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Some kids practically live in their footy boots. Others refuse to take off their basketball singlet, even at bedtime. If that sounds like your house, the birthday cake theme has probably chosen itself already.
Ask ten Adelaide kids what “football” means and you'll get two answers, so this guide covers AFL footy and soccer as well as basketball. You'll find club, player and simple ball ideas, with links to the cakes you can order online today so you can check sizes, flavours and prices. The size guide and short-notice options are at the end.
Quick Cake Finder for Sports Fans
Short on time? Find your kid in the left column.
| Your sports fan… | Football and basketball cakes to look at | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Barracks for the Crows or Port | Custom footy cake in club colours | Custom quote |
| Follows Adelaide United or a Premier League club | Round or Dome Shaped Soccer Ball Cake, or a custom club design | A$69.95 |
| Idolises a soccer star | Custom Messi or Ronaldo design | Custom quote |
| Plays for a local junior club | Soccer ball or basketball cake with their team colours | A$69.95 |
| Cheers on the 36ers or watches every NBA game | Basketball cakes, or a custom Curry, LeBron or Jordan design | A$69.95 |
| Just loves to play | Plain soccer ball or basketball cakes | A$69.95 |
| Is turning 7 or 8 | Number 7 or Number 8 cake in team colours | A$119.95 |
Team, Player or Just the Ball?
Before you scroll through the designs, it helps to work out which of these three will make your child happiest.
A team cake is the obvious choice if they barrack for a club. Just know your crowd: a Crows cake at a party full of Power kids is a brave move, especially in Showdown week.
A player cake suits the kid who wears the same number on their back at training and in the backyard. Players do change clubs, though, so check which version your child wants. Ronaldo fans, for example, might want Manchester United or Portugal colours.
A plain ball design is the safe bet for a mixed group of friends, or for younger kids who love playing more than watching. It's usually the cheaper option, too.
One more reason sporty kids and ice cream cakes are a good match: after an hour of kick-to-kick or shooting hoops in the backyard on a warm Adelaide afternoon, nobody wants a heavy slice of sponge. A cold slice of ice cream cake disappears fast.
AFL Footy Ice Cream Cakes
1. Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Footy Cakes
This is Adelaide, so footy comes first. Whether your house is navy, red and gold or teal, black and white, we can make a footy cake in your club's colours as a custom design. Tell us the club, the colours and any details you'd like, such as your child's name or favourite player's number, and we'll come back to you with a quote.
Barrack for an interstate club or a local SANFL side? That works too. Nobody should have to sit through their own party under the wrong jumper. Ask us about a custom footy cake.
Soccer Ice Cream Cakes
2. Premier League Club Cakes
Plenty of Adelaide kids stay up far too late watching English football. Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are the clubs we're asked about most. We can add club colours and styling to a soccer cake as a custom order, or keep it simple with a Round Soccer Ball Cake from A$69.95 in their team's colours.
3. Lionel Messi Cakes
Messi fans usually want one thing: Argentina's sky blue and white. A custom Messi design can go all in on the stripes and the famous number 10, or you can keep it understated with a classic soccer ball cake and a hand-piped message.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo Cakes
CR7 fans have two eras to choose from, Portugal red and green or Manchester United red. It really comes down to which Ronaldo your child loves most, so ask before you order. We can make either as a custom design.
5. FIFA World Cup 2026 Cake
The World Cup ran through June and July this year, and plenty of kids caught the bug for good. A World Cup themed cake works for any fan, whichever country they backed, and it's a great way to settle family arguments about who to support. Ask us about this design.
6. Classic Soccer Ball Cakes
No club, no player, just the game. The Round Soccer Ball Cake starts at A$69.95, while the Dome Shaped Soccer Ball Cake looks like a real ball sitting on the party table and starts at A$119.95.
Would you rather have a pitch or a goal net than a ball? That can be done as a custom design, and it's a fun option for a bigger crowd.
7. Soccer Cake With Your Team Colours
This is a favourite for kids who play rather than watch. A soccer ball cake can carry their junior club's colours or badge, or the red, blue and gold of Adelaide United. It's a great pick for an end-of-season team party, too. Send us the badge or colours through our contact form when you order.
8. Number Cakes for Sporty Birthdays
Turning 7 or 8? A number cake puts the age front and centre, and it looks great in team colours. The Number 7 Cake starts at A$149.95 and the Number 8 Cake starts at A$119.95.
Basketball Ice Cream Cakes
9. Classic Basketball Cakes
An orange ball with black seams is recognisable from across the room, which makes it an easy theme to build a party around. The Basketball Round Birthday Cake starts at A$69.95. If you prefer a cleaner look, the Basketball Round Cake (Simple, No Piping) is the same price.
