Easter Chocolate Bunny Cake

Easter Chocolate Bunny Cake

I love Easter – bunnies, lambs, eggs, chocolate, crosses, chicks, nests, the whole lot. I usually make a Simnel Cake for Easter but as my daughter isn't a fan of fruit cake I thought I should make something for her and my son. Last year I spotted this Bunny tin on offer in Sainsbury's and they have it on sale this year again.

The trouble with novelty tins is that usually they don't come with any sample recipe and you end up shoving them to the back of the cupboard or ending up with lots of baking disasters. However, I was determined to use it and I seem to remember filling the tin with water and working out the quantity required from that. All very scientific, especially for me. The important part is that I worked out the recipe and it is essentially a 2 egg sponge recipe.

I made this for a Clandestine Cake Club meeting which had the theme of 'Easter Bunnies and Chocolate Therapy'. For the ears, whiskers, mouth, nose and eyes I used a block of white chocolate icing which I already had in my stash but you could just shape them out of white icing or marzipan.

Ingredients

Butter or cake release for greasing the tin

3oz (85g) Self-raising flour

1oz (28g) Cocoa

1tsp (5ml) Baking powder

4oz (110g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

4oz (110g) Caster sugar

2 Large eggs

1tbsp (15ml) Milk

White chocolate icing (ready to roll block) or marzipan for decorating

Method

1. Grease the tin with either butter or cake release.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and set to one side.

4. In another bowl cream together the butter and sugar.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time adding a little of the flour mixture.

6. Fold in the remaining flour with the milk.

7. Transfer to the prepared tin.

8. Gently spread the mixture into the corners of the tin and level.

9. Bake for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

10. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

11. Mould the icing into your desired shapes. For the ears I rolled a small length out and then folded in two.

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