I know, I know.
Is the whole bunny cake thing terrifying or adorable? I’ll admit the answer depends on the execution, but with sparkle sprinkle eyelashes I’m firmly in the adorable camp. (Also: where can I get sparkle sprinkle eyelashes?)
There have definitely been some terrifying ones in my day, but this is a classic, old-school cake. If you’ve been to an Easter brunch, lunch or dinner in the last few decades, you’ve likely seen the bunny cake — maybe you’ve tried it or even made one. It’s a staple for a reason: it’s almost embarrassingly simple and a lot of fun to decorate.
Since Max was born, I’ve talked a lot about wanting to create family traditions. I’m ridiculously nostalgic and my childhood was shaped by small rituals — some intentional, some accidental — that made ordinary days feel special. Those traditions ranged from major things, like annual summer vacations, to small comforts like eating the same dinner on Thursday nights.
For Easter, we always carved out a big chunk of time to dye eggs, and on Easter morning before church we’d hunt for eggs and baskets that the Easter Bunny had hidden. My mom still hides eggs — well, sometimes one of my brothers does — and we still spend hours dyeing them. The grown-up version often involves wine, but the ritual is the same.
This year I want to start another tradition: decorating a bunny cake together, kind of like making a gingerbread house but for Easter. Max is still a little young to really get the decorating, but later this week I’ll make another cake for our brunch and might let him decorate his own — a “Max masterpiece,” as we call his creations.
I partnered with M&M’S to decorate the bunny cake because we love the pastel candies. Seasonal M&M’S felt like part of our own Easter rituals growing up — my mom always had little bowls of them for snacking and decorating. They’re an easy, colorful finishing touch that doubles as decor in the kitchen.
About the cake: the base is a coconut confetti cake from my cookbook, Seriously Delish. I used that confetti batter and folded in angel-flake coconut for extra texture and flavor — a nod to my grandma’s favorite. The frosting is a coconut cream cheese frosting, and the whole thing is delicious.
It’s also very straightforward. You bake two round cakes — boxed mix is fine if that’s easiest — let them cool, then slice one round to form the ears and the bowtie. That shaping step is the trickiest part, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. A slightly uneven cut gives the bunny character.
I debated the bowtie — this is such an old-school design that the bowtie feels classic. But I also didn’t want extra cake going to waste. If you end up with scraps, make cake balls if you’re feeling ambitious; otherwise, snacking solo is an acceptable plan.
After the cakes are baked and cooled, frost the assembled bunny and press sweetened shredded coconut onto the face and ears to mimic fur. The coconut adds flavor and texture — bunnies have fur, after all. Then decorate however you like: M&M’S make perfect eyes, nose, bowtie accents and cheek details, and a few sprinkles add eyelashes or extra charm. You don’t need an array of candy to make an adorable face — a single bag of pastel M&M’S and some sprinkles will do the job.
And the final step? Eating it. Cutting bunny cake slices can feel a little tragic if you’re attached to the whole presentation, but it’s also the best part.
Confetti Coconut Classic Bunny Cake
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 2 egg whites
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 bag Easter pastel M&M’S
- ½ cup assorted brightly colored sprinkles, plus extra for decorating
coconut cream cheese frosting
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks of cold cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and egg whites and mix on medium until combined. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the oil and vanilla and beat another minute. With the mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, then pour in the milk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in 1 cup of coconut, then gently fold in the sprinkles.
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Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until the tops are set, about 25–30 minutes. Cool completely, then turn the cakes out onto parchment paper.
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Take one round and cut two curves on the outside edge to form the ears and create the bowtie from the remaining piece.
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Frost the assembled cake, then immediately press shredded coconut onto the face and ears. Use M&M’S and sprinkles to create eyes, a nose, a mouth, cheeks and decorate the bowtie.
coconut cream cheese frosting
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Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on low, then increase speed. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and beat on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Notes
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The best part is how this cake makes you feel like a kid again — genuinely happy and a little bit nostalgic.
[This post is brought to you by M&M’S®. I partnered with them to create a few seasonal recipes for their Pinterest page and will share more over the next few months. Thank you for supporting the site.]