Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
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This fun Easter Bunny Cake is easy to make with no special cake pans or tools needed. Kids love to help with this cute, simple dessert, made with a boxed cake mix.

The Cutest Cake Ever!

Y’all know me. Sometimes, my life is all about making everything from scratch and going all-out with the flavor combinations (hello, Caramel Apple Dream Cake). But other times, you just need to grab that boxed cake mix and stir up something delicious and easy (looking at you, Peach Dump Cake).

This cake belongs in the second category. Made with boxed cake mix and even store-bought icing if you like, the magic is in the cute bunny shape and pretty decorations. Plus, it does taste pretty great!

Easter bunny cake is just right for Easter, or just for springtime. It’s a kid-friendly treat that both littles and big kids can help with. It’s special enough for the dessert table at an Easter get-together, but casual enough to make and enjoy on a weekend afternoon. 

Cake mix, eggs, and other cake ingredients, along with marshmallows, icing, colored sugar, and candy.

Recipe Ingredients

So you already know this is a cake-mix cake – but what else will you need? Let’s take a look at the list of ingredients. (Note: for the complete, printable recipe card with amounts and nutrition facts, you can scroll to the bottom of this post.)

  • Cake Mix: You’ll need one box of your favorite vanilla cake mix, plus the ingredients listed on the package to make the cake. This usually includes eggs, oil, and water. Or you can use any homemade cake you would enjoy!
  • Cream Cheese Icing: Make two batches of cream cheese frosting, or use two containers of store-bought vanilla icing.
  • Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut will be tossed with green food coloring to make green grass. You can use sweetened shredded coconut or plain shredded coconut.
  • Marshmallows: Large marshmallows will be cut into sections to make flower petals. You could also use fondant shaped into flower petal shapes.
  • Decorations: Pink sugar (and more colors if you plan on making the marshmallow flowers!), green food coloring, some Easter candies, and black icing.
A cute bunny cake with marshmallow and coconut decorations.

Let’s Make an Easter Bunny Cake!

The secret to this recipe is baking the cakes in round cake pans, and then cutting them according to this easy pattern. From there, decorating is a breeze. Let’s do this!

  • Bake the Cakes. Make the cake according to the package directions, and divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Place them in the preheated oven, and let them bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  • Cool the Cakes and Make the Flowers and Grass. Take the baked cakes out of the oven, and set them aside to cool completely. While they cool off, cut the marshmallows at an angle to make flower petals. Press the sticky, cut sides of the petals into the pink sugar. Then place the coconut in a zip-top bag with the green food coloring, and shake until coated.
  • Decorate the Bunny. Remove the cooled cakes from the pans, and cut one of the cakes to make two oval-shaped ears and one bow-tie piece, just like the photos. Place the cake on a cake board or large serving plate (see the Baker’s Notes section for more info on that). Frost the cake, and then decorate as shown, or however you like.
  • Add Flowers and Grass. Last of all, assemble the marshmallow petals into flowers and add them to the board, along with the “grass.” Add Easter candy if you like.

Baker’s Notes

I hope you are excited to try making this easy Easter bunny cake! But before you get started, be sure to check out these helpful tips. They will guarantee the success of your Easter bunny cake project.

  • Freeze Before Frosting: After you cool and cut the cake pieces, you can freeze them before assembling and frosting. This can make icing the cake a little easier. 
  • Decorating Options: Decorating this cake is fun. I like making the flowers out of cut marshmallows and colored sugar, but you could definitely change this up and use Easter candies to decorate with instead.
  • Black Icing: Another simple change would be to use Twizzlers for the whiskers and the eyes, instead of black icing.
  • Baking Strips: To have flat-topped cakes instead of domes in the middle, use these baking strips by Wilton. Make sure they have soaked in water for at least 5 minutes. If you don’t want to use baking strips, a domed cake is fine, or you can trim it with a long serrated knife.
  • Cake Board: You can cut a piece of cardboard from a large box, and cover it neatly with foil to make a cake board. Large cake boards are also available at Walmart, Michael’s, or online at Amazon.
A bunny cake with colorful marshmallow flowers.

