Easter Bunny Cake

This cute Easter bunny cake is one of my favorite Easter desserts. It’s absolutely adorable and the flavor is heavenly — no one can turn down a piece of this!

overhead shot of easter bunny cake


 

While the flavor is amazing and it’s so cute, the best part about this cake is that it comes together so quickly. You can make the whole thing ahead of time or you can do a few steps, and then once everyone is finished hunting for Easter eggs and finishing up Easter dinner you can quickly ice it, decorate, and serve.

The next time you’re looking for an easy dessert for this springtime holiday, try making this easy Easter bunny cake recipe.

Why You’ll Love Easter Bunny Cake

This adorable bunny cake is bound to be a big hit at your Easter celebration. 

  • Easy – Using cake mix and other simple ingredients this fun cake comes together quickly. It’s also easy to frost after freezing, like we recommend in the recipe. 
  • Convenient – All of these ingredients are easy to get at your local grocery store. 
  • Customizable – You can make all sorts of switch-ups and swaps to make this the perfect Easter bunny cake for your house!
close up of easter bunny whiskers on cake

Ingredients

These sweet ingredients are easy to source in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

  • White cake mix (plus ingredients on box) – One of the things that makes this recipe so quick and easy is using a boxed mix — make it ahead of time to make the cake-making even quicker! Pro-tip: adding a little sour cream to your box mix makes it more moist.
  • Vanilla frosting – You can make your own or buy it at the grocery store.
  • Food gel – Choose whatever color you want the bunny’s face and ears to be.
  • Green food gel – This is for the bowtie. You can choose another color if you prefer.
  • Shredded sweetened coconut – Any packaged variety will work for this.
  • Jelly beans – Get a mixed bag that includes pink or black. You can also get a variety of flavors.
  • Robin Easter candy eggs – These make an amazing garnish.
  • Mini chocolate chips – You can get regular size chocolate chips too. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate both work well. 
  • Sour candy belts cut into thin strips – Use a sharp knife to slice these. 
close up of easter bunny ears on cake

How To Make Easy Easter Bunny Cake

Make sure to use a sharp knife to slice out the shapes.

  1. Bake the cake mix in the recommended size round cake pans and set aside to cool to room temperature on wire racks.
  2. Place the parchment paper on the serving tray, large platter, or cutting board.
  3. For the head, place a round cake shape down, then use a serrated knife to make the bunny ears and bow tie from the second round cake and place appropriately. 
  4. Place cake in the freezer to chill so that the cake will be easier to frost.
  5. After removing from the cut-up cake from the freezer, frost the ears and bunny head using an offset spatula.
  6. Then, gently press shredded coconut flakes into the frosting. 
  7. In a large bowl, mix together the food coloring of your choice with the rest of the frosting.
  8. Then frost the bowtie.
  9. Garnish the cake with jelly beans or chocolate egg candy and decorate the ears with pink jelly beans.
  10. Add the nose and the eyes using black jelly beans and the candy belt strips to make whiskers.
  11. Finally, create the mouth using chocolate chips. 
  12. For the grass, combine the green food coloring and coconut in a large ziplock bag and shake until the coconut is completely coated. 
  13. Delicately place the green coconut around the bunny and place robin eggs or jelly beans for garnish if desired.

Variations 

You can make any adaptations to this cake that work for you. 

  • Food coloring – Use any coloring you want for the bunny or the bowtie. 
  • Cake flavor – Choose another type of cake besides white or vanilla cake. You can use chocolate cake mix or any others that are your favorite.
  • Licorice – Make bows for the ears with delicious licorice.
  • Vanilla extract – Add just a small bit of vanilla extract to the cake batter for added flavor.
  • Coconut – If you like, sprinkle any excess un-dyed coconut over the top of the cake.
  • Frosting – Change up the frosting by using buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
  • Candy melts – Melt pink candy melts or other colors and use a piping bag to make designs or decorate the bunny.
  • Coconut cake – For more coconut cake, make this a poke cake by poking small holes into the cake before decorating. Pour cream of coconut over the cake for a decadently delicious treat.
angled shot of easter bunny cake

Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing 

If you’re storing the entire cake you’ll need to make significant room in the fridge or freezer. However, leftover cake can be stored and placed in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

Make ahead: You can make the pieces of the cake ahead of time and frost just before you’re ready to serve.

Refrigerator: Cake slices will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

overhead shot of easter bunny cake on cutting board

More Fun Cakes and Cupcakes

bunny butt cupcake

Easter Bunny Cupcake Recipe

Bunny Butt Cupcakes are the cutest Easter cupcakes you ever did see. They are SO easy that anyone can decorate them with just a few pre-made ingredients.
See The Recipe!
overhead of cadbury egg cupcakes

Cadbury Egg Cupcakes with Whipped Cadbury Creme Buttercream

Cadbury Egg Cupcakes are giant vanilla cupcakes stuffed with delicious Cadbury creme eggs and topped with a creme egg laced frosting. The perfect Easter cupcake idea! 
See The Recipe!
stack of cadbury egg fudge squares

Cadbury Egg Fudge Recipe (Easter Fudge)

With a chocolate and a white almond flavor, this Cadbury Egg Fudge makes for the perfect Easter dessert! Creamy and decadent!
See The Recipe!
overhead shot of easter bunny cake with text overlay for pinterest
angled shot of easter bunny cake

Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

5 from 5 votes
With candies and an easy cake cutting hack, this cute Easter Bunny Cake is an adorable Easter dessert that is a total show stopper!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix plus ingredients on box
  • 1 can vanilla frosting
  • Food gel color of your choice
  • Green food gel
  • 1 bag shredded sweetened coconut
  • Jelly beans
  • Robin Easter candy eggs
  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Sour candy belts cut into thin strips

Instructions

  • Bake cake according to box instructions, using two greased 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch round baking pans. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Line a large cutting board, serving tray, or baking pan with parchment paper. Place one of the round cakes in the center for the head. To make the ears and bow tie cut 2 convex shaped ears from the second round cake and place on each side of the bunny’s head. Place the concave shaped piece below the head to make the bowtie.
  • Place the cake in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes. This is optional but it will help frost the cake easier.
  • Frost the ears and bunny head with the frosting and then lightly coat the frosting with shredded coconut.
  • Add food gel (color of your choice) to a small mixing bowl and mix in the remainder of the frosting to frost the bowtie.
  • To decorate the bunny, add jelly beans and/or Easter candy around the bowtie. Use pink jelly beans to decorate the ears. Use black jelly beans for the nose and eyes. Add thinly sliced sour candy belt strips to make the whiskers. Use mini chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips) to make the mouth,
  • To make the green grass, place the remainder of the shredded coconut in a large ziplock bag and add a few drops of green food gel. Shake the bag until the coconut is green and sprinkle it around the bunny. Add Robin eggs or jelly beans around the grass for decoration (optional). Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 161 kcal, Carbohydrates: 35 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 2 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g, Sodium: 299 mg, Potassium: 27 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Sugar: 18 g, Calcium: 94 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Author: Kathryn Donangelo
Calories: 161
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easter bunny cake
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of easter bunny cake for pinterest
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    The cake was moist and delicious, and the decorating was so much fun. It was the perfect dessert for Easter and everyone loved it!

  2. 5 stars
    Cutest cake ever!! Bookmarking to make for Easter. Our family is full of kiddos who will absolutely love this and the instructions are clear and easy so I think I can do this!