How did the bunny cake come about? It all started when the hooligans were toddler sized mess makers and I bought a cake pan in the shape of a bunny. Why? No idea. My best guess is that it was on sale and I thought a cake in the shape of a bunny would be cute. It was.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
(Yes, the hooligans
shirts match the bunny cake - the height of my
Martha Stewarting).
And then...it became expected.
Because stuffing baskets and hiding eggs all over the backyard late at night wasn't enough to do, baking a cake in the shape of a bunny was added to the list as well. Debates ensued over what flavor of cake the bunny should be. Vanilla vs. chocolate became the annual argument and a hooligan protest erupted when I went radical and made a carrot cake. I still say that was the most logical choice.
And then, a few years ago, my frosting shooter died. The trigger simply would not lock and load the frosting. The bunny was doomed to be naked. We all agreed this was unfair to the bunny. I suppose I could have used a pastry bag, but I was really partial to my gun. I have not made a bunny cake since and, honestly, I kind of forgot about it.
Recently, we began the process of decluttering the house, that whole does it bring you joy thing, and while I was cleaning out my baking cupboard guess what I found? The bunny pan, buried behind an ancient muffin tin and a giant silicone cupcake cake mold. As I held the bunny pan in my hands, I realized it did bring me joy.
There were so many memories of the hooligans helping mix the batter, watching the bunny cake bake through the glass window of the oven, decorating the bunny with jelly beans, and licking the beaters from the frosting bowl. The nostalgia was pretty thick and it made me want to revisit those days. So, guess how I will spend this Easter Eve? Yep, baking a bunny cake and decorating it with a pastry bag full of frosting. The hooligans have already started debating the flavor of cake and the color of the frosting...and so the tradition lives on. I'm pretty happy about that even though I still miss my frosting shooter.
Now it's your turn, Reds. What family traditions does your family have? How did they come about? Do holidays or gatherings feel wrong or less than without these personal rituals?
