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This cute Easter Bunny Cake is made easy by using cake mix and a simple coconut buttercream frosting. Finish with coconut shreds and candy! Want more Easter dessert ideas? Check out my Easter dessert recipes!
Coconut Cake Made Easy!
While I do have a homemade coconut cake recipe that I love, I made this Easter Bunny Cake from a boxed vanilla cake mix and added coconut shreds and extract. This is a quicker process and the store-bought mix tends to make a sturdier cake whereas my homemade coconut cake has a more tender crumb.
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
While the cake for this recipe is store-bought, I don’t cut any corners with the frosting. There’s nothing like a homemade buttercream frosting. You get to control how sweet, buttery, or thick you want it. So I took my basic buttercream frosting recipe and revamped it with coconut oil and extract!
Another option would be to use my coconut cream cheese frosting from this recipe, which is also superb.
Decorations
Once you bake your cakes and make your frosting, it’s time to assemble the whole thing to make it look like a cute little white bunny. I do this by using shredded coconut for fur, a pink Cadbury Mini Egg for the nose, and 2 Biscotti Cookies covered in white and pink frosting for the ears. You are welcome to go the extra mile and use colored frosting for the eyes, whiskers, and maybe even some fake grass surrounding the bunny. But I kept mine pretty simple. 🙂
How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake
This recipe will be enough to make 2 (8 inch cakes), so I ended up making 2 bunny cakes! For full recipe details, including ingredients needed and measurements, see the recipe card down below. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this bunny cake:
Make the Coconut Cake
Preheat the oven. Line two 8-inch, light-colored round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper. Set aside.
Make cake mix according to package directions. Stir in shredded coconut and coconut extract.
Divide evenly between two cake pans and bake 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs after being inserted.
Set cakes aside to cool completely on cooling racks. After 15 minutes when pans are cool enough to handle, flip out of the cake pans to finish cooling.
Make the Coconut Buttercream Frosting
In a large bowl, beat butter and coconut oil together until well combined using the paddle attachment. Add in powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and coconut extract.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly stream in the milk bit by bit until a thick and creamy buttercream forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again. Buttercream should hold its shape but easily spread with a butter knife.
Cut and Assemble Cakes
Cut any domed tops off the baked cakes. Remove the parchment paper if stuck to the bottom.
Cut each cake in half width-wise and spread one half with buttercream. Stack the other cake on top to create a sandwiched look. Stand it up cut-side down onto a plate or serving platter.
Cut a medium-sized scoop shape out of one side of the sandwiched cakes to form the back and neck of the bunny. Use this piece of cake (or a part of this cake) to form the tail of the bunny.
Decorate Cakes
Spread the entire cake with coconut buttercream, then cover with more shredded coconut.
Finish the cakes by adding frosting to 2 Biscotti Cookies to each cake, followed by adding some pink frosting in the middle of each ear. Stick ears on the bunny head and add a pink Cadbury Mini Egg for the nose.
Make Ahead + Storage
You can store this Easter Bunny Cake whole in the fridge, covered, for a day or two. A couple of hours before serving take it out to bring it to room temperature.
Storing Easter Bunny Cake
If you’re storing leftovers, store them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
More Festive Easter Desserts to Try!
- Peanut Butter Eggs
- Easter Dirt Cake
- Cadbury Egg Cookies
- Marshmallow Potato Chip Easter Nests
- Nutella Deviled Strawberries
- Favorite Coconut Cake
- Easter Rice Krispie Treats
Try this Bunny Cake recipe this Easter! The printable recipe card is below. Happy baking, friends! 🙂
Easter Bunny Cake
Ingredients
For the Coconut Cake
- 15.25 oz vanilla cake mix I used betty crocker
- 3 whole eggs adjust according to cake mix brand
- 1 cup water adjust according to cake mix brand
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil adjust according to cake mix brand
- 3/4 cup shredded desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
For the Coconut Buttercream
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup coconut oil room temperature
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 3 tablespoons milk give or take 1 tablespoon
- 2 cups shredded desiccated coconut for garnish
- 2 pink Cadbury mini egg one for each cake
- 4 Biscotti Cookies two for each cake
Equipment
- 2 8-inch round cake pans
- Parchment Paper for lining bottom of cake pans
Instructions
Make the Coconut Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8-inch, light colored round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make cake mix according to package directions. Stir in shredded coconut and coconut extract. Divide evenly between two cake pans and bake 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs after being inserted.
- Set cakes aside to cool completely on cooling racks. After 15 minutes when pans are cool enough to handle, flip out of the cake pans to finish cooling.
Make the Coconut Buttercream
- In a large bowl, beat butter and coconut oil together until well combined using the paddle attachment. Add in powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and coconut extract. With the mixer on low speed, slowly stream in milk bit by bit until a thick and creamy buttercream forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and beat again. Buttercream should hold its shape, but easily spread with a butter knife.
Assemble the Bunnies
- Cut any domed tops off the the baked cakes. Remove the parchment paper if stuck to the bottom. Cut each cake in half width-wise and spread one half with buttercream. Stack the other cake on top to create a sandwiched look. Stand it up cut side down onto a plate or serving platter.
- Cut a medium sized scoop shape out of one side of the sandwiched cakes to form the back and neck of the bunny. Use this piece of cake (or a part of this cake) to form the tail of the bunny.
- Spread the entire cake with coconut buttercream, then cover with more shredded coconut.
- Finish the cakes by frosting 2 Biscotti cookies with white and then pink frosting. Place ears onto the cake and add a pink Cadbury Mini Egg on for the nose.
