Sparkle Easter Bunny Cake (Printable)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ 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

# Method:

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 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 and use the remaining piece for the bowtie. Arrange on a large platter to form the bunny shape.
10 - Frost entire cake with a thin layer, chill for 20 minutes, then apply a thick, even layer of buttercream.
11 - Press shredded coconut onto the frosted areas.
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. Apply black licorice laces or gel for whiskers and eyes.
14 - Decorate with gold sprinkles for a sparkling finish.
15 - Serve and enjoy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist because of the milk-and-butter combination that keeps it tender for days.
  • Your kitchen smells like pure vanilla while it bakes, and that alone is worth the effort.
  • Decorating this bunny is honestly more fun than eating it—though the fluffy buttercream makes that a close call.
  • Kids and adults both slow down to admire it before digging in, which almost never happens with desserts.
02 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix together smoothly and create a finer crumb; cold eggs and butter lead to lumpy, separated batter that bakes unevenly.
  • The buttercream frosting needs to be at the right consistency—too thick and it tears the cake when you spread it, too thin and it slides right off—so add milk gradually and test as you go.
  • Decorations stick best when the frosting is still slightly soft, so work quickly after the thick coat goes on before it crusts over.
03 -
  • Invest in an offset spatula—it's the difference between a smooth frosting finish and one that looks like you fought with the cake, and it costs about five dollars.
  • Tint your coconut the day before decorating so you don't waste time mixing when you're excited to put the bunny together.
  • Keep your workspace cool and your frosting slightly chilled so it holds its shape when you spread and decorate; warm frosting spreads like butter and ruins your details.
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