Easter Bunny Cake!

Its been a while since the postman has knocked on the front door only to find himself face to face with a girl completely covered in icing sugar. And that's exactly what happened today, bless his soul! At the moment our house-hold is in full Easter swing as we prepare for the big family meal we have planned to cook tomorrow. It's looking to be even bigger than Christmas dinner at the rate we're going: spuds, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire Puds. You name it and it's probably stuffed in the freezer somewhere. And I think it is lovely that everyone has gone to town, so to speak, with this idea because Easter is really what you make it. 4 days off work can't be wasted lazying around in bed all day, stuffing your face with chocolate. Okay...maybe you can but for the sake of this post just go with it! Invite the family round, turn off the Wi-Fi and FOR GOD SAKE take a break from studying. It's Easter after all!

 I must quickly add how nice it was to be back in the kitchen since last time. It feels like an age since I last did some baking so I thought I should take advantage of this festive period and get stuck in! Who can really argue with that, especially when there is a nice big cake to eat at the end?

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 Anyway lets get cracking and take a look at this egg-cellent recipe I found. You'll be hopping mad to miss it! 

Ingredients 

For the sponge cake recipe follow step 1 & 2 here

2 sponge cakes

115g butter

225 icing sugar

3 round ice cream cones

Green food colouring (I know it doesn't look green in the picture but it is!)

Pink food colouring

9 white marshmallows 

7 mini white marshmallows

14 edible silver balls 

12-15 sugar butterfly decorations 

Instructions

1. First beat the butter and icing sugar to make a fluffy buttercream that you just can't resist tasting (obviously to make sure its mixed enough!) I don't think that I added quite enough green colouring at this point so make sure you add plenty, otherwise your hill won't look much like a hill. 

2. Next, spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of one of the sponge cakes and carefully sandwich the other on top (you didn't think it was called a Victoria Sandwich for nothing!)

3. Using a sharp knife, cut the crust off the top sponge at an angle to create a hill shape. I actually arranged some of the larger pieces of cut crust in a circle on top to make the cake taller and more rounder. 

4. With the same knife, cut off both ends of the ice cream cone (you may get a few shattered ones in the process) and push the remaining part into the sponge. This will make your bunny warrens and give the impression that there are actually more bunnies hiding inside your cake.

5. Now spread the buttercream over the sponge, being carefully to avoid the warrens. 

6. Mix the remaining icing sugar with a few tablespoons of water, to make a stiff icing. You can use this to dap onto the white marshmallows and make chubby bunny cheeks! Then stick on the silver balls for eyes. 

7. Next add pink food colouring to your stiff icing and use this to make a little bunny nose on each marshmallow. The more icing you add to the face, the more protruding and sweeet the noses are! 

8. Don't worry if they look a bit like walruses at the moment. To transform them, use a pair of scissors and cut 14 slices from the other large marshmallows, paint a pink stripe down the centre of each and stick to the top of the bunnies. Now they have ears! 

9. Use the rest of the icing to stick on mini marshmallow tails.

10. And finally arrange the bunnies and butterflies on the cake! 

Please do let me know if you attempt this recipe. It's going to make a lovely springy centre piece for our dinner tomorrow! And I really hope you all have a wonderful Easter and that I won't be the only one stocking up on eggs this year! 

Creme egg anyone?

Love Beth xx