Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

Vegan.

I know it's a little early, but I'm already feeling the spring air and getting in the Easter spirit.

This is my take on a classic 'Bunny and Carrot cake', inspired by Bakell on Pinterest!

3 layers of chocolate sponge, vanilla buttercream with 3d details and Easter sprinkles.

Simple yet effective- great for an Easter party, baby shower, birthday cake etc! 

Preparation- 2 hour

Baking time- 28-30 minutes

Serves- Approximately 10-12

Level- Medium

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Ingredients for the cake

-480ml of dairy-free milk 

 -2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

-420g of self-raising flour

-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

-470g of golden caster sugar

-1 teaspoon of baking powder

-1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

-120g of coconut oil (melted)

Ingredients for the buttercream

 -210g of dairy-free butter

-500g of icing sugar

-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

-Pink food colouring

-Orange food colouring

-Green food colouring

-Black food colouring

-Dairy-free milk (if needed)

Extras

-Vegan sprinkes

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To make the cakes

Step 1- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees c and line three 6 inch cake tins with grease-proof paper.

Step 2- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined.

Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan 'buttermilk'.

Step 3- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.

Step 4- Add the melted coconut oil into the 'buttermilk' and whisk to combine. 

Step 5- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.

Step 6- Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins.

Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.

Step 7- Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 28-30 minutes. You will know they are baked when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.

Step 8- Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully.

Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

To make the buttercream

Step 1- In a bowl/stand mixer, cream the butter on high then add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

Whip together until combined, light and fluffy.

Add a splash of dairy-free milk if too thick.

Step 2- Take 1/4 of the buttercream and place it into 4 separate bowls.

Colour one bowl with orange food colouring, the second with green, the third with black and leave the forth bowl plain white. 

Step 3- Colour the remaining 3/4 of the buttercream with pink food colouring,

Step 4- Stack and fill the cakes with the pink buttercream.

Step 5- Crumb coat the whole cake with pink buttercream and pop into the fridge to set. 

This will take around 1/2 hour.

Step 6- Add a thick layer of the pink buttercream all over the cake and using a smooth or textured cake scraper or large spatula, smooth out the buttercream.

Step 7- Place the white buttercream a piping bag fitted with a small patisserie nozzle and pipe a circle with 2 ears all around the cake, leaving spaces for the carrots.

Step 8- Place the orange buttercream into a piping bag with a leaf nozzle and pipe the bottom half of the carrot all around the cake.

Step 9- Place the green buttercream into a piping bag with a small round tip nozzle and pipe the top of the carrots (as seen in the photos) 

Step 10- Add the black buttercream into a piping bag and pip on 2 dots for the eyes onto each bunny.

Step 11- Add left over pink buttercream into a piping bag with a large star tip nozzle and pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake.