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 + 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups butter, softened but cool (65F)
up to 3 fl oz. liqueur and/or extract (amaretto again)

Grease a glass liquid measure min. 1 cup. Beat butter until creamy. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and water in small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves and bubbles appear; reduce heat to low (off if electric range). Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Return sugar syrup to medium heat and cook until 248-250F (firm ball stage). Pour in a steady stream into whites, beating continuously. Don't let the syrup fall on the beater(s) or it will spin onto the sides and harden. Continue beating until completely cool. Gradually add butter, and then extracts. It may look curdled, but then emulsify with the last of the butter. If the butter is too soft, it won't come together--try adding a few tablespoons of colder butter. If made in advance, re-beat before using to restore texture. If chilled, allow to come to room temperature before re-beating or it will curdle. Yield: ~4 cups, enough to fill and frost one 2-layer 9" round cake.

Oh, and for the "baseketball," I basically made a flat cupcake in a 4 oz. custard cup. And gave it wonky ganache "stitches."

All adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible (she's the Alton Brown of serious baking, really and for truly).