Easter Bunny Cake Coconut (Printable Version)

A festive bunny-shaped cake with coconut fur and jelly bean accents, ideal for spring gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Frosting

10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

→ Decorations

14 - 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
15 - 1 large pink jelly bean for tail
16 - 4 large white jelly beans for paws
17 - 4 small pink jelly beans for paw pads
18 - Pink food coloring, optional
19 - 2 mini chocolate chips or black jelly beans for eyes

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla extract and enough milk to reach a spreadable consistency.
08 - Cut one cake round in half to create two semicircles. Place the whole cake round on a serving platter to form the bunny body. Attach the semicircles upright to one end to form the back and head.
09 - From the second cake, cut out two ear shapes and two paw shapes using a knife. Attach the ears and paws to the bunny body using frosting.
10 - Frost the entire cake generously with prepared frosting.
11 - Press shredded coconut over the frosted cake to resemble bunny fur, covering all frosted surfaces.
12 - Place the pink jelly bean as the tail. Position white and pink jelly beans on the paws for pads. Add mini chocolate chips or black jelly beans for eyes. Tint some coconut pink with food coloring for ear detail if desired.
13 - Refrigerate the decorated bunny cake until ready to serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that looks impossibly complicated but comes together from two humble cake rounds and some creative cutting.
  • Kids lose their minds over the jelly bean details, and honestly, adults do too—it becomes the memory of the meal, not just dessert.
  • The actual cake is a buttery, tender vanilla that tastes as good as it looks, so you're not sacrificing flavor for presentation.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable for this recipe—cold eggs and cold butter will cause the batter to separate and create an oddly textured cake that won't hold frosting or decorations properly.
  • Don't skip cooling the cakes completely before assembling; warm cake crumbles and tears, making it nearly impossible to cut clean shapes for the ears and paws.
  • Press coconut onto frosting that's cool but still slightly tacky—if the frosting is too firm, the coconut won't stick; if it's too warm, the cake will shift under the weight.
03 -
  • Use a turntable while frosting if you have one—it's not essential, but rotating the cake as you work makes the whole process faster and creates more even coverage.
  • Freeze the unfrosted, assembled cake for an hour before decorating so the frosting adheres better and doesn't shift the structure around.
  • Place your finished bunny on a cake board or serving platter slightly larger than the cake itself so you have room to work and room for presentation.
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