Makes two 8” cakes or one 9x13”
For the Cake:
Ingredients:
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1-1/3 Cups Vegetable Oil
3 Extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 Cups Plus 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour, divided
2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda’1-1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Walnuts, Chopped
1 Pound Carrots, Grated
½ Cup Carrots, Grated
½ Cup Fresh Pineapple, Diced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter 2 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
With an electric mixer, beat the sugar, oil and eggs.
Add the vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together 1-1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour.
Fold in the carrots and pineapple and mix well.
Divide the batter equally between the two 8” pans.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.
Building the Bunny:
Ingredients:
Two Baked 9” Round Cake Layers, cooled, then stacked and frosted between layers
1-1/4 Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut
2 Store-bought Biscotti
1 Tube Pink Decorating Icing
2 Black Jelly Beans
2 Marshmallows
1 White Jelly Bean, halved lengthwise
1 Pink Jelly Bean
1 Black Licorice Wheel, such as Haribo
Directions:
Cut parchment paper in 4 strips and lay them down on a large cake platter or cake board so that they form a rectangle of open space in the middle. Build your cake on the edges of these pieces of parchment. (When you are finished creating the bunny, you can slide them away along with any excess frosting and coconut.)
Spread a thin layer of frosting (about 2/3 cup) on the flat side of one cake layer and top with the flat side of the second cake layer.
Measure 5” across the top of the cake and cut down through the layers, creating 2 layered pieces that are slightly different sizes.
Place the larger piece of cake cut-side down on the platter or cake board. If using a rectangular platter, place the larger piece so that the long edges are parallel with the long edges of the platter. This is the body of the bunny.
Cut the smaller piece of cake in half crosswise, so you have two layered wedges.
Place one wedge in front of the body, with the flat side on the platter and the other flat side against the body. The curved side of each wedge will be on the top.
Take a serrated knife and round off the sharp edges on top of the head. Cut the tip off (the nose) at a 45-degree angle.
Reserve all scraps in a bowl.
Separate the layers of the remaining wedge of cake. These will be the back legs on each side of the body. Round the sharp edges of the cake wedges with your knife and add to the scrap bowl. Place one wedge on each side of the bunny, with one flat side down and the other flat side facing forward (the round side towards the back of the bunny), about 1” from the end of the bunny’s body.
Mix the cake scraps in the bowl with a fork until mashed and then pack into a ball. Place the ball behind the bunny’s body and adhere with a dab of frosting. This is the bunny’s tail.
Frost the entire bunny, tail and all, using 2 to 3 cups of frosting, keeping some definition with the bunny parts and frosting more generously around any sharp edges to give a rounded look to the bunny parts.
Sprinkle the bunny with the coconut to fully cover. Gently pat to adhere.
Insert the biscotti between the head and body, pressing into the cake to secure them. These are the ears. Place the base of the ears close toge3ther at the center of the head and angle them out. Frost the front of each biscotti with some frosting. Then using the pink decorating icing, frost a smaller strip in the center of each biscotti, going down to where the ears meet the head but not going all the way to top of head.
To make the face, press a black jelly bean into each side of the head for the eyes. Cut through one of the marshmallows into 3 circles, discard the middle circle and press the 2 end circles, cut-sides in, into the front of the face for the bunny cheeks. Push the the white jelly bean halves into the face below the cheeks, round-sides out, for the teeth. Place the pink jelly bean above the teeth for the nose. Unroll the licorice wheel and cut 2 pieces, each about 1-1/2” long. For each piece, peel the strips apart halfway down and then cut each separated strip in half lengthwise so you end up with a piece looking a bit like a broom. Repeat with the second piece of licorice. Tuck each piece, with a dab of frosting, behind a marshmallow cheek, with the cut ends facing out for the whiskers.
Cut the second marshmallow in half lengthwise. Make 3 slits in each half, going about halfway through (these are the toes), and place in front of the legs for the bunny’s feet. Adhere the
Bottom of the feet with frosting if necessary.
For Very Spreadable White Fluffy Frosting:
Ingredients:
6 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
3 Sticks (12 ounces) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
Pinch Fine Salt
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 to 3 Tablespoons Milk (or more until very spreadable)
Directions:
Beat sugar, butter, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla, and mix well.
Add milk and beat until light and fluffy.
For Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients:
¾ Pound Cream Cheese, at room temperature
½ Pound Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Pound Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
Directions:
Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Add the sugar and mix until fluffy.
Download recipe here