This Easter Bunny Cake looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to make. With boxed cake mix, smooth buttercream, and easy decorating tips, this sweet bunny dessert is perfect for your Easter celebration and sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Equipment
- 2 small round piping tip such as #3
- large baking sheet or cutting board, for serving
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) white cake mix
- 4 egg whites, or as per cake mix directions
- 1 cup water, or as per cake mix directions
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or as per cake mix directions
Buttercream
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 5 cups confectioners sugar
- 4-5 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Decorating
- pink food coloring
- black food coloring
- sprinkles or candy, optional
Instructions
Bake cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (or according to cake mix directions). Spray two 9-inch or 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment.
- Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions, dividing the batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake as instructed on the box. Allow the cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and allow to cool completely (45–60 minutes).
Make buttercream
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy and pale, about 3–4 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sugar and mix on low until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat until thick and well combined.
- Add vanilla and 3 Tablespoons cream. Beat until smooth, adding more cream 1 Tbsp at a time until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
Color frosting
- Remove ½ cup frosting and use food coloring to dye pink. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Remove 2 Tablespoons of frosting, color black, and transfer to a separate piping bag with a small round tip.
Cut cake pieces
- Place one cake on a cutting board. Using the cake pan as a guide, position it about 2½ inches from the edge and use a serrated knife to cut a half-circle to form one ear. Repeat on the opposite side for the second ear.
- The remaining center piece will form the bow tie. The second cake stays whole for the bunny's face.
Assemble & decorate
- Arrange the cake pieces on a large baking sheet or cutting board: whole cake for the face, two oval ear pieces, and the bow-tie piece.
- Frost the tops and sides of all cake pieces.
- Pipe pink frosting inside the ears, for the nose, mouth, and bow-tie outline. Smooth with a spoon or small offset spatula. Use remaining pink frosting to fill or border the bow tie.
- Pipe eyes and whiskers with black frosting. Decorate the bow tie with sprinkles or candy if desired.
Notes
Make sure cakes are fully cooled before cutting and frosting to prevent crumbs.
Use a small offset spatula or spoon to smooth piped frosting for clean lines.
Store cake covered at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 28mg | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg
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