Sunday, April 4, 2021

Bunny Cake Revisited!

 Jenn McKinlay: Happy Easter to all who celebrate! Happy Passover to those who celebrated last week, and Happy Nav Varsh Samvat (Hindi New Year), which is coming up on the 13th! I must admit I do love a good Interfaith Calendar as there is always something to rejoice or be thoughtful about.

My very first year as a Jungle Red (2017), I wrote a blog about the baking of the annual Easter bunny cake. You can read it HERE, plus, there are pictures. Fast forward four years (I'm in my fifth year as a Red!!!) and here I am again baking a bunny cake the night before Easter, as I do every year, and posting about it. 

This year's bunny is strawberry - strawberry cake and strawberry buttercream! Yum! The recipe is being adapted from one that I'm using  in my cupcake bakery mystery - Strawberried Alive (my current work in progress, coming out in 2022). Consider this a sneak peek!

The Cupcake Version:



The Recipe:

1 2/3 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup strawberry puree

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup diced strawberries


Preheat over to 350. Put paper liners into cupcake tin (or in my case, grease the heck out of the bunny pan). Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg and then egg whites. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, strawberry puree, and vanilla extract. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the large mixing bowl with the butter, sugar and eggs until just combined. Fold the 3/4 cup of diced strawberries into the batter. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each one 2/3 full. Bake 20-24 minutes. Makes 12.


Strawberry Buttercream:

1/2 cup strawberry puree

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, heat the strawberry puree over med-low heat, until it is reduced by 2/3 to 3 Tbsps. 10-14 minutes. Pour into a glass bowl and put in the freezer to cool. It will cool quickly as it's a small amount. In a medium bowl, whip the salted and unsalted butter until fluffy. Alternately mix in the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and vanilla until frosting reached the desired consistency.

For my cupcakes, I hollowed out the center of the cupcake and scooped in some diced strawberries. I won't be doing that with the bunny, but it definitely kicked up the strawberry flavor and was a cool surprise in the cupcakes!

When cupcakes (or bunny) are cool, pipe the strawberry buttercream on top in desired amount. Enjoy!

The Bunny Cake Version: 

Naked Bunny

Frosted Bunny!
Strawberry buttercream - sooooo good!

So, Reds and Readers, what dessert are you enjoying today? And if not, you can weigh in on the most pressing question in our family. Where do we cut the first slices of the bunny cake - the ears or the tail or the feet? We debate this every year.







53 comments:

  1. Happy Easter! . . . I love the bunny cake, and the tradition of the bunny cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe . . . .
    We don’t have an Easter dessert tradition [this year we’ll have Ridiculous Chocolate Cake], but we do have a tradition of making Easter Egg bread as part of our dinner every year . . . .

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  2. That is the cutest cake ever! I think I'll try to make it next year for Easter. Do you make white icing, too, to put on the bunny? Your decorating is wonderful. I'd start with the feet if I were cutting into this delicious dessert.

    This year I'm by myself and not planning on making a dessert. Maybe I fix some cinnamon rolls (Pillsbury from the can) later this morning as a treat for today. The next family dessert I make will probably be my chocolate cherry cake with chocolate icing for when my son comes in for Mother's Day, and our family will get together.

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    1. Yes, I made vanilla buttercream for the tail and bowtie - for the non-strawberry people.

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  3. Happy Easter!

    Gorgeous! The bunny and the cupcakes! I don't have a set dessert to make for Easter, or any holiday. Maybe it's time to start a tradition. As for carving the cake - I vote for ears. They are always the best.

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  4. Gorgeous cake! You are a frosting pro. And it sounds delicious.

    As we've postponed Easter to July this year , I'll only be making blueberry scones. But I'm meeting my son and his wife for a walk later, so I'll make a double recipe and bring them some.

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  5. Happy Easter (for those who celebrate)!

