Easter Bunny Cake

Spring is in the air.

Finally.

For many of us, it has been the longest winter in the history of winters. Minus 20 degree temperatures for weeks on end, snow falling from the sky almost every other day, and a constant grey hue casting shadows over the sky. I honestly thought it was never going to end.

But thankfully, it has.

The snow is melting, the buds on trees are beginning to emerge, and the birds are now singing outside my window every morning at 5am – and although I do wish they would give me an hour longer before welcoming in another morning, I’ll take it over walking outside in bone-chilling cold, having my eyeballs stick to the back of my eyelids any day.

Aside from the Earth’s rebirth, one of the best things about Spring is Easter. I love dyeing Easter eggs, planning Easter egg hunts, filling my kids baskets with sweets and treats and seeing their eyes light up the next morning.

When I was asked to recreate this bunny cake, I was instantly taken back to my childhood. I remember quite vividly making a bunny cake with my Mom for my birthday. I recall standing on the stepstool by the counter, helping her pour the cake into the pan. I also remember upsetting my brother and sister because I got to lick both beaters. It was a birthday right in my family.

However, my Mom made sure we dressed up the cake together. Jellybeans, shoelace licorice, gumdrops, and sprinkles adorned this delightful dessert. To this day, it’s one of my fondest childhood memories.

Now that I’m a Mom, I have the opportunity to create these same fun memories with my own children. It’s those memories that stick with us for a lifetime.

And this adorable bunny cake is one that is sure to become an instant favourite for your family for years to come.

Happy Easter!

BUNNY CAKE

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

1½ granulated sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour milk (To make sour milk, add one tablespoon of vinegar in measuring cup and add milk to make one cup.)

½ cup Naturegg Omega Plus Liquid Eggs or Naturegg Simply Egg Whites

½ cup vegetable oil

1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 package cream cheese, softened at room temperature

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Decorations:

2 cups flaked coconut

1-2 drops pink food colouring

Jellybeans

Shoelace licorice in red and black

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish by greasing the pan and lightly flouring. This step will ensure the cake doesn’t stick upon releasing.

In a large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together.To dry ingredients, add sour milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and Naturegg Omega Plus Liquid Eggs (or Simply Egg Whites). Using an electric mixer, beat together until fully incorporated.

Pour cake into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Prepare frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Slowly add icing sugar to cream cheese mixture until desired consistency; set aside. Once cake is cooled, transfer cake to a serving plate or a heavy piece of cardboard to avoid jostling it later.

Place cake vertically on serving piece. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut into the TOP MIDDLE of the cake to about one-third of the way down to simulate the shape of bunny ears. Brush off any excess crumbs from the surface with a pastry brush.

Using an offset spatula, frost the entire surface of the cake with a ‘crumb coat’. A crumb coat will help seal any crumbs that were left over from cutting the ears out. Once they are sealed in, frost cake as usual. Once entire cake has been frosted, apply flaked coconut generously to both sides and surface to simulate bunny fur.

In a small resealable bag, place 1 cup coconut and 1-2 drops pink food colouring and shake to coat. Place on ears to simulate the lining of bunny ears. Once coconut is in place, decorate with jellybeans, shoelace licorice, or sprinkles as you wish. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Thanks to Our Guest Blogger

Jenny, a self-confessed sugar addict, is the baker, writer, and photographer behind The Brunette Baker, a blog dedicated to all things sweet. When she’s not baking or blogging, you can usually find her catching up with a good book, eating Mexican food and spending time with her superhero husband and two equally awesome kids.