Printable Recipe: Vanilla Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

Vanilla Easter Bunny Cake Recipe (Bunny Head)

This Easter bunny cake recipe is so cute and fun, the kids will go crazy for it. While the Easter bunny cake recipe above is rather simple and elegant-looking, this bunny head cake allows you to go all-out. Let the kids help decorate, go for crazy colors, add lots of candy... the sky's the limit!

This cake recipe makes a moist, buttery yellow cake that's just wonderful, along with a tasty vanilla buttercream frosting. But you can use any kind of cake and frosting you like-- have fun with it! Serves 10-12.

Yellow Cake Ingredients:
4 lg. eggs, separated
1 C. butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. flaked coconut

Frosting Ingredients:
1 C. butter, softened
3 1/2 C. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt

Bunny Decorating Ingredients:
Flaked coconut
Colored coconut "grass" or color of your choice (optional)
Various candies for face, whiskers, bow tie decoration, etc.

Cake Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and flour and grease two 9" round cake pans.

2. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Reserve yolks.

3. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar. Mix on medium another two minutes or so, or until fluffy.

4. Add egg yolks and beat about 1 minute more. Add vanilla extract.

5. In a third mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork.

6. Alternating with buttermilk, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches. Mix well (but don't over beat) after each addition. Stir in coconut.

7. Fold in egg whites with a rubber spatula.

8. Divide batter evenly between your two prepared pans (you may have a little extra).

9. Bake about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Frosting Instructions: 1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt. Blend well.

2. Add milk and vanilla. Beat several minutes over medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.

Assembling Easter Bunny Cake: 1. Set one of your two layers aside for the bunny's head. Cut half-circles from each side of the other layer (see diagram below) to create two ears and a bow-tie.

2. To make the cake easier to frost, freeze cut cake pieces about 1 hour (you can freeze your "head" layer, too, if you like). This will keep the cut parts of the cake from coming loose as you frost.

3. Place "head" layer on your serving tray. Attach ears with frosting, then place the bow-tie about 1/2 inch from the bottom of head.

4. Carefully frost entire bunny. Coat with flaked coconut (colored or plain) for "fur." Decorate as desired with jellybeans, candy-coated chocolate, licorice whips, colored frosting, etc. Have fun with it!

5. Surround with colored coconut "grass" if desired.