A store-bought cake mix forms the base for this charming Easter Bunny cake. Kids love helping to decorate these little bunnies, and adults enjoy the simplicity. It’s an easy, festive dessert that can become an annual tradition. Serve it at the end of your Easter meal for a playful and memorable finale.
Please note: the images used here show the finished cakes and the steps. Keep an eye on cooling times and assembly so your bunnies hold their shape.
Ingredients to Have on Hand
This bunny cake recipe is straightforward. A boxed cake mix, a tub of fluffy white frosting, sweetened coconut and a few simple decorations are all you need. It’s a fun activity for kids and a crowd-pleasing dessert.
- Cake mix (your choice of flavor)
- Fluffy white frosting, 12-ounce tub (one per bunny)
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Green food coloring
- Assorted jelly beans for eyes and nose
Bake the Cake Mix
Use two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and prepare the cake batter following the package directions. It’s fine if the cakes dome slightly during baking — a rounded top gives the bunny a plump, cuddly look.
Grease the pans lightly with nonstick spray or shortening and line the bottoms with parchment paper. This helps the cakes release cleanly after baking. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
Choosing the Cake Mix
Pick the flavor you and your family enjoy — carrot, white, vanilla or French vanilla all work. White or French vanilla are easiest to cover with white frosting if you want a consistent look without dark crumbs showing through.
Make Coconut Grass
The grassy bed around the bunny is one of the cutest parts of this cake. Tinting shredded coconut green is quick and gives a whimsical, Easter-ready presentation.
Put one cup of sweetened shredded coconut into a jar or container with a lid. Add 3–4 drops of green food coloring, seal the container, and shake until the coconut is evenly tinted. Sprinkle this green coconut around the cake later to create a bed of “grass.”
Make Two Bunny Cakes
This recipe makes two bunny cakes. Depending on your crowd you can serve both, share one with a neighbor, or freeze one for a later celebration.
Assembling the Bunny Cake
When the cakes are completely cooled, use a sharp knife to cut each round in half horizontally.
Spread a few tablespoons of frosting on the flat side of each half and press the halves together so the rounded sides become the outside of the bunny. Place the assembled rounds, cut side down, on a small cookie sheet lined with foil.
About 4 inches from the bottom of one cake round, cut a triangle out. Use half of that wedge as the bunny’s tail and save the small remaining piece for a snack. You can also substitute a large marshmallow for the tail if you prefer.
Frost the entire cake with a spoon or spatula and immediately press plain shredded coconut onto the frosting so it adheres. Sprinkle the green coconut around the bunny to form grass, and add jelly beans for eyes and a nose.
For ears, cut four narrow ovals with pointed tops from sturdy white paper or thin cardboard. Color a thick pink stripe down the center of each ear with a pink crayon or highlighter, fold each ear slightly in the middle for dimension, and tuck two ears into the top wedge area of the bunny.
How to Store the Bunny Cake
These cakes are best on the day they’re made or the day after. Keep them covered lightly with waxed paper at room temperature, taking care not to bend the paper ears. Alternatively, store them in the refrigerator until serving.
FAQ and Top Tips
You can place the bunny on green Easter basket grass for presentation, though it’s not edible. If you prefer not to use coconut on the bunny itself, pipe extra frosting in swirls for texture instead.
You can bake and freeze the cake rounds ahead of time, then thaw and assemble the day you plan to serve them. For best texture and appearance, assemble and decorate the day of or the day before serving.
Any small round candy works well — small chocolate candies, Skittles, or gumdrops can substitute for jelly beans.
The Inspiration
These bunny cakes have been a family tradition for years. A beloved babysitter introduced them, and my children still remember shopping for the ingredients and assembling the cakes together. Serving the bunnies on foil-lined cookie sheets is part of that nostalgic charm.
Of all the simple Easter bunny cake methods out there, this version is forgiving, fast, and especially kid-friendly. It’s a great way to make dessert part of the holiday fun.
More Easter Recipes
These bunny cakes are a delightful ending to an Easter meal. If you’re looking for additional ideas, consider savory or sweet dishes that pair well with holiday menus, such as spiced sweet potato casseroles, bread puddings made with croissants, or scalloped potatoes with rosemary and blue cheese.
Recipe
Bunny Cake Recipe
A simple, kid-friendly Easter dessert that yields two adorable bunny cakes. Easy to make and perfect for family traditions.
Equipment
- Two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans
Ingredients
- 1 box French vanilla or white cake mix, prepared according to package directions
- Two 12-ounce tubs fluffy white frosting (one tub per bunny)
- 4 cups shredded sweetened coconut (about 2 cups per bunny)
- 1 cup jelly beans, assorted colors
- 3–4 drops green food coloring per cup of coconut
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat oven and prepare cake batter according to the package. Spray pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment.
- Bake per package directions. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely.
Make Green Coconut
- Place 1 cup shredded coconut in a jar, add 3–4 drops green food coloring, seal, and shake until evenly colored. Repeat for each bunny.
Assemble Bunny Cake
- Cut each cooled cake in half horizontally. Spread a few tablespoons of frosting on the flat sides and press together so the rounded sides are outward.
- Place the assembled rounds, cut side down, on a foil-lined cookie sheet.
- About 4 inches from the bottom of one round, cut a triangle and place half of it at the base as the tail.
- Frost the whole cake and press plain shredded coconut into the frosting. Sprinkle green coconut around the cake for grass and add jelly beans for eyes and nose.
Make Bunny Ears
- Cut four narrow ovals with pointed tops from sturdy white paper or cardboard. Color a pink center on each ear, fold slightly, and insert two ears into the top of the cake.
Notes
These cakes are best served the day they’re made or the following day. Store at room temperature covered lightly with waxed paper, or refrigerate until serving. If you prefer not to use coconut, pipe extra frosting for texture.
Nutrition (estimate)
Calories and nutrition will vary by ingredients; estimated values are provided as a guide.