Sparkle Easter Bunny Cake (Printable Version)

Moist vanilla cake shaped like a bunny, topped with buttercream and sparkling gold sprinkles.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk

→ For the Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
12 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt

→ For Decoration

14 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
15 - Pink gel food coloring
16 - 2 large marshmallows
17 - 2 mini marshmallows
18 - Black licorice laces or black gel icing
19 - Gold sprinkles

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and smooth.
09 - Place one cake round as the bunny face. Cut two ovals from the second round for ears; use the remaining piece for the bowtie. Arrange on a large platter to form the bunny.
10 - Frost entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream, chill for 20 minutes, then apply a thick, even layer.
11 - Press shredded coconut onto the frosted areas to create fur texture.
12 - Tint a small amount of coconut with pink food coloring for the inner ears and nose; arrange accordingly.
13 - Use marshmallows for cheeks and teeth, black licorice laces or gel for whiskers and eyes.
14 - Decorate with gold sprinkles for a sparkling finish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake itself is genuinely moist and tender, so the structure holds up beautifully even when assembled into an elaborate bunny shape.
  • Decorating it feels less like baking and more like creating edible art, which means kids and adults alike get genuinely excited to help.
  • That coconut fur texture tricks people into thinking you spent hours on this when really you just pressed it onto buttercream.
02 -
  • The most common mistake is rushing the cooling step; warm cake falls apart when you try to assemble it, so genuinely wait until it's completely cool or even slightly chilled.
  • If your buttercream looks grainy, it means your powdered sugar wasn't sifted or your butter temperature was off; sift through a fine mesh and start with softened (not melted) butter.
03 -
  • Have all your eggs and milk sitting out for at least 30 minutes before baking; room temperature ingredients blend smoother and create a more tender cake than cold ones straight from the fridge.
  • The secret to frosting that's both spreadable and fluffy is beating it longer than you think necessary, at least a full minute after everything combines, which incorporates air and lightens the texture.
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