BUNNY CAKE

Bunny Cake image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes 1 cake

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
2 recipes Basic Vanilla Buttercream
Pink gel-paste food coloring
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded desiccated coconut

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-cup bunny-shaped baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour.
Fill prepared pans with batter and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; let cool completely.
Using 1/4 to 1/2 cup buttercream, spread on flat side of each bunny-shaped cake; press flat sides together to adhere. Transfer 1 1/2 cups buttercream to a medium bowl and add enough pink gel food coloring to reach desired shade of pink. Fit a pastry bag with a star tip, such as Ateco #18. Pipe pink buttercream to form ears, eyes, and nose.
Transfer remaining buttercream to a clean pastry bag fitted with a star tip, such as Ateco #18. Pipe buttercream over bunny-shaped cake to cover. Press shredded sweetened coconut onto tail to adhere. Sprinkle bunny with finely shredded coconut; serve.