Ingredients:
- 1 Bunny with Basket Cake, assembled according to recipe instructions
For the simple buttercream:
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 7 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 7 Tbs. milk, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Brown food coloring as needed
- Pink food coloring as needed
- Green food coloring as needed
- Small colored jelly beans for decorating
Directions:
Set the cake upright on a cake stand or platter.
To make the simple buttercream, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium, add the 7 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt, and beat until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.
If not using the buttercream immediately, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and beat again with an electric mixer before using.
Transfer 1 cup of the buttercream to a small bowl and tint with brown food coloring. Transfer 1/4 cup of the buttercream to another small bowl and tint with pink food coloring. Transfer 3/4 cup of the buttercream to another small bowl and tint with green food coloring.
Fill a pastry bag with the brown buttercream and attach a medium basket-weave tip. (Before piping buttercream onto the cake, first pipe some onto a piece of parchment paper to ensure the buttercream has the proper shape and consistency.) Starting 1/2 inch from the left side of the basket, pipe a vertical line down from just below the basket handle to the base of the basket. Next, create horizontal lines: Starting at the top edge of the basket and using the vertical line you just piped as a center post, pipe a 1 1/2-inch horizontal line that crosses over the vertical line. Pipe another horizontal line that is 1 stripe width away from the first. Repeat until you reach the bottom of the cake.
Now pipe a second vertical line at the right edge of the horizontal lines you just created. Then pipe horizontal lines between the first row, using the second vertical line as a center guide. Continue until the entire basket is covered with the basket-weave design.
Switch to a medium star tip. Pipe short diagonal lines across the top of the basket to create a handle.
Using a small offset spatula, spread a smooth layer of the pink buttercream over the interior of the bunny's ears.
Fill a clean pastