Bunny Cake Easter Spring (Print)
Festive bunny-shaped vanilla cake with buttercream and coconut topping
# 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 shredded sweetened coconut
16 - Pink food coloring
17 - Jelly beans or mini candies for facial features
18 - Pink and white fondant or marshmallows for ears
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well incorporated.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, approximately 3–4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating fully before each addition. Blend in vanilla extract.
04 - Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, taking care not to overwork the batter.
05 - Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 22–25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean.
06 - Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks. Allow to cool entirely before handling.
07 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and sufficient milk to achieve smooth, spreadable consistency.
08 - Keep one cake round intact for the face. Cut the second round into two oval sections for ears, then trim the remaining center into a bow tie shape.
09 - Position face, ears, and bow tie on a large serving platter. Apply a thin crumb coat over all pieces. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.
10 - Cover entire cake with remaining frosting, then press shredded coconut generously across all surfaces to create fur texture.
11 - Tint a portion of coconut with pink food coloring and gently press onto inner ear sections.
12 - Position fondant or marshmallow ear accents. Place candies to create nose, eyes, and additional decorative elements as desired.
13 - Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Its the kind of dessert that makes people gasp when you bring it to the table, but the actual cake is straightforward vanilla that anyone can bake.
- The coconut covering hides all sorts of imperfections, making it surprisingly forgiving for first time cake sculptors.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are absolutely essential for this cake to come together properly, plan ahead.
- The crumb coat might seem like an extra step but it is the difference between a professional looking cake and a disaster.
- Fresh coconut works best for the fur texture, but give it a day to dry out slightly if it seems too moist.
03 -
- Freeze the cake layers for 30 minutes before cutting them into the bunny shapes, this prevents crumbling.
- Use a small offset spatula to press the coconut into the frosting, your fingers will make it melt.