Bunny Cake with Strawberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

In this post going to include directions below for making the Strawberry Cake and Lemon Frosting as a regular cake, not in a bunny shape. And I am going to included directions for making the bunny cake, which you can use any flavor cake and any frosting you choose.

My youngest daughter is a huge bunny fan and I mean huge. Which I have no problem with since I myself am a big bunny fan. I should also mention that my mom is a fan of bunnies as well. So it only makes sense that my youngest girl would want a bunny cake for her birthday, but not just any bunny cake, one that looked like her second favorite stuffed bunny.

For the cake part of her bunny cake she picked a strawberry cake which I was happy about because I had this recipe and really wanted to try it.

The cake and frosting turned out so well. I have to say I am in love with this frosting. The combination of cream cheese and whipped cream accented by lemon juice was so, so very delicious. I think I could just eat the frosting by the spoonful it is so good. The cake was also just as delicious, light, moist and full of strawberry flavor.

Strawberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients:

Strawberry Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons strawberry flavored Jello gelatin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken
• 2/3 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Lemon Frosting

• 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup chopped, fresh strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Strawberry Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9x13 metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang of a few inches on the two short sides, making it easier to remove from the pan. Lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
3. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add in the lemon juice and vanilla and mix.
6. In a small bowl combine the flour, strawberry jello, baking soda and salt.
7. Add the flour mixture to the butter in batches alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
8. Gently fold in the strawberries.
9. Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then lift cake out of pan with parchment paper overhang and cool completely on a cooling rack.
11. When cake is completely cool place on a serving platter and carefully remove parchment paper.

Lemon Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth.
2. Fold in the strawberries.
3. In a large bowl start beating the whipping cream and slowly add in the lemon juice. Beat until the mixture is frothy.
4. While beating the whipping cream slowly add in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold half of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture just until incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream mixture.
7. Frost top and sides of cake.
8. If not serving immediately refrigerate and refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes:
When I made this cake for the bunny cake I bake it in two round 9 inch pans lined with parchment paper instead of baking it in a 9x13 metal baking pan.

When I made the frosting for the bunny cake I made 1 1/2 batches of the frosting. I had plenty for the cake with some leftover, which was perfect because it allowed me to cover up cut sides of the cake so it would not dry out in the refrigerator. I also did not add the strawberries to the frosting because I did not want them to show through the coconut.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted form Gonna Want Seconds.

Bunny Cake
Ingredients:
2- 9 inch cakes, cooled
6 cups frosting, approximately
5 cups sweetened shredded coconut, approximately

Directions:
On one cake cut off the round edges making a 6 inch square. The cut off pieces will become the ears.
On the second cake cut a 1 1/2 inch wide ring. Divide the 1 1/2 inch outer ring into 8 equal pieces, for the paws.

Place the 6 inch square down for the bunnies body. Place the circle for the head above the body. Take two of the ear pieces and put the cut sides together and place above circle head and to one side for an ear, repeat with remaining ear pieces.

Take the paw pieces and stack two pieces together making 4 paws. Place two paws on either side of the square body.

Frost top and sides of entire cake. You do not need to do a crumb coat, because the coconut will cover most of the frosting.

Gently press coconut onto the top and sides of the cake covering the entire cake. If you want to have different colors of coconut, add some coconut to a medium bowl and add some gel or cake color to it and stir until coconut is evenly tinted. Decorate bunny as desired.

Notes:
I used an upside down jelly roll pan covered in foil to put the bunny on.

I used tinted leftover frosting for the bunnies facial features and made them to look like a stuffed bunny. I have included the picture that was attached to the directions for an idea of a different way to decorate the bunny.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from unknown.