Easter Bunny Cake Recipe Like Mom Used to Make

Last updated on February 12th, 2024

This Easter Bunny Cake Recipe is a fun, creative, & festive way to celebrate the Easter holiday with a delicious & adorable dessert.

It’s surprisingly easy to make and so much fun to serve!

Just the sight of this Easter Bunny Cake floods back so many happy memories and emotions from days gone by.

The recipe has remained an Easter tradition for generations as a wonderful memory and testament to my beautiful Mom.

In this post, I’m going to take you through the simple steps for making this easy Easter Bunny Cake recipe.

I mean, with the cute cake bunny ears and bowtie, who can resist making it for their family’s Easter table?

Easter Bunny Cake

Our Mom used to make this adorable bunny cake every Easter when we were kids.

It was truly a magical time in our household.

We’d wake up to big Easter baskets with lots of Easter candy, hunt for Easter eggs, and eat an amazing Easter dinner.

Then, finally, the most anticipated of Easter desserts: Easter Bunny Cake!

Finding the Original Recipe

So you can only imagine my excitement after all these years, when I found the original recipe in my Mom’s recipe box!

My Mom had torn it out of the Parade Magazine from The Washington Post all those years ago.

Holding this piece of paper in my hands makes me think of my young Mom with 4 kids who wanted to make our Easter as special as possible.

And she did!

So, I decided I can’t keep this absolute treasure to myself, so I’m sharing it with you!

Items You’ll Need For This Recipe

This cake is easier to make than it looks.

All you’ll need is:

• (2) 9″ Round Cake Pans
• Serrated Cake Knife
• Rectangular Cake Board
• Offset Spatula for spreading the frosting

Cake Ingredients

The recipe keeps it simple by instructing the baker to just make their favorite cake recipe, whether that’s homemade or using a box.

Similarly, the directions for making the frosting is the same – use your favorite white store-bought frosting or make your favorite homemade recipe.

Based on these instructions, here is your list of simple ingredients:

• 1 boxed cake mix (or make your favorite homemade cake recipe) – made in round pans
• 1 container white frosting (or make your favorite homemade frosting recipe)
• Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut or any shredded coconut
• Pink Food Coloring – You can use this McCormick assorted colors set for dying Easter eggs too!
• Assorted colored gum drops or whatever your favorite color may be.
• Red Licorice Laces

Bunny Cake Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Bake Cake in (2) 9″ Cake Pans

Again, you can buy your favorite cake mix and follow the instructions on the box for making two round cakes, or make it homemade.

Either way, bake them in 9″ round cake pans.

Then, once the layers are baked, allow them to cool at room temperature for approximately 1 hour.

Step 2: Cut 1 Round Layer Into 3 Shapes

Now, here’s probably the toughest part of making this Easter Bunny Cake.

Be sure to scroll back up to the photo at the top of this post, or open the printable recipe card to visualize how you will cut the one cake layer.

You’ll cut the top and bottom of ONE round layer into the shape of a football (for the bunny ears).

At the same time, keep in mind that you want to leave the center of the cake (middle piece) in the shape of a bowtie.

Remember to keep the 2nd layer intact.

And don’t worry if it’s not perfect!

Once you add the frosting, coconut and candy, nobody will notice any imperfections, trust me!

Step 3: Assemble Cake on Tray and Frost

Now, find a large, flat baking sheet or even a large, sturdy piece of cardboard and cover it with parchment paper, tin foil, or wax paper.

Then, place your un-cut round cake layer onto the center of your tray.

After that, position cut-up cake pieces to create your bunny cake!

Tip: You can use some frosting to ‘stick’ your cake pieces together.

The ears will go over top of the cake and the bowtie will go under the round cake layer.

Now, frost your entire cake with white frosting.

Step 4: Decorate Your Bunny Cake

To decorate your cake, sprinkle a generous amount of flaked coconut over top of your white frosting.

Then use your pink food coloring to tint the coconut on each inner ear of the bunny.

Now, use your gumdrops to create the bunny’s eyes and nose and to give his bowtie polka dots.

Then, use your red licorice laces for his whiskers and mouth.

I have made this Easter Bunny Cake for my family through the years and the kids absolutely love it!

Hopefully they will pass on this Easter celebration tradition when they have kids of their own!

This cake just reminds me of being a little girl at Easter, and the excitement of Spring!

Additions and Substitutions

There are so many variations for making this Easter Bunny Cake.

Add or substitute the following:

• Cream Cheese Frosting or Cool Whip instead of White Fluffy Frosting
• Instead of gum drops you can use colorful or black jelly beans.
• For the bunny ears, in place of pink food coloring, you can use:
  • Pink Frosting
  • Pink Jellybeans
  • Pink Candy Melts
• The cake flavor can be yellow, chocolate, carrot cake or any flavor you prefer.
• If you don’t like coconut, you can totally omit it.

Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

For more Spring & Easter related posts, click on over to:

Fun Easter Traditions & Projects For the Entire Family

Spring Sugar Cookie Bars with Easter M&M’s

Yellow Duck Spring Sugar Cookies

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe