Easter Bunny Cake From Scratch

Every Easter needs a bunny cake. Not, heaven forbid, something fancy and professional looking. Just a sweet, coconut-covered bunny with jellybean eyes staring up from the table. This is the kind of cake that makes kids light up and adults feel like kids again. Two round pans, a knife, and a bag of coconut. That’s really all it takes.

The cake is soft and light…cake flour and sour cream keep it tender, and the mix of butter and oil gives it richness without being heavy. The buttercream has a touch of almond that pairs perfectly with the coconut and makes it taste almost like a wedding cake. A marriage to a bunny, perhaps. And shaping it into a bunny is honestly the fun part. It’s not hard, I promise.

What You’ll Need

Even if you think you don’t like almond, I encourage you to add the almond extract. It adds such great flavor. But if you really hate it, just leave it out and use more vanilla.

Cake

• 2 ½ cups cake flour (300g)  all-purpose works in a pinch, just slightly denser
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 4 egg whites whole eggs work too, use 3 instead of 4
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Frosting

• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Decorating

• 3-4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• Pink coloring gel
• Jellybeans

Instructions

Mix the Dry Ingredients

Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl and add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Sift everything together and set it aside. Sifting does two things here—it breaks up any lumps in the cake flour and evenly distributes the leavening so your cake rises evenly. Don’t skip this step.

Cream the Butter, Oil, and Sugar, then add eggs

Add the softened butter, oil, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes until the mixture is light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

You want the butter truly soft here. Not melted, not cold with some give, but soft enough that you can press a finger into it easily. If your butter is still cold, cut it into pieces and let it sit out for about 20 minutes.

Once the mixture is light and fluffy, add the egg whites and mix on medium until fully incorporated, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Combine the Wet Ingredients

In a small bowl or a two-cup measuring cup, whisk together the milk, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Having this ready to go makes the next step smooth and easy.

Alternate Dry and Wet Into the Batter

This is the part where people get nervous, but it’s simple once you get the rhythm. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and mix on low until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture, mix on low until combined. Repeat with another third of the flour, then the rest of the milk, mixing on low each time. Finish with the last third of flour and mix until it just comes together. Give the batter one final stir with a rubber spatula to catch anything hiding at the bottom of the bowl.

The key word here is “low.” You’re not trying to whip this batter—you’re gently combining. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and gives you a tough, dense cake instead of a soft, tender one. As soon as you don’t see streaks of flour, stop.

Fill the Pans and Bake

Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared pans. If you have a kitchen scale, aim for about 675 grams per pan. It’s the easiest way to get even layers. If you don’t have a scale, just eyeball it as best you can.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes. You’re looking for a deep golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center that comes out clean. The lower temperature is intentional—it gives you a more even bake with a lighter, more tender crumb.

Cool the Cakes

Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen the cake, then invert them onto the racks to cool completely, for about an hour. Don’t rush this. If you frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt right off and you’ll have a mess on your hands.

Make the Buttercream

Add the softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium-high for three to four minutes until it’s creamy and noticeably lighter in color. This step matters! Really creaming the butter gives you a smoother, lighter frosting and helps it look whiter once the powdered sugar goes in.

Add the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low at first so you don’t send a cloud of sugar across your kitchen, then increasing to medium to fully incorporate. Add the vanilla and almond extract along with one to two tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. Add more cream a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is spreadable but still holds its shape. You want it thick enough to hold coconut in place but soft enough to spread easily.

Cut the Bunny Shape

This is the fun part, and it’s easier than it looks. Take one of your cooled cake layers and measure about two and a half inches from one edge toward the center. Using the cake pan as a straight-edge guide, cut a long curved piece—that’s one ear. Repeat on the opposite side. You’ll end up with two ear shapes and a bowtie-shaped piece in the middle.

Place the uncut round cake on your serving board or platter. Arrange the two ears at the top and the bowtie at the bottom. Stand back and look at it before you start frosting—this is your chance to adjust the placement.

Frost and Decorate

Frost the face and ears with a generous layer of white buttercream and immediately press on the white coconut while the frosting is still tacky. Work in sections so the frosting doesn’t crust over before you get the coconut on.

For the pink coconut, put about a cup and a half of coconut in a plastic bag, add a small amount of pink food coloring gel, and shake the bag until the color is evenly distributed. Start with less color than you think you need—you can always add more.

Tint about a cup of the remaining frosting light pink. Spread the pink frosting over the bowtie, then press on the pink coconut. Add a little pink coconut to the face for cheeks and to the inside of each ear.

Now for the details! Two dark jellybeans for the eyes and a pink one for the nose. Decorate the bowtie with jellybeans, sprinkles, M&M’s, or whatever Easter candy you like. For whiskers, you can use edible grass, thin strips of licorice, or even strings of pink gum. This is where you make it yours, and this is where kids love to help.

Cover and Serve

Cover the cake loosely until you’re ready to serve.

Storage Instructions

It keeps beautifully at room temperature for three to four days, or you can refrigerate it for up to a week. If you do refrigerate it, let it sit out for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up and the cake comes to room temperature.

Planning Your Easter Dinner

This is the perfect Easter dessert, but let me help you with the rest of the meal.

• Cider Glazed Ham is the main course you need.
• Scalloped potatoes done right with white cheddar on top.
• Everyone loves super soft old-fashioned yeast rolls.
• Some type of green vegetable would be nice.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Printable Recipe