Chocolate Bunny Cake with Caramel Buttercream Icing

Happy 9th Birthday Serena!

 

 

Yesterday was Serena's 9th birthday! Wow time sure flies!

 

 

 

She wanted a bunny cake and I thought "oh good that will be easy!" Several years ago I had bought a bunny cake with those plastic pieces for the head, feet, and tail so I thought for sure this will be a quickie. Not to be. I looked everywhere for those plastic pieces but they were not there. I suppose this had something to do with the fact that I couldn't be accused of being a hoarder. ha :)

 

I decided I can figure it out on my own because I didn't feel like heading to the store for plastic bunny pieces. Seemed kind of ridiculous. :)

 

I had a bigger problem. No eggs in the house that were not hard boiled. Luckily there is a simple but decent chocolate cake you can bake without eggs so that's the one I made.

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Place parchment or waxed paper (fitted) into the bottom of two 9 inch round pans that are non stick sprayed.

 

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup light olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups water

 

Combine all ingredients except 1 cup of water. Mix, then add the last cup of water and mix well. Divide evenly into the two round pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or till toothpick test comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the pans, then cut around the edge and invert onto parchment or waxed paper on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

 

Caramel Butter Cream Frosting

1½ cups Crisco

1½ cups unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup Hershey's Caramel Syrup

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup sour cream

 

Combine shortenings, brown sugar, and syrup in a stand mixer and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and sour cream and whip until very fluffy. Drastic amounts of sugar!! Yikes!! The brown sugar does not completely dissolve but this just gives the bunny character and pizazz. Ha!

I used melted chocolate to make the eyes, nose, etc. Pipe it onto waxed paper and allow to harden and the press into fresh icing. His whiskers kept melting in my fingers, so you have to work quickly.

 

I'm going to let the pictures explain the process.

 

Cut in half then in half again horizontally.

I just guessed for the legs and feet.

 Cut one then cut in half horizontally.

Cut 1 of each then in half horizontally. :)

Broken record, I know!

Rough draft.

Refrigerate after this to allow base icing to harden.

this is what you'll have left of the second cake

his cute little tail :)

what it looks like inside

 

                                                                                             

 

We spent Easter weekend in Ohio with my family and also celebrated Serena's birthday out there. My niece, Rachael, (Serena's favorite cousin) made a horse cake for her. She and Serena share a love for horses so this was a special delight for my girlie.

 

I was impressed with her artistic cake skills!

 

We also celebrated Shawn's 16th birthday but I'll do that in another post after his party. :)

 

The sun has been gracing us with it's presence, now if the wind would die down we could truly say it feels like the warmer Spring weather is here. But... the sun is shining and that's what matters! I have lots to do outside so I'm definitely looking forward to warmer weather!

 

♥Blessings!♥