Sparrowsfly’s Blog

Over Easter weekend I spent a lot of time cooking and enjoying my family’s company. Along with my usual assortment of recipes, I decided to try something a little more creative and made a pair bunny cakes. I found the directions for the shape of the cakes here, at the Betty Crocker website. I used carrot cake and coconut frosting recipes from the cookbook, Vegan with a Vengeance.

One entire recipe made two bunny cakes. I omitted some of the more expensive ingredients (macadamia nuts and crystalized ginger) for a cheaper, simpler recipe. The cake was delicious and no one had a clue it was vegan. I baked it in two 9 inch round pans (even though the recipe calls for 8 inch round pans) and had to take it out about 10 minutes early. To get a perfectly cooked cake just watch the cake until the sides begin to pull away from the pan. To double check I  stick a tooth pick in the middle; if it comes out clean then the cake is ready.

Before frosting, I cooled the cake for 4 hours. I left the frosting out at room temperature for an hour before decorating the cake. Once I was ready, I frosted the tops of both the cakes. I also put some frosting on the plate where I was going to place the cakes to hold them in place. I followed the instructions and cut the cakes in half and placed them on their sides. The Vegan with a Vengeance carrot cake was perfectly firm enough for this kind of project without sacrificing any of the moisture or deliciousness. Cutting the cake into the right shape was easier than I thought it would be. I used a small serrated knife and a gentle touch.

Once the cake was frosted I decorated the  bunnies with candy. This is the fun part, so be creative with what kind of candy you use. To make the ears I used white chocolate. I simply melted the chocolate in the microwave, at 30 second intervals. Make sure to stir the chocolate in between the 30 second intervals because melted chocolate holds its form in the microwave. It usually takes about 3-4 times for the chocolate to be completely melted. I then pour the chocolate onto wax paper and let it harden. Try to get it in the general shape of the ears that you want (I cut out a pattern from a piece of paper). Once cooled in the refrigerator (maybe about 10-15 minutes) shave off any of the excess chocolate to smooth out the shape. Take the left over chocolate and melt it again; this time add a drop of red food coloring to make the pink inside of the ear. Make the same shape as the white part of the ear but smaller. Put some melted chocolate in between the white and pink part of the ear to hold it together.

The end result was quite fun and made all the kids (and adults) laugh. At one point, with all the camera flashes, I thought we had celebrities in the house.