Chocolate Bunny Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter as directed on package; blend in dry pudding mix and 1/4 cup milk. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans. Bake 24 to 28 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 min.; invert onto wire racks. Remove pans; cool cakes completely.
• Cut 1 cake layer as shown in diagram 1. Arrange cake pieces on tray or large platter as shown in diagram 2.
• Mix cream cheese, melted chocolate and remaining milk in large bowl until blended; stir in COOL WHIP. Use to frost cake. Arrange marshmallows around outside edges of bunny ears.
• Mix food coloring and water; toss with coconut until evenly tinted. Sprinkle over ears as shown in photo. Cut licorice into 2 (6-inch) and 4 (2-inch) pieces. Use to decorate cake along with remaining ingredients.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8 inches across top) with shortening; coat with flour (do not use cooking spray). Lightly grease 3 muffin cups in regular-size muffin pan.
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour cake batter in 3 muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Pour remaining batter into 1 1/2-quart bowl.
• Bake cupcakes 17 to 21 minutes, bowl 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove cakes from muffin cups and bowl; place rounded sides up on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. If necessary, cut off rounded tops of cakes.
• Spoon all but 2 tablespoons of the frosting into large bowl. Add red food color to the bowl to make desired pink color. Place bowl cake on tray cut side down; spread 1/3 cup frosting over cake. Use frosting to adhere cupcakes to bowl cake for feet and bunny tail. Use toothpicks if necessary. Place marshmallow halves, cut sides down, on tops of 2 cupcakes to make heels of feet. Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting.
• Spread remaining frosting over cake, using reserved 2 tablespoons white frosting to frost the bunny tail. Sprinkle with coconut; press gently to adhere. Surround bunny with crushed chocolate cookies. Use rolling pin to press strawberry candies into 2 large rectangles. Cut 2 large ovals and 6 small circles out of candy. Press onto bottoms of bunny feet, using frosting if needed.
• Roll up fruit snack to make carrot shapes. Cut green sour candies in half crosswise; press into large end of each carrot to make greens on carrot. Cut ears from construction paper; wrap ends that will be inserted into cake with plastic food wrap. Insert into cake. Remove ears, plastic wrap and toothpicks before serving. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven and prepare two 9 inch round baking pans as directed on cake box. Prepare cake batter with as directed on package adding in 1/2 cup of coconut. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake and cool cake as directed on package.
• When cooled, place one whole 9 inch cake layer on serving tray, forming the bunny's head. Cut 2 convex shaped ears from each side of the second layer, place on each side of head to form ears. Use concave shaped piece for the bowtie, place about 1/2 inch below head.
• Frost entire bunny covering top and sides of bunny. Pat remaining 3 1/4 cup coconut evenly over top and sides. Decorate the bunny face and bowtie with jellybeans and use the licorice to make whiskers.

Steps:

• Make the chocolate cake and paws: Preheat the oven 325°F (170°C). Grease a 7-inch hemisphere-shaped cake pan or 9-inch deep oven-safe bowl and 5 cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
• Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about ¾ of the way. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed.
• Fill the prepared cake pan with the remaining batter and set in a flat-bottomed cake pan to stabilize in the oven. Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove the cupcakes and cake from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Make the buttercream: In a large bowl, combine the butter, salt and powdered sugar. Cream with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until no powdered sugar remains at the bottom of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Add the milk and continue beating until the buttercream is light and fluffy, another 5 minutes.
• Make the bunny ears and paw prints: In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the pink and white candy melts. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip.
• Line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the skewers vertically at one short end of a prepared baking sheet. Starting at the tops, pipe the melted pink candy over the skewers in the shape of bunny ears, leaving 4-5 inches uncovered at the bottom to stick into the cake. Let sit until dry, about 5 minutes.
• On the remaining prepared baking sheet, use the candy melts to pipe 4 large circles, about 1 inch in diameter, and 8 small ovals, about ½ inch wide, for the paw prints. Let sit until dry, about 5 minutes. You will not need all of these for assembly, but make extra incase of breaking or improper sizing.
• Make the grass: In a medium bowl, mix together 1½ cups shredded coconut and the green food coloring until the color is evenly distributed.
• Make the carrots: Using kitchen shears, cut off the flat ends of the orange candies.
• Cut the green sour ropes crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Place 2-3 of the green ropes pieces onto the sticky, exposed sides of the orange candies for the carrot tops.