    JENN: Beautiful Easter bunny cake and cupcakes, and happy fifth year as a Red! I can admire the artistry in these baked goods from afar since I already stated earlier this year about how much I HATE ANY FROSTING OR ICING.

    No Easter celebrations or meals here.
    And I am a top-down kind of gal, so I vote for carving the cake from the EARS.

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    1. One of the hooligans is a non-frosting person. I'm not sure where he came from but good to know he's not alone!

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  6. Happy Easter, to all who celebrate. Wishing you all many joys this spring!

    Here is the link that my D-I-L sent for us to the haggadah (service) for tonight's chocolate seder with our family members on Zoom. Passover ends tonight and I am matzoh-ed out!
    https://www.reformjudaism.org/sites/default/files/articles/files/TheChocolateHaggadah_0.pdf

    Your Bunny Cake is a thing of beauty! I almost never try molded cakes, it's too painful when a part of it stays in the pan. Your cake is perfect and, frosted, it's gorgeous. We had our first home baked strawberry cake last month. The recipe is one of Roberta's and it tasted divine.

    Edith, I wish I could postpone Passover, but alas. It's a lot of work even without having company. Tomorrow night, take-out!

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    1. The chocolate seder is excellent. I can see how it would be a good way to ease kids into the seder tradition. The question is, how do you ease them out of it?

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    2. Judy I thought of you when I saw Jenn's cake! Strawberry cake is soooo good. I will have to remember the strawberry stuffed cupcakes for my grandaughter's birthday in July. Jenn, what equipment do you have for the pretty frosting?

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    3. Roberta, your strawberry cake is delicious. I will definitely make Jenn's version, too. My decorating skills are no-existent but I do frost cakes most of the time. Some day I'll get the equipment necessary to decorate cakes and cupcakes and give it a whirl.

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    4. Gigi, to me, chocolate seder is such a funny concept. But leave it to imaginative people to find a way to make something fun and different. Where did Easter Egg hunts originate? Who cares now, right? People do it and kids love it and noone says, "That's not an Easter activity." Of course it is!

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    5. This one always works but bundt cakes and I have struggled mightily!

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  7. Happy Easter to all who choose today to rejoice! I hope you all have a wonderful day.

    The bunny cake has evolved into something quite beautiful over the years. It sounds delicious although, you being you, I'm surprised you didn't hide some of those chopped strawberries just under the cotton tail . . . Yes, I do think like a 13-year-old boy.

    I'm not planning a special dessert for Easter, but I decided last night that I will make some deviled eggs for myself. I love them, and haven't had an occasion to make them for more than a year. I'm the only person I have to please with Easter dinner so, Hello, mustard and mayo!

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    1. would suggest jelly beans for under the tail. I too think like a snickering teen.

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    2. Ha ha! I like the way you two think!

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  8. and ps I made Ina Garten's coconut macaroons for today's Easter dinner!

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  9. Happy Easter all! Jenn, your bunny cake brings back many happy memories. When my three were in nursery school I started making all kinds of special cakes for them. I think we did all of the Sesame Street characters, Winnie the Pooh, princess cakes and I don't remember what else. When my grandson came along it was Dump Trucks and Tractors, which his sister decorated.

    So no more shape cakes for me but I will be making my special carrot cake. Remains to be seen whether or not there will be cream cheese frosting. I prefer orange frosting but forgot to buy an orange for the zest.

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  10. Start with the tail, then the feet. Beautiful cake!

    I usually make a cheese cake with a sour cream topping garnished with strawberries for Easter.

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  11. Happy 5th year Reds' Anniversary, Jenn! One of my dad's favorite desserts was a white cake with crushed strawberries--he would love those cupcakes! (minus the icing--and I can taste those strawberries!!). I often do a light lemony cheesecake for Easter, with strawberry, strawberry/rhubarb, or blueberry topping. And I vote for the ears--sorry, bunny, you're a beauty, but just like with my chocolate bunnies of years' past, the ears are irresistible.

