Miss L was very sure what kind of cake she wanted for her first ever birthday party (and second ever birthday) – she declared it would be a “bunny cake” and so, in the family tradition, it was to be. She turns three this week so this post is long in my drafts folder.
A bunny cake is less fancy or involved than other cake challenges that my children have set me over the years and, for once, I decided not to make it any more complicated than it needed to be. Call it third-child-syndrome if you like. But then it was boring so I added a twist, a colourful twist.
The combination of coconut and buttercream in this recipe makes it just divine, I couldn’t stop eating it.This cake would be perfect to use around Easter too, when bunnies abound. (Or ahop) (ahem).
Fluffy Bunny Birthday Cake
Cake:
225g butter
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self raising flour
2 tablespoons of milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 different colours food colouring (I used pink and purple)
Icing and decoration
Buttercream
200g (7oz) butter (softened)
450g (1lb) icing sugar
50ml (2oz) milk
A couple of drops of red food colouring
3 small round sweets, I used smarties
A red licorice
Dessicated coconut (have a bag, then you’ll have leftovers)
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line the bottom of two 7-inch round sponge tins with baking paper and grease the sides.
Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy. (Think more white than yellow)
Sieve the flour. Lightly whisk the eggs with a fork and add the vanilla.
Slowly add the some egg then some flour gradually while still mixing on a low speed.
When the mixture is all added and well combined separate it into two bowls and add colouring to each to taste.
Mix well, then do blobs of each colour evenly into your prepared tins and swirl it together on top. Divide the mixture between two 7″ sandwich tins and bake for 25 minutes.
When you’re going to decorate the cake make the buttercream by mixing the icing sugar and butter in an electric mixer until it’s pale and fluffy. Really, really pale. I let mine mix for aaaaaaaages. Add a little milk to loosen and continue to mix if it gets too dry.
Two cakes ready for carving
When the cake is cooled cut one of the cakes into the following shape to make ears. You could use the middle to make a bow tie if you like but our bunny is a girl so didn’t care for wearing bowties 🙂
Place the ears at the top of one circle on a cake board.
Take a few tablespoons of coconut and place in a small box or jar. Add a VERY small amount of red food colouring, place the lid on and shake until the coconut is dyed pink. Then add the pink coconut as ear-lining in the centre of the bunny’s ears.
Add the mouth with licorice strings.
Happy bunny. No, that’s not an anchor, it’s his mouth OK?
The combination of coconut and buttercream is sooooo good and sooooo moreish I feel like making another bunny right now!
