Easter was always a fun time of year in the Mahoney household with Easter egg hunts, yummy Easter bread, and of course my father's annual birthday bunny cake. My mother would let me and my sister make it every year with her and it was so much fun to spend some time together in the kitchen. It is a whimsical, delicious, and festive dessert that the whole family can make and enjoy together.
The Bunny Hop Cake
Coconut Cake
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsbp coconut extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened coconut toasted
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Active Prep Time: 20 minutes
In Active Prep Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 1 8-inch Cake
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Place the coconut on a sheet tray and place in oven until golden brown. Keep your eye on the coconut so it does not get over cooked. In a liquid measuring cup pour the coconut milk and the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and put aside. Meanwhile in the bowl of the mixer, sift together all of the dry ingredients. Add the coconut milk, the oil, the sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, and toasted coconut, and mix together. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into two greased and lined with parchment 8-inch round cake pans, about a third to half of the way. Place the leftover batter into 2 greased cupcake tins and bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Butter
4 Cups confectioners Sugar sifted
1 tsp Coconut Extract
4-5 tbsp Coconut Milk
2 cups shredded coconut for garnish
In a stand mixer, place the butter and give it a quick mix. Coconut milk and incorporate. Add the confectioners sugar 2 cups at a time and whip for 3-5 minutes until the frosting is creamy and whipped texture. If the frosting is too thick add coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired texture.
Assembly:
Remove the cakes from the pans and cut both cakes exactly in half. Using three halves, pipe the frosting on the flat part of the cake and place put them together(flat facing flat). It will create a half moon shape. You want the rounded part of the cake on the outside. Cover the cake entirely with frosting. Take your cupcake and put a big dollop of frosting on bottom of it and place it on it's side with the bottom of the cupcake touching one of the ends of the half moon and cover it completely with frosting. Take your white sweetened coconut and cover the whole cake to make it look like fur. Use jelly beans for the eyes and nose and licorice rope for the whiskers and the mouth. Make ears out of construction paper and place them in the cupcake and there you have a fun and easy bunny cake!
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