Easter Bunny Coconut Cake (Print version)

Soft vanilla layers topped with fluffy coconut frosting shaped like a festive bunny.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Coconut Frosting

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 0.25 cup whole milk
12 - 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

→ Decoration

14 - Pink food coloring
15 - Jelly beans or candy-coated chocolate eggs
16 - Licorice strings for whiskers
17 - Mini marshmallows for tail and cheeks
18 - Black edible gel or chocolate chips for eyes and nose

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, beating until light and fluffy.
09 - Set aside 0.5 cup of frosting in a separate bowl and tint with pink food coloring for bunny ears and nose.
10 - Once cakes are completely cool, cut one round cake to form bunny ears and bow tie. Arrange on a large board: one round for the face, two ear shapes above, and the bow tie below.
11 - Spread a thin layer of white frosting over the entire cake assembly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
12 - Frost the cake generously with remaining white frosting. Press shredded coconut over all frosted surfaces for a fluffy texture.
13 - Use pink-tinted frosting to fill inner ears and nose. Decorate face with jelly beans for eyes, chocolate chips or edible gel for nose, licorice strings for whiskers, and mini marshmallows for cheeks and tail.
14 - Present the completed Easter bunny cake and serve to guests.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that looks far more complicated than it actually is, making you feel like a pastry artist when really you just followed a few smart cuts and arranged them nicely.
  • The combination of soft vanilla cake and fluffy coconut frosting is genuinely delicious, not just cute—even the adults at my table went back for seconds.
  • Kids can help decorate the face with candies and marshmallows, turning baking into a full family event rather than just something mom made.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter and eggs make all the difference in how smoothly the batter comes together—I learned this the hard way when I once used cold eggs and ended up with a lumpy, broken-looking mixture that somehow still baked fine but took twice as long to mix.
  • Do not frost a warm cake; the frosting will melt and slide right off in a sad puddle, and you'll regret every shortcut you took to speed up the cooling.
  • The bunny shape is forgiving and charming when it's not perfect—the marshmallows and candies hide any rough cuts, so don't stress about precise lines.
03 -
  • If the bunny feels wobbly during assembly, use frosting as edible glue between pieces—it's stronger than you'd think and holds everything stable while it sets.
  • Have all your decorations prepped and ready before you frost, because worked frosting starts to lose its fluffy texture after about 10 minutes in the air.
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