In preparation for the Easter holiday, I drew inspiration from a trip down memory lane. As a kid, my family and I would make an Easter Bunny cake from two cake rounds, decorated by assorted candies. These candies had to be bought in bulk, because a heavy tax was levied against the loot by all kitchen helpers (myself included).
So, for this week’s DIY, I’ve assembled instructions for this simple Easter Bunny cake. Happy tails… I mean, trails!
1 Prepare cake mix and bake two cake rounds per box instructions. I chose to make carrot cake because I’m corny that way. I purchased cream cheese icing for my cake’s frosting.
2 Allow cakes to cool completely on wire racks or parchment paper.
3 Create a template for the bowtie from parchment paper. To do this, trace one of your cake rounds to create a circle.
4 Fold the parchment into quarters, and cut out the circle.
Sketch an arc down the center. Cut out the shape and unfold the paper; this will become your bowtie template.
Test the template over one of your cake rounds, and make sure you like the bowtie and ear shapes. Adjust the template if necessary, before proceeding to the next step.
5 Use a sharp knife to cut out around your template. This will create two bunny ears and one bunny bowtie.
<Cutting Out the Bowtie and Ears>
6 Now it’s time to assemble the bunny!
Prepare your bunny base (I used a large serving platter). Dab a little of your icing in the center of the tray, and place your intact cake round on top of the dob.
Repeat this step for your bowtie and bunny ears.
Your bunny is ready for frosting!
7 When all pieces for the bunny head are in place, use the remainder of your icing to frost the entirety of the cake. A perfectly smooth, iced surface is not necessary.
My icing skills haven’t grown much beyond my earliest icing experiences as a kid. I think the rough icing texture looks a little like bunny fur, anyway (wink).
8 Dump some shredded coconut into a bowl – I used about 1 cup. Add drops of green food coloring and stir. This is used for the “grass” around the bunny.
9 Now for the good stuff – use candy pieces to decorate your Easter Bunny cake. Be sure to give him eyes, a nose and whiskers! And, try not to eat all of the candy as you go.
I used Twizzler’s Pull’n’Peel candy, jellybeans and M&M’s for my bunny mister. Carefully place a little of your shredded coconut “grass” around the bunny head to complete the cake.
Looking for an Easter craft, to help decorate the table around your bunny cake? Check out Babbs’ simple how-to for creating these adorable Spindle Carrots. Hoppy Easter!
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