Easy Variations

Of course, you can change this bunny up in all kinds of ways. Everything from the cake to the whiskers is up to you! Here are some quick ideas for customizing your Easter bunny:

  • Cake Mix: Vanilla cake is my go-to for this vanilla bunny, but you could use any cake mix flavor that you like – chocolate, banana cake, lemon cake, etc. The only kind I would avoid is angel food cake, because it has to be made in a special angel food cake pan.
  • Frosting: Any kind of frosting is fine – buttercream, cream cheese frosting, meringue-style frostings, marshmallow frosting, etc.
  • Coconut: If you love coconut, feel free to sprinkle it generously over the bunny shape before you decorate, to make “fur!” (This may make it necessary to adjust some of the decorations – for instance, candy might work better than icing for the eyes and whiskers.)
  • Decoration Ideas: If candy and food coloring aren’t your thing, you could totally decorate this sweet cake with fresh fruit. Blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries, and brightly-colored tropical fruits would all be great choices.
Close-up shot of the colored marshmallow flower petals.

How to Store Leftover Cake

I like to store this cake in the fridge, to keep the cream cheese frosting as fresh as possible and prevent melting. It will keep for several days. To prevent it from getting stale, press a piece of wax paper or parchment paper against any cut sides of the cake, and then cover well. A cake plate with a fitted dome lid can be helpful for this, or a 13×9 inch pan with a fitted lid if you have a larger portion to store.

An Easeter bunny cake on a cake board.

Can I Freeze This?

Sure! Nearly all cakes are freeze-worthy, and this one is, too. To keep the frosting and decorations as neat as possible, place the cake in the freezer for about one hour to firm up before you wrap it. Then wrap each piece in foil or plastic wrap, and then in a second layer for extra sealing power. Mark them with the date and freeze them for three months. Thaw before serving.

A decorated Easter bunny cake on a cake board.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Recipe
Yield: 10 Servings

Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

This fun Easter Bunny Cake is easy to make with no special cake pans or tools needed. Kids love to help with this cute, simple dessert, made with a boxed cake mix.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Cut parchment circles to line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pan. Spray pans with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
  • Make the cake according to the package directions and pour evenly into the cake pans.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then use a toothpick and when inserted gently in the middle, it should come out clean.  If not, continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  • While the cake is baking and cooling, make the flower petals. Cut the marshmallows at an angle to create flower petals, then press the cut side into colored sugar. Cut as many petals for 3 to 5 flowers as you wish.  Place the coconut in a ziplock bag and add a few drops of green food coloring into the coconut and toss until well coated.
  • Remove the cooled cakes from the pans and cut according to the photos. (See step by step photos above in the post.)
  • Place the cake on a cake board or large serving plate (see notes).
  • Carefully spread the icing evenly over the cake. You can tint and pipe pink icing for the ears, or sprinkle pink sugar for the ears.  Decorate the cake according to the pictures or as you prefer to decorate your bunny.
  • Assemble the flowers and add some grass. Add candy eggs or other Easter candy if you wish.

Notes

  • **Cream Cheese Frosting: or you can use 2 (16 oz) tubs store bought vanilla icing!
  • Storing: Store this cake in the refrigerator for 1 – 3 days. Keep the air out by using an airtight container and by pressing parchment or wax paper against any cut sides of the cake.
  • Freeze Before Frosting: After you cool and cut the cake pieces, you can freeze them before assembling and frosting. This can make icing the cake a little easier. 
  • Decorating Options: Decorating this cake is fun. I like making the flowers out of cut marshmallows and colored sugar, but you could definitely change this up and use Easter candies to decorate with instead.
  • Black Icing: Another simple change would be to use Twizzlers for the whiskers and the eyes, instead of black icing.
  • Baking Strips: To have flat-topped cakes instead of domes in the middle, use these baking strips by Wilton. Make sure they have soaked in water for at least 5 minutes. If you don’t want to use baking strips, a domed cake is fine, or you can trim it with a long serrated knife.
  • Cake Board: You can cut a piece of cardboard from a large box, and cover it neatly with foil to make a cake board. Large cake boards are also available at Walmart, Michael’s, or online at Amazon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 313kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 446mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 37g

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Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.