Easter Bunny Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) box white cake mix (white or yellow are best, or use your own imagination...)

• 1 (16 ounce) can white frosting (or use your favorite recipe, "ready to spread" will do but I'm not sure how much it will take)

• 1 (14 ounce) package coconut (either flaked or shredded will work)
• 1/2 yard ribbon (approx., for bow)
• food coloring
• jelly bean or gumdrops (for decorations, eyes, nose, etc.)

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare cake mix according to directions on box for 2 round 9" layers.

2. 2

   Tint 1/4 cup of the coconut pink (I'm guessing at the amount) for the center of ears and feet.

3. 3

   Tint 2 tablespoons of the frosting brown for decorating face and feet ( or you can buy one of those prepared decorating icing tubes).

4. 4

   When cake is cool, cut layers as shown in diagram (see other photo).

5. 5

   Take 4 of the 8 outer ring pieces and frost the tops. Place 1 of the remaining 4 on top of each and frost top and sides. These will make the feet of the bunny.

6. 6

   Place round-cut center piece next to the top edge of the square, keeping them both flat, to form body and head.

7. 7

   Assemble the 4 side pieces in twos, flat sides together (you can use a little frosting to hold them together) to form the ears and arrange at the top of the head.

8. 8

   Frost entire cake and attach the completed feet, 2 on each side of the body.

9. 9

   Sprinkle coconut over entire cake and decorate with jelly beans/gumdrops for eyes, nose, etc. as desired, using pink-tinted coconut for center of ears and feet.

10. 10

    Here's where you can really have fun and get creative! You can tie the ribbon in a bow and place on the cake as a bowtie, make buttons out of the candy, add a hat, etc.

11. 11

    ** Tip for using frosting to decorate without a pastry bag: Spoon the frosting into one corner of a small plastic sandwich baggie, twist tightly and snip off the tip of the corner. Voila!

12. 12

    Note: The finished cake is almost 2 feet long so be sure to have it on a large enough cookie sheet or platter!

13. 13

    Servings vary on how you decide to divide up the body (er, bunny) parts -- .