How to Make a Bunny Cake

Learn how to make a bunny cake with your favorite cake recipe or from a box cake mix. I used an apple cake recipe for mine with a cream cheese icing. Many of us like to make this cake around Easter time.  I usually make this small bunny below and sometimes a larger Easter bunny. If you follow tradition, it is said that the Easter bunny brings baskets of eggs for this holiday. I would be more readily to believe the chicken brings the basket of colored eggs. But what do I know! 

How to Make a Bunny CakeHow to Make a Bunny Cake

Supposedly, the reasoning behind learning how to make the Easter bunny cake is that gives birth to large litters and it is a sign of fertility or new birth in the spring. As with most Christian holidays, there is also a pagan side and the Easter bunny is that to Easter. You can learn how to make this bunny cake which can be made with your favorite cake recipe like a coconut cake, chocolate cake or even from a box cake mix. The idea is in the shaping of the cake. I used an apple cake recipe for mine with a cream cheese icing.


You can create a bunny cake by several different means. The first and probably the easiest is if you have a special bunny shaped pan. You can also make bunnies by baking in regular shaped pans like round ones and loaf pans. I make many bunnies with the loaf pan which always turns out very nice and is easy to do. You can also use bunny shaped cookies, bunny shaped candies and bunnies made with marzipan to decorate the cakes.  Novelty bunnies from craft stores make cute decorations to use on cakes. A good time to buy these is right after Easter when they are reduced in price. Use your imagination with the following cake recipes.

Watch to Learn How to Make a Bunny Cake

APPLE CAKE RECIPE

  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 2 ¼ Cups flour
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Cup buttermilk
  • 2 Eggs
  • ½ Cup soft butter
  • 3 Cups peeled sliced apples
  • ½ Cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease and flour a loaf baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar.

Sift together the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt; Add alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture; beat until well blended.

Fold in the apples and nuts.

Spoon into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.

Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE

  • 8 Ounces cream cheese
  • ¼ Cup soft butter
  • 1 Pound powdered sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla

Beat all together until creamy and fluffy; Frost cake.

Cover top and sides of cake with cream cheese frosting recipe then cover with coconut.

Cut ears and tail from construction paper and decorate with jelly bean candy.

EASTER BUNNY COFFEECAKE with walnuts, coconut and cherries 

Easter Bunny Coffee CakeEaster Bunny Coffee Cake
Bake Dough in RollsBake Dough in Rolls

Yeast Dough

  • 2 ¾ to 3 ¼ Cups flour
  • 21Package dry yeast
  • 1 Cup milk
  • 1/3   Cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons shortening
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Egg

Filling

  • 2/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons softened butter
  • ½ Cup flaked coconut
  • ½ Cup finely chopped walnuts
  • ½ Cup chopped maraschino cherries

TO MAKE DOUGH combine 1 ½ cups flour and yeast in large bowl.

In a saucepan heat the milk, sugar, shortening and salt to 115F to 120F degrees.

NOTE: Stir constantly until shortening melts.

With mixer beat milk mixture into the flour yeast mixture.

Add eggs beating on low until combined; beat on high for 3 minutes.

Use a spoon and stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic.

NOTE: Knead in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough (No longer sticky).

Shape into a ball; place in a lightly greased bowl turning to coat all sides.

Cover and let rise about 1 ¼ hours until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

FOR FILLING combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Combine coconut, walnuts and chopped maraschino cherries; set aside.

Roll dough out to a rectangle about 7X16 inches; spread with softened butter.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over butter; sprinkle coconut mixture over sugar.

Beginning on long side roll up jelly roll style. Cut into 15 even pieces.

Place pieces cut side down in greased bunny cake pan.

Cover with towel and let rise about 30 minutes until doubled.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375F degrees.

Bake about 30 minutes until top is lightly browned; cool 5 minutes.

Turn bunny out onto a large tray; decorate with icing.

NOTE: This is a cute bunny cake when decorated with powdered sugar icing, adding eyes and whiskers. Sometimes before putting rolls in pan, I place a cherry in the pan for the nose and a HALF of a date for each eye.

OPTION: Cut the roll in 12 equal parts and place each in a buttered large muffin tin. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Fresh Baked from the OvenFresh Baked from the Oven

LAZY DAISY CAKE RECIPE (also called hot milk cake recipe)

This very old Lazy Daisy Cake recipe came from a period of time when we were not so prosperous. I am not sure how old but my family occasionally baked it during the Depression. Back then it was even hard to have the flour, sugar and especially any coconut. As you can see the size of the cake was smaller than what we normally make today. Large families were grateful to each have a bite of this delicious delicacy.


To make a bunny cake recipe from this, cool after baking for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a baking tray. Spread with the broiled frosting recipe and broil. When cake is cool, cut the cake in half; stack one half on top of the other half turning the top with coconut topping down. (The two toppings make a nice filling) Frost cake with cream cheese frosting recipe; cover with coconut and decorate.

  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • ½ Cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease and flour 8 inch square pan.

Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and beat until thick.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture.

Heat milk with butter just to boiling point and add to the mixture.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Cool and frost with broiled coconut frosting recipe below.