• Make the bunny tail: Add 3 cupcakes to a medium bowl and crumble finely with your hands. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the buttercream until evenly distributed, then shape the cake mixture into a ball. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set.
• After chilling, coat the cake ball in buttercream, then cover with 3 tablespoons of the white shredded coconut. Return to the fridge while you assemble the rest of the cake.
• Make the feet: Place the remaining 2 cupcakes on a cutting board, with the bottoms facing up. Dab a bit of buttercream on the side of each cupcake and place a marshmallow on top of the buttercream.
• Cover the cupcakes and marshmallows with a thin coat of buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
• Remove the feet from the refrigerator and cover with a thicker coat of buttercream, rounding the edges to blend the shape together. They should be narrower at the top and rounder at the bottom. Arrange the pink candy paw prints on the feet, with a round circle on top and the 3 smaller ovals underneath. Return to the refrigerator to set for another 20-30 minutes
• Assemble the cake: Dollop 1 tablespoon of buttercream on the center of a cake platter. Place the round cake on the center of the platter with the domed side facing up, using the buttercream to keep the cake in place.
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream all around the cake and cover with the remaining 1 ½ cups white shredded coconut.
• Place 6 toothpicks in 2 triangle shapes on one side of the cake. Remove the feet from the refrigerator and place them into the toothpicks.
• Place 4 toothpicks above the feet, then attach the tail to the toothpicks.
• Spread the coconut grass around the body, then arrange the easter eggs and carrots in the grass.
• Stick the ears in the front side of the bunny at about a 45° angle, so that they are slightly resting on the cake for support. If the skewers are too long, cut down so the ears cant rest against the cake.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• To prepare orange curd, in a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in orange juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; gently stir in butter and orange zest. Cool to room temperature without stirring. Refrigerate for 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of three 6-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease pans., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk. , Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in each center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., Meanwhile, prepare buttercream by microwaving chocolate and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl until melted, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In heatproof bowl of stand mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, 5-7 minutes., Remove from heat. With whisk attachment of stand mixer, beat on high speed until cooled to 90°, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth; beat in vanilla and white chocolate mixture., Spread curd between layers. Spread buttercream over top and sides of cake; sprinkle coarse sugar over top and sides of cake. Decorate with candies to look like a bunny, as desired. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a 10-inch round cake pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Stir cake mix, 1 1/4 cup water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until batter is smooth, 2 minutes.
• Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cake top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Place a stainless steel bowl and beaters in refrigerator until chilled, at least 20 minutes.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing to finish cooling completely.
• Place unsweetened baking chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave on high power until chocolate is slightly warmed, about 1 minute. Continue to heat chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and free of lumps.
• Stir melted chocolate with sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; whisk in 1/4 cup water and instant chocolate pudding mix until thickened and smooth, about 1 minute. Cover bowl and chill pudding mixture until cold, at least 30 minutes.
• Whip cream in the chilled stainless steel bowl with chilled beaters until the cream holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. If necessary, use a cloth to touch the steel bowl to avoid warming the bowl.
• Remove chocolate pudding mixture from refrigerator and stir until smooth; gently fold whipped cream into pudding mixture to make a fluffy chocolate frosting.
• To assemble the cake, cut the cake into 2 equal halves and place the halves together on a cake serving platter with the cut sides down, and rounded sides up. If needed, glue the two cake halves together with a smear of frosting.
• Cut a small wedge out of the edge of the cake halves about 1/3 of the way up to form a head.
• Attach the cut-out wedge with toothpicks to the bottom of the cake opposite the head to make a tail.
• Generously frost the cake with the chocolate cream frosting.
• Sprinkle the whole cake with grated chocolate for fur. Place jelly beans on front of head to make eyes and nose.
• Cut 2 large ear shapes from brown construction paper. Cut 2 smaller ear shapes from pink construction paper for the insides of the ears. Fold together to make the ears and insert into top of the head.
• Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with baking spray with flour. Sprinkle with cocoa to coat pans; tap to remove excess cocoa.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, butter and water with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in chocolate.
• Spoon batter into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Place cooling rack or heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn rack and pan over. Remove pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream, and peppermint extract on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add just enough milk to the icing to make it thin enough to stick to a spoon, dripping off of the spoon slowly when tipped down toward bowl.
• Spread icing onto cooled cake. Place a bunch of mint sprigs in the center of cake. Add a chocolate bunny in center of the mint sprigs. Press malted eggs around the top and sides of the cake. Press a second chocolate bunny onto the side of the cake. Garnish with additional mint sprigs, as desired.