Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Easter Bunny Cake Hop into spring with this sweet Easter cake. By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 12, 2020 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Jump to recipe When we think of spring, we think of blooming flowers, Easter eggs, and fluffy bunnies. In honor of one of our favorite holidays, we decided to dress up our Easter table with a dessert that's both impressive and absolutely delicious. This Bunny Cake, made with a moist coconut cake recipe, cream cheese frosting, and plenty of fluffy coconut, is a stunning centerpiece that doesn't take nearly as much time to prepare as you'd think. Though we're partial to a coconut cake come springtime, you can substitute the base of your Easter cake with any flavor of your choosing. Start with your preferred white cake mix. Once it's baked, the real fun begins. Just a few slices is all it takes to carve this precious woodland creature before adding shredded coconut, pink gummies, and ear-shaped meringue to complete the design. The result is almost too adorable to eat. Ingredients Cake 3 large eggs 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream 1/3 cup water 1 (8.5-ounce) can cream of coconut 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting Vanilla Meringue Cookies 3 egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup superfine sugar Garnish Shredded coconut Pink candy melts Pink gummy candy Directions Beat eggs at high speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Add sour cream, 1/3 cup water, and next 2 ingredients, beating well after each addition. Add cake mix, beating at low speed just until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9" circular pan. Bake at 325°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. Once cooled completely, cut the cake in half. These will be the two sides that make up the body of your bunny cake. Frost between your layers, and then prop up the cake on a frosted cardboard cake base to keep the cake in place. At the front of the cake, make a notch to form the bunny's head. Take a chunk of the cake scraps, and attach it to the back of the cake to form the bunny's tail. Once your bunny has begun to take shape, cover the whole body in frosting. Be sure to cover the cake in a thick layer, as this is what the coconut 'fur' will be adhering to. Gently pat your bunny with shredded coconut to give it a fluffy look. To make Vanilla Meringue Cookie ears, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla extract at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spoon mixture into 36 (1 1/4-inch) mounds onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place wooden skewers into mounds. Bake at 200° for 2 hours; turn oven off. Let meringues stand in closed oven with light on for 8 hours. Once cool, pipe on pink frosting or use pink Candy melts to create the inner ear. Complete the cake with a pink gummy nose. Print