Easter Bunny Cake Coconut Fur (Printable Version)

Whimsical bunny-shaped cake topped with shredded coconut and colorful jelly bean accents for spring.

# 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
16 - 4 large white jelly beans
17 - 4 small pink jelly beans
18 - Pink food coloring, optional
19 - 2 mini chocolate chips or black jelly beans

# Steps to Follow:

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 flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
06 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla extract and milk until reaching spreadable consistency.
08 - Cut one cake round in half to create two semicircles. Place whole cake round on serving platter for bunny body. Attach semicircles standing upright at one end for bunny back and head.
09 - From second cake, cut out two ear shapes and two paw shapes using serrated knife. Attach ears and paws to bunny body using frosting.
10 - Frost entire cake generously with prepared frosting using offset spatula.
11 - Press shredded coconut over frosted cake to resemble bunny fur, covering all frosted surfaces.
12 - Place pink jelly bean for tail. Arrange white and pink jelly beans on paws for paw pads. Add mini chocolate chips or black jelly beans for eyes. Tint some coconut pink with food coloring for ear details if desired.
13 - Refrigerate completed cake until ready to serve.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's surprisingly manageable even if you're not a decorator—wonky ears and lumpy fur somehow add to the charm.
  • The cake itself is a classic vanilla layer that people actually want to eat, not just Instagram.
  • Kids can help with decorating, turning baking into a full family event rather than a solo kitchen project.
02 -
  • If your first cake is still warm when you try to stack it, it'll slide and collapse—plan to do the assembly after everything's completely cooled and you've actually had a coffee break.
  • Use frosting as your structural glue, not just decoration, because those ear and paw pieces are heavier than they look once you press coconut on them.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients (especially eggs) cream together smoothly and create a more tender final crumb, which matters when you're carving.
  • Press the coconut on while the frosting is still soft so it adheres properly instead of sliding off once the frosting sets.
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