Sleeping Bunny Rabbit Surprise Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
- 1 cup sultanas, soaked in 1 cup hot water
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 250g/8.8ozs. butter, melted
- 1.5 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For decorating
- 100g/3.5ozs. speckled Easter eggs
- 500g/1.1lbs butter, room temperature
- 600g/6 cups icing or powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sugar flowers
- 1 sheet rice paper
- Edible pink lustre powder
- Black and pink icing
To make 1 cup of cake flour, replace 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons of cornflour or fine cornstarch.
Step 1 - Line a 20cm/8inch round pan on the base and sides. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt together until well combined.
Step 2 - In a jug measure the butter, buttermilk and vanilla and pour in and mix with the drained sultanas and flour (do not overmix). Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Step 3 - Once cooled, cut the cake into three layers horizontally. Beat the butter until smooth in a mixer and then on low speed add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until combined, then increase to high and beat for 7-8 minutes until white.
Step 4 - Fill a large piping bag with some frosting. Place the first layer on a serving plate and pipe some buttercream on top and smooth with a spatula. Repeat with the second layer but cut out a circle with a large circular cutter and remove the centre of the second layer of the cake. Fill with the speckled Easter eggs. Pipe icing on top of this add add last top layer.
Step 5 - Spread buttercream around the sides and top of the cake until the cake is no longer visible. Draw on the eyes and nose. Cut out ears in the rice paper and brush the pink dust in the centre. Cut some slices on top of the cake and slide the rice paper ears in. Position edible flowers on top.