How to make a bunny cake

      This tutorial is for all those bakers out there who have not had a cake decorating class and use their own natural talents to bake a masterpiece for special occasions. 

      When I was a little girl, my Mom made this cake every Easter and all 8 of us kidlets thought she was a genius!  I would watch her create the cake and the finished project always made me smile.  Now, with 8 children born in her first 12 years of marriage, this lady did not have time to take any type of class...I wonder if she was taught to make it when she was a kid?  I'll have to ask her!  Meanwhile, here is my tutorial on how to make the cake.  It was a tradition in my family and remains a tradition with my kids and grandkids.  Enjoy!

      Start with your favorite cake mix...I used carrot cake, but any flavor works...

Bake according to package directions.  I use 8" cake pans, but 9" will work too.

I cool the baked cakes in the freezer for 10 minutes.  It makes it easier to remove the cakes from the pans.  I cut one round cake to get the bunny ears and bow tie.  I recently started splitting the layers and filling them with cool whip before I frost them...makes for a moist cake with a surprise in the middle.

The cake splitter is something I've had for 30+ years...you can still buy them or you can mark the center of the cakes with toothpicks and cut with string or fishing line(how appropriate for a resort, right?)

Lay the tops aside and position the cut pieces on a pan lined with parchment paper.  I cut the tip off one end of the ears so that it sets level on the bunny's head.  Those pieces are quickly grabbed by any child(or daddy) standing nearby.

Frost the bottom layer with cool whip and set the top layers on every piece...as shown below...

I make a cream cheese frosting...white...and frost the entire bunny to coat everything.  Then I take small amounts of the frosting and color it according to where I need it...pink for insides of ears...blue/purple/green or whatever color for the bowtie.  I use jellybeans or m & m's for the eyes, nose, teeth, polka dots on bowtie...there's no end to the decorator's imagination when creating this cake.  I made one a few weeks ago for grandson Nathan's birthday...his favorite characters are Max & Ruby, so thus...a Max cake...I have shown his Max cake and our Easter Bunny cake below...hope this sparks your own project and that it becomes your own family tradition.

Happy Easter!