Want more height on the table? The Tall Basketball Cake starts at A$99.95 and the Dome Shaped Basketball Cake starts at A$119.95.
10. Basketball Cake With Your Team Colours
Plenty of Adelaide kids play in local basketball competitions, and many care more about their own team than any NBA side. We can put their club's colours on a basketball cake. It works just as well for NBL fans who follow the Adelaide 36ers, with plenty of navy, red and gold.
11. Steph Curry Golden State Warriors Cake
For the kid who practises three-pointers until it gets dark. A Warriors cake in blue and yellow with Curry's number 30 is one of the most popular NBA ideas. We can make it as a custom design.
12. LeBron James Lakers Cake
Purple and gold, and a name every young basketball fan knows. A Lakers design suits LeBron fans, and the colours are easy to carry through to plates and balloons.
13. Michael Jordan Cakes
Jordan retired long before most of today's kids were born, yet the Chicago Bulls red and black never goes out of style. A number 23 design is a fun one for a 23rd birthday, too.
14. Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Cake
Giannis fans tend to be loyal ones. A Bucks green design with his number 34 is a cake they'll remember.
Any of the NBA player designs above can be made to order. Tell us the player and team and we'll take it from there.
15. Bonus: Netball Cake
Got a netballer in the family as well? Netball is huge in Adelaide, and a court-inspired cake in Adelaide Thunderbirds pink or their own club colours is perfect for joint birthdays when one sibling shoots hoops and the other plays wing attack. Ask us about a netball cake.
Making the Party Match the Cake
A sports cake does a lot of the theming on its own, but a few small extras pull the whole day together.
- Use their age as a jersey number. It's a simple touch kids notice straight away. A number cake or a hand-piped message on the cake works well.
- Stick to team colours. Plates, balloons and streamers in two club colours look far more put-together than a rainbow mix.
- Play the game before the cake. Get the kick-to-kick, mini hoop shootout or penalty competition done first, then bring the cake out once everyone is hot and ready for something cold.
- Swap lolly bags for medals. Cheap plastic medals or mini trophies go down a treat with sporty kids, and they last longer than the lollies.
- Think about the venue. Having the party at the local oval or a basketball stadium? Ice cream cakes need a freezer, so if the venue doesn't have one, time your pickup as close to cake time as you can. Our cakes hold their shape for up to 70 minutes of travel in the car.
What Size Sports Cake Do You Need?
Sporty parties often grow bigger than planned. Invite the whole team, add a few siblings and parents, and you can easily reach 20 people. These serving numbers are for Ice Cream Cakes Adelaide cakes specifically.
| Ice Cream Cakes Adelaide cake size | Serves |
|---|---|
| 6-inch | 6 to 8 |
| 8-inch | 12 to 14 |
| 10-inch | 20 to 24 |
| 12-inch | 30 to 34 |
| Two-tier cake | Depends on the tier combination |
Quick Size Answers
Family plus a few mates (8 to 10 kids): an 8-inch cake serves 12 to 14.
A full junior team (around 20): a 10-inch cake serves 20 to 24.
Team, siblings and parents (30 or more): a 12-inch cake serves 30 to 34.
End-of-season breakup for the whole club: ask us about a two-tier cake, or choose one of the tall or dome shaped sports designs above.
If your numbers sit right on the line, size up. Hungry kids after a game eat more than you'd expect.
Need a Sports Cake at Short Notice?
Order before 11 AM for same-day pickup, subject to availability. Collect from Ben & Jerry's Adelaide CBD at 62 Hindley St, open 9 AM to 10 PM, 7 days. Delivery across Adelaide is also available when you order at least a day ahead. See our Cake Ordering Guide for the details.
Football and Basketball Cake FAQs
Can you make a cake for a footy club that isn't listed?
Yes. Send us the club, its colours and any details you'd like through our contact form, and our team will get back to you about your custom cake.
Can I put my child's junior club logo on the cake?
You can. Choose a soccer ball or basketball cake and send us the logo or club colours when you order, or contact us first if you'd like to talk it through.
Are halal options available for sports cakes?
Every Ben & Jerry's flavour we use is labelled Halal, Kosher, Gluten Free, Nut Free or Contains Nuts, so you can choose with confidence. See the full list on our Flavours page, or contact us if you have a question.
Find the Right Sports Cake for Your Adelaide Birthday
Whether your kid barracks for the Crows, follows Liverpool from the other side of the world or wears Curry's number to every training session, there's a football or basketball ice cream cake above that fits. Settle on team, player or plain ball, check the size guide, then browse our soccer cakes or basketball cakes to lock it in.
Not every kid is sports-mad, of course. For siblings and friends with different tastes, our guide to popular birthday cake ideas for boys and girls is a good next stop.
