Chocolate Coconut Bunny Butt Cake

Prep & Cook Time Bake 1hr, 30 min; Prep 2hrs
Serves 12-15

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Kemps Sour Cream

Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Kemps Milk

Decorations:

  • 3 cups shredded coconut, divided – plus 3 tablespoons
  • 1 tsp green food coloring
  • jelly beans
  • 2 large marshmallows
  • candies of your choice to decorate
  • optional:  white cotton candy for tail

How to

Chocolate Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Grease a 7-inch hemisphere-shaped cake pan or 9-inch deep oven-safe bowl and 5 cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time.
  • Add the vanilla and sour cream and stir with a rubber spatula until starting to incorporate, then beat with the hand mixer until fully combined.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating between each addition until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed.
  • Filled the prepared cake pan with the remaining batter and set in a flat-bottomed cake pan to stabilize in the oven.  Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes and cake cool for 20-30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Buttercream Frosting:

  • In a large bowl, combine the butter, salt and powdered sugar. Cream with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the milk and continue beating until the buttercream is light and fluffy, another 5 minutes.

Assemble Cake:

  • Make the grass: in a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut and the green food coloring until the color is evenly distributed.
  • Make the bunny tail: Add 3 cupcakes to a medium bowl and crumble finely with your hands. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the buttercream until evenly distributed, then shape the cake mixture into a ball. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set.
  • After chilling, coat the cake ball in buttercream, then cover with 3 tablespoons of the white shredded coconut. Return to the fridge while you assemble the rest of the cake.
  • Make the feet: Place the remaining 2 cupcakes on a cutting board, with the bottoms facing up. Dab a bit of buttercream on the side of each cupcake and place a marshmallow on top of the buttercream.
  • Cover the cupcakes and marshmallows with a thin coat of buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
  • Remove the feet from the refrigerator and cover with a thicker coat of buttercream, rounding the edges to blend the shape together. They should be narrower at the top and rounder at the bottom. Arrange the pink or brown candies as paw prints on the feet with a round circle on top and the 3 smaller ovals underneath.  Be creative! You can use candy pelts, chocolate chips, or a candy of your choice. Return to the refrigerator to set for another 20-30 minutes.
  • Assemble the cake: Dollop 1 tablespoon of buttercream on the center of a cake platter. Place the round cake on the center of the platter with the domed side facing up, using the buttercream to keep the cake in place.
  • Spread a thin layer of buttercream all around the cake and cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups white shredded coconut.
  • Place 6 toothpicks in 2 triangle shapes on one side of the cake. Remove the feet from the refrigerator and place them into the toothpicks.
  • Place 4 toothpicks above the feet, then attach the tail to the toothpicks.
  • Spread the coconut grass around the body, then arrange jelly beans in the grass.
  • Slice and serve.