Easter Bunny Cake

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Easter Bunny Cake

 

1 standard white cake mix

 

3 cups cream cheese icing (recipe follows)

 

1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate morsels

2 blue, pink, or black jellybeans or Junior Mints

1 mini marshmallow

1 large marshmallow

Red or black licorice strings, cut into six 4-inch

lengths

Cornstarch for rolling

5 ounces ready-to-use rolled fondant (for ears)

Pesticide-free fresh or sugared flowers (optional)

2 sheets tissue paper

 

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted

 

Make the cake batter and divide between one 9-inch round

cake pan and two 6-inch round cake pans.

Bake as directed and let cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Make the frosting:

In a bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with

an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and

fluffy.

Beat in the orange zest (if using) and the vanilla.

Beat in the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time.

Continue beating until light and creamy.

Using a long serrated knife cut the 9-inch cake round in

half to form two half- moons.

Spread the top of one half moon with about 1/3 cup icing

and sandwich the halves together.

Place on a 12-inch round or oval platter, cut side down.

This will be the bunny's body.

Using a small offset spatula, frost the body with a very

thin coat of icing to seal the cake.

For the bunny haunches, cut one of the 6-inch cake rounds

in half to form two half moons.

Stand one half-moon on its cut side so the rounded side is

on top. Cut a small v-shaped notch from the far right of

the

rounded cake top to create a rabbit haunch.

Repeat with the second half of the cake.

Attach one haunch to either side of the bunny cake body

with a little frosting.

Give each haunch a thin coating of icing to seal the

cake.

Using a 4-inch round biscuit cutter cut out a round from

the

remaining 6-inch cake layer. (Or create a 4-inch round

cardboard template and place on cake and carefully cut

around with a serrated knife).

This will be the bunny head.

From the remaining cake, cut out a 2-inch round for the

tail. (If it isn't perfectly round, don't worry; it will be

covered with frosting).

On the bunny body, slice a narrow sliver of cake 2 inches

from the center of the rounded top, going toward the bottom

of the cake, to form a ledge for the bunny head.

Spread the 4-inch cake round with a thin coating of icing

and place on this ledge.

 

Give the 2-inch round cake tail a thin coating of icing and

press onto the back of the body, resting on the plate.

 

Frost the entire cake with a thicker coating of icing,

covering completely but allowing the indentations of the

bunny's form to remain distinct.

 

Place the white chocolate morsels in a heatproof bowl

placed over barely simmering water, or in a microwave safe

bowl.

Heat or microwave the chips, stirring as needed, until they

are melted and smooth. (About 1 to 2 minutes in the

microwave).

Pour the chocolate out onto the back of an aluminum-baking

sheet or onto the inside-bottom of a rimless baking sheet.

 

Using a long (12-inch) offset, or icing spatula, spread the

chocolate evenly about 1/16 inch thick.

Let firm up, but not become completely hard, about 5

minutes.

Place the baking sheet on a countertop and brace it against

your body.

Hold the blade of an 8-inch long metal icing spatula in

both hands and scrape the chocolate off the pan, toward

you, in large curls.

As the white chocolate continues to harden, the curls will

break and become large shards.

 

This is fine, as the white chocolate fur looks great when

it contains different sizes of curls and shards.

Your cake will resemble a fluffy angora bunny.

Press the white chocolate curls and shards all over the

bunny's face, body and tail to form fur.

Press the two jellybeans or Junior Mints into the face for

the eyes. Use the mini marshmallow for the nose.

 

Cut 1 large marshmallow in half and press the cut sides

into the frosting right under the nose to form cheeks.

Pierce each marshmallow cheek with three 4-inch licorice

lengths to form whiskers (or tuck the licorice strands

behind the marshmallow cheeks, if that is easier).

 

To make the bunny ears, dust a work surface and rolling pin

with cornstarch. Knead the fondant until smooth and

pliable. Roll into a 10-inch round.

Cut out a cardboard template of a 6-to 7-inch bunny ear,

with a nice pointed tip and squared-off bottom. Or be

daring, and cut the ear free hand.

Using a sharp paring knife or pizza wheel, cut two ears out

of the fondant.

 

Carefully pinch the squared-off end of the first ear

together and position the ear--pinched corners face

down--on the head to resemble a lop-eared rabbit.

Attach the second ear, leaving a 1/4-inch space between

them.

 

Place one or two fresh or sugared flowers (if using) in the

space between the ears for decoration. To prevent the ears

from drying too flat, and to give them a little expression,

crumple tissue paper into a ball and position it between

the drooping ear and the side of the cake.

Allow fondant ears to dry completely before removing the

tissue.

 

Surround the bunny cake with Easter grass made from

shredded coconut dyed a pale green, or surround the cake

with fresh or sugared flowers to give the illusion the

bunny is sitting in a flowerbed.

 

Cook's Note:

 

Color your bunny pink--or any other color you like--by

coloring the icing and white chocolate with food coloring.

Color the white chocolate with oil-or powder-based food

coloring to prevent it from clumping.

The chocolate shavings can be prepared a few days in

advance, and stored in an airtight container in the

refrigerator.

 

For quick-and-easy fur, use shredded sweetened coconut

instead of chocolate shavings. Either way, make sure to pat

on while the icing is fresh.

If you wait too long, the icing will form a crust and the

" fur " won't stick.

 

Serving: 10. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Calories: 740;

Total Fat: 35;

Carbohydrates: 101; Protein: 6

 

 

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My Special Thought To You:

There's A Blessin' In Pressin'....On The Upward Way!