Bunny Cake for Easter (Printable Version)
Delicious vanilla bunny cake with buttercream and coconut decorations.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cake Components
01 - 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Buttercream Frosting
10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt
→ Decoration Elements
15 - 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
16 - Pink food coloring
17 - Jelly beans or mini candies
18 - Pink and white fondant or marshmallows
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly blended.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix gently until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
06 - Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks. Allow to cool entirely before frosting, approximately 1 hour.
07 - Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons milk. Adjust consistency with additional milk as needed until spreadable.
08 - Keep one cake round intact for the bunny face. Cut the second cake round lengthwise to create two oval ear sections. Shape the remaining center portion into a bow tie.
09 - Position the face, ears, and bow tie on a large serving platter or board in a bunny configuration, leaving slight gaps between pieces.
10 - Spread a thin layer of frosting over all cake surfaces to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.
11 - Apply a generous layer of frosting over the entire cake. Press shredded coconut firmly into the frosting to cover all surfaces completely.
12 - Tint a small portion of coconut with pink food coloring. Press the colored coconut onto the inner sections of the ear pieces.
13 - Position jelly beans or candies for the nose and eyes. Use fondant pieces or marshmallows to define the inner ear areas. Add additional decorations as desired.
14 - Keep cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms a simple vanilla cake into something that makes everyone at the table smile, regardless of their age
- The coconut creates the most incredible texture while hiding any imperfections in your frosting work
02 -
- Chilling the crumb coat is non-negotiable unless you want coconut mixed with cake crumbs in your final fur layer
- Cutting the second cake while slightly chilled gives you cleaner edges for those ears and bow tie
03 -
- Place your serving tray on a turntable or lazy Susan to make frosting all sides much easier
- Press coconut onto the frosting immediately after applying, before it forms a crust