PEEPS Easter Bunny Vanilla Cake

Peeps Easter Bunny Vanilla Cake is a simple made-from-scratch cake, topped with a coconut buttercream frosting and decorated with PEEPS marshmallows and Easter candies, perfect for your Easter dinner dessert table.

There's just something about spring and Easter that lends itself to completely adorable cakes, isn't there? Or maybe it's just me that thinks that...

Either way, I think you're absolutely going to love this cake. I mean, how could you not? Vanilla and coconut are the perfect flavors for spring and who doesn't love those PEEPS marshmallow bunnies? This cake is also really easy to assemble. You can make the frosting and coconut grass while the cake is either baking or cooling and once you get it frosted, it only takes a few minutes to go from simple vanilla/coconut cake to completely adorable and ready to impress.

Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

PEEPS Easter Bunny Vanilla Cake

Peeps Easter Bunny Vanilla Cake is a simple made-from-scratch cake topped with a coconut buttercream frosting and decorated with PEEPS marshmallows and Easter candies, perfect for your Easter dinner dessert table.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Cake

Keyword: baking, Bunny Cake, Coconut Cake, dessert, Easter Cake, Peeps Easter Bunny Cake, Vanilla Cake

Servings: 12 slices

Calories:

Author: NicholeL

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 box vanilla cake mix + ingredients to prepare
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

• 4 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Decorations:

• 10 oz. bag sweetened flaked coconut
• 5-6 drops green food coloring
• 20-24 Peeps marshmallow bunnies
• egg-shaped Easter candy

Instructions

For the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with baking spray. Cut parchment rounds to fit inside the cake pan and mist lightly with baking spray.
• Combine all of the ingredients for the cake (box mix, plus ingredients, vanilla) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until fully combined.
• Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake according to box directions.
• Let cakes cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Frosting:

• Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until fully incorporated.
• Add in the milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract and salt and mix until combined.

For the Coconut Grass:

• Pour shredded coconut into a zip top bag. Add food coloring and seal bag, tossing to coat and distributing the food coloring until it turns the coconut green. Set aside.

To Assemble and Decorate the Cake:

• Cut off the tops of the cakes to make them level.
• Spread about ¾ cup of the frosting onto one of the cakes, cover the top and the sides.
• Place the second cake on top and spread 1 cup of frosting on the top. Use enough of the remaining frosting to spread down the sides of the cake, creating a layer of frosting thick enough to adhere the marshmallow bunnies.
• Press the Peeps bunnies around the outside of the cake.
• Sprinkle the green coconut on top of the cake, spreading out to the edges.
• Add additional Peeps bunnies and egg shaped candies to the top of the cake.

Notes

To get bunnies to stand up on top of the cake, insert a toothpick into the bottom of the bunny and then press into the cake. Alternately, place an egg shaped candy behind the bunny.

I only had a bite of this cake, but it is perfectly light and sweet. Using coconut extract in frosting is one of my favorite ways to really impart that coconut flavor, but it still manages to not be over the top.