Bunny Rabbit Cake Recipe
A cute cake that could be coated in chocolate buttercream (here) and milk chocolate curls if you prefer.
SERVES 12

Ingredients:

FOR THE VANILLA SPONGE
✔ 350g unsalted butter
✔ 350g caster sugar
✔ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
✔ 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
✔ 300g plain flour
✔ 50g cornflour
✔ 4 teaspoons baking powder
✔ a pinch of salt
✔ 5 tablespoons milk
✔ 400g raspberry jam

FOR THE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
✔ 250g unsalted butter
✔ 500g icing sugar, sifted
✔ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
✔ 2 tablespoons milk

FOR THE DECORATION
✔ 200g white chocolate
✔ pink hundreds and thousands
✔ 1 x pink and 2 x brown sugar-coated chocolate drops, for the eyes and nose

YOU WILL ALSO NEED
✔ 2-litre ovenproof bowl
✔ 250ml ovenproof bowl
✔ 2 x cocktail sticks


Directions:

MAKE THE VANILLA SPONGE
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and position the shelf in the middle. Butter the insides of the bowls and line the base of each with a small disc of baking parchment.

2. Make the vanilla sponge mix following the instructions on here, up to the end of step 3.

3. Scoop the cake mix into the small bowl to two-thirds full and the remaining mixture into the larger bowl. Level the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake both bowls on the middle shelf of the oven for 25–30 minutes for the smaller bowl, and 70 minutes for the larger one, until both cakes are well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Leave to rest in the bowls for 4–5 minutes and then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold. Wrap in cling film and set aside.

PREPARE THE DECORATIONS
4. Make the vanilla buttercream following the instructions on here. Chill until ready to use.

5. Use a vegetable peeler or the coarse side of a box grater to make white chocolate shavings. Chill until ready to use.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
6. Using the diagram on here as a guide, assemble the cake pieces. Unwrap the larger cake and place it on a chopping board on its side. If it has domed in the oven, use a large serrated knife to trim the flat edge level and sit it on the board. Trim a 2cm slice from one edge of the cake – this is where the head will join the rabbit’s body. Slice the trimmed dome vertically into 6 even slices and spread the cut sides with jam. Sandwich the dome back together.

7. Place the large dome on a cake board and use a spatula to cover it with about two-thirds of the buttercream. Press two-thirds of the white chocolate shavings all over the buttercream.

8. Unwrap the smaller cake, trim the flat edge to level it and sit it on the board. Slice off one-third from the side of the cake and set it aside. Carefully shave a little sponge from the opposite side of the dome to shape a pointed nose. Cut the cake in half from the nose to the back of the head, spread with jam and sandwich back together.

9. Press the small cake up against the larger cake to join the head to the body and cover the head with half the remaining buttercream and half the white chocolate shavings.

10. To make the ears, take the section of sponge you cut away from the head and cut it in half to make 2 ear shapes. Cover with half the remaining buttercream and chocolate shavings and then sprinkle the front of each ear with pink hundreds and thousands. Insert a cocktail stick into the base of each ear.

11. Carefully press the ears into the top of the bunny’s head. Press brown sugar-coated chocolate drops into position for the eyes and a pink one for the nose. Roll the remaining buttercream into a ball, coat it in the remaining white chocolate shavings and position as a tail.