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    1. FLORA: Agreed, I start with eating the ears of chocolate bunnies, too.

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  12. Oh, that cake is a treasure! (And so are you, happy anniversary!) My mom used to make a lamb cake… With a cast iron mold cake pan, then she would cover the lamb with coconut! It was absolutely delicious.
    As for where to cut the bunny: I would start at the feet, then the tail. Then you would have the whole bunny head. After that, I would be full.

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    1. Oh, those lamb cake molds! Mother and her 3 sisters all had one and each Easter there was a competition to see which sister could get a whole, upright, coconut cover lamb on a plate...without the entire cake being filled with toothpicks! Eating ours always began with the head and worked down the body. Quite certain this was because the head almost always fell off. One sister never let hers be eaten...especially by children...looking perfect was always most important to her.

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    2. I keep hearing about the lamb cake - I have to see one one of these days and maybe make it!

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    3. https://www.midcenturymenu.com/10-tips-for-the-perfect-retro-easter-lamb-lambie-cake/ Jenn, for the next time you have “nothing to do”. My mother always made a chocolate cake from a WWII recipe with no eggs, no milk, and no butter. Dense and heavy (in a good way) to stay together. :-)

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  13. No Easter tradition here, but I would cut the ears off the cake first.

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    1. Lots of buttercream up there - excellent choice.

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  14. As kids, we got an Easter egg hunt (plastic eggs filled with candy) but once we aged out of that, there are no traditions for this day. I had a friend ask if I wanted to get lunch today so we'll do that but otherwise, this is pretty much a normal Sunday where I'll do as little as possible beyond reading, watching TV and probably unintentionally napping on the couch. Oh wait, I did write a new CD review this morning. So I guess I was a tiny bit productive...dammit!

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  15. Start with the head. Because if you start with an other end you'll end up with a disembodied head which would be so sad. I'd love it if one day you gave us cake-icing lessons... My cakes are good but they look like something that got dropped out of landing helicopter.

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    1. LOL, Hallie. Helicopter indeed.

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    2. As long as it tastes good who cares what it looks like?

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    3. LOL - frosting shooter is the key!

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  16. Happy Easter, and last day of Passover for those who observe. The next Buddhist significant day is Vesak 26May21 (Buddha's Birthday) everybody gets a Spring holiday no?
    So this morning I took a training walk for my 5K. Turned into a GASParilla instead of Gasparilla. Still it was a beautiful morning and well worth walking for the gumdrop energy bars that are waiting to be baked. Happy anniversary Jenn. I vote for starting with the spine and going both ways.. a compromise.

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  17. Happy Easter, Jenn! Start cutting at the feet and work your way up the cake. No baking here today. I don't have any dessert traditions for Easter. I do have a recipe for a strawberry cake I clipped out of the paper in Lubbock many years ago. It used frozen strawberries and was iced with whipped cream instead of frosting. I keep thinking I should make that again someday.

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    1. Our wedding cake was essentially a huge strawberry shortcake :)

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  18. Jenn, your cupcakes/bunny cake are fabulous!!! Strawberry is my daughter's favorite cake and I really should try baking her one for her birthday--although considering my baking skills, she might rather I bought it... She's ordered us a very fancy coconut cake for our Easter dinner today, so I will report back!

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  19. Oh, how Adorable!!!!

    Edwards lemon meringue pie here today.

    Happy Easter, everyone!

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    1. I have yet to master lemon meringue. Darn it. My filling and meringue always repel each other. Enjoy, sweet Kaye!

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    2. I have a couple of dwarf lemon trees in the house and the lemons are wonderful, if on the small side. But the flavor is magnificent! I used to make lemon meringue pie and then I realized all I really care about is the filling. Much simpler anyway.

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  20. Happy Spring and Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

    The decorations on the bunny cake looks yummy. Used to love chocolate bunny candy and now I think it's hot cross buns?

    Diana

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  21. I miss fun cakes like this (we had them for birthdays as a kid)!

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