BROILED COCONUT FROSTING RECIPE

  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons softened butter
  • ½ Cup shredded coconut
  • 2 Tablespoons cream

Combine all ingredients and spread on cooled cake; place under broiler until brown and bubbly.

NOTE: Watch cake carefully under broiler, it will burn quickly.

CASSATA RUM TORTE

Make a bunny cake with a tasty cassata run torte.

  • 1 ½ Cups flour
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 ½ Cups sugar
  • ¾ Cup milk
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ Cup light rum
  • ¼ Cup almond liqueur
  • 2 Cups whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Ounce semi sweet chocolate (Grated)
  • ½ Cup ricotta cheese (Sieved)
  • ¼ Teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 Teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 Cup chopped toasted almonds
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate dipped almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease 8 to 9 inch spring form pan.

Combine flour and baking powder in bowl; set aside.

Heat and stir milk with butter until butter melts; set aside.

In small bowl beat eggs on high speed of mixer until thick about 4 minutes.

Add flour mixture to eggs; beat on medium speed just to combine.

Add milk butter mixture to the batter; beat until combined.

Turn batter into prepared pan; bake 40 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes; loosen edges with a knife and remove from pan.

Cool cake completely.

Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers.

Combine rum and liqueur; set aside.

NOTE: I slowly heat the alcohols with 2 tablespoons pineapple juice to remove alcohol.

In a large mixer bowl combine cream, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Beat mixture until soft peaks form.

Place 1 cake layer on cake plate; spoon ONE-THIRD of rum over layer.

Top with ONE-FOURTH of the whipped cream.

Sprinkle with a FULL TABLESPOON of grated chocolate.

Repeat with the second cake layer, rum, whipped cream and chocolate.

Top with LAST cake layer; makes holes on top with fork.

Spoon remaining rum over the top.

To the remaining whipped cream blend in ricotta, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Frost top and sides of cake with ricotta mixture.

Sprinkle remaining chocolate over the top; press almonds to the sides.

Chill cake for several hours.

Garnish with rosettes of whipped cream and chocolate dipped almonds.

NOTE: This becomes a pretty Easter bunny cake by adding cookie, candy or meringue bunnies around the side of cake.

UPSIDE DOWN SWEET POTATO CAKE

Make a bunny cake with a sweet potato cake.

  • ¾ Cup cane syrup (OR corn syrup) (Divided)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 ½ Cups sliced sweet potatoes (Raw, peeled, sliced thin)
  • 1 ¾ Cups self rising flour
  • ¾ Cup sugar
  • ¼ Cup whole milk
  • 10 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 3 Beaten eggs
  • ¾ Cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine 2 tablespoons butter and ½ CUP syrup in 10 inch iron skillet.

Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook for 1 minute.

Set off heat; layer sweet potato slices in skillet overlapping slightly.

In a large mixing bowl sift together flour and sugar.

Add ¼ CUP of the syrup, milk, melted butter, eggs and sour cream.

On low speed beat mixture until smooth.

Gently spoon batter over the sweet potatoes.

Bake about 30 minutes or until cake is set and golden brown.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; place plate over cake and invert onto cake.

NOTE: Turn into a bunny cake by adding novelty Easter bunnies or your favorite decorations.

CAPPUCCINO TORTE RECIPE

Crust

  • 1 ¼ Cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • 1/3 Cup melted butter

Ganache

  • 2 ½ Cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 Cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ Cup butter (In cubes)
  • 2 Tablespoons corn syrup

Cappuccino Butter Cream

  • 1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1 Tablespoon hot water
  • 1 ½ Cups brown sugar
  • ½ Cup water
  • 6 Egg yolks (Beaten lightly)
  • 1 ½ Cups softened butter
  • 4 Ounces unsweetened chocolate (Melted and cooled)

Coffee Whipped Cream

  • 1 ¼ Cups heavy whipping cream (Divided)
  • 2 Teaspoons instant coffee granules
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon vanilla
  • Chocolate curls for garnish

FOR CRUST combine crumbs, sugar and butter in a large bowl.

Press mixture onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan; chill.

FOR GANACHE place chocolate chips in a large bowl.

In small saucepan bring cream JUST to a boil.

Pour cream over the chocolate chips stirring until smooth.

Cool mixture slightly stirring occasionally; pour over the crust.

Place pan in refrigerator and chill until firm about 2 hours.

FOR BUTTERCREAM dissolve coffee granules in the hot water.

Combine brown sugar and water in a large heavy saucepan.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat.

Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat.

Stir a small amount of the hot sugar mixture into the beaten yolks.

Return all to the saucepan; stirring constantly cook until thickened (2-5 minutes).

Stir in the dissolved coffee mixture; cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl beat butter until fluffy; gradually beat in cooked sugar mixture.

Beat on high speed until fluffy and light caramel color (About 2 minutes).

Beat in cooled chocolate until blended; spread over ganache layer.

Refrigerate about 4 hours or overnight.

COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM prepare several hours before serving.

Combine 1 TABLESPOON cream and coffee in a small bowl stirring to dissolve.

Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla beating until stiff peaks form.

Carefully run a knife around edges of pan to loosen; remove sides.

Frost top with whipped cream; garnish with chocolate curls.

NOTE: Make a bunny cake by adding your own decorations.

Refrigerate torte.