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Hop into the spirit of Easter with our Easter bunny cake! This light, chocolatey cake is filled with colourful Smarties® and decorated with adorable buttercream bunnies. It couldn’t be easier to make, so get the kids involved in the mixing and icing – they’ll love creating the bunny art. It’s a simple bake that's fun for the whole family. Keep it classic, or add your own decorative flair with your own choice of sprinkles and toppings.

Got friends and family coming round for Easter? Keep them entertained with an epic Easter egg hunt – we show you how to make yours a roaring success. Or if you’re planning some creative time with the children, get them helping out with some easy Easter baking ideas for kids.

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How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake with Smarties®

Vibrant Smarties® and cute bunnies make this cake a fun and interactive bake for Easter! Follow the recipe below for a simple chocolate cake, or swap out the cocoa powder for self-raising flour to create a vanilla version.

Topping Variations

We’ve gone classic with our bunnies, but feel free to add your own creative flair! Add green sprinkles for grass or use a tumble of yellow Smarties® to create a sun instead of adding them to the cake mix. You could even pipe on your icing in the shape of one giant bunny rather than lots of them. It’s your Easter bunny cake, so make it memorable!

  • 60 min
  • 20 servings

You will need

  • A rectangular baking tin (18 x 23cm)
  • Baking paper
  • An electric whisk (optional)

Ingredients - For the Chocolate Cake

  • 85g light buttery baking spread, melted
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 36g Smarties® (reserve 6 pink Smarties®)

Ingredients - For the Chocolate Buttercream

  • 80g light buttery spread
  • 135g icing sugar
  • 25g cocoa powder

Ingredients - For the bunny decorations

  • 30g light buttery spread
  • 60g icing sugar
  • 6 pink Smarties®
  • Black food colouring or a tube of black icing gel
Each portion (1/20) typically contains
  • Energy 770kJ 184Kcal 9%
  • Fat 8.3g 12%
  • Saturates 2.9g 15%
  • Sugars 18.5g 21%
  • Salt 0.40g 7%

of an adult’s Reference Intake (RI)*
Energy per 100g: 1848kJ/441kcal

*Reference Intake of an average adult (8400kJ/2000kcal).
Portions should be adjusted for children of different ages.

Method

For the chocolate cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140° fan/gas 3 and line a rectangular baking tin (18 x 23cm) with baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix in the melted baking spread, eggs and vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar and cocoa powder, then whisk to combine.
  4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, then add the Smarties® and fold until combined and glossy.
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread it out evenly into the corners using the back of a dessert spoon or a palette knife, if you have one. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen, springy to the touch and until a cocktail stick inserted comes out clean. Leave to settle in the tin for ten minutes, then pop out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the chocolate buttercream

  1. Whisk the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  2. Gradually add sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder, then add one tablespoon of hot water and beat it until it's super smooth and creamy.
  3. Top the cooled chocolate cake with the chocolate buttercream and spread it out with a palette knife or spatula.

For the bunny decorations

  1. Whisk the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  2. Gradually add sifted icing sugar, then add 1 tablespoon of hot water and beat it in to smooth the buttercream out.
  3. Scoop the white buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. Pipe circles and two ears on top of the chocolate buttercream layer to make bunny faces.
  4. Place pink Smarties® in the centre of the faces for the noses.
  5. For the eyes, colour the leftover white icing with a few drops of black food colouring, then add it to a piping bag and pipe two eyes onto each bunny above the pink Smarties®.
  6. Cut into 20 equal portions, then serve and enjoy!

Top Tips

  • Always use room-temperature eggs to ensure the ingredients emulsify well.
  • Do not overmix the mixture, or your cake will be tough instead of tender.
  • Let your cake cool completely before icing. And for the best bunnies, draw the face in one motion. Pipe a circle of buttercream for the face and work up to one ear, then back down to the face and then up to the other ear. You’ll get the hang of it after the first one!
Questions?
How do I store my Easter bunny cake?

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature.

How long will the Easter bunny cake last?

Stored in an airtight container, your cake will last for up to three days.

Can you freeze the cake?

Sure! Freeze the un-iced cake in an airtight container for up to three months.

Why is my cake dry?

Overbaking can dry out your cake. To check if it is set, the cake should spring back when touched, and a cocktail stick or skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.

Why is my cake heavy?

Overmixing can also cause your cake to be dense, so mix gently. The idea is to preserve as much air in the mixture as you can to keep it light, so it’s best to use a metal dessert or tablespoon at this stage. Cut through the mixture using the edge of the spoon, making figures of 8 in the mix, and stop as soon as all the dry ingredients are combined. Additionally, too much flour can also make your cake dense, so make sure you weigh it correctly. For gram-by-gram precision, digital scales are your friend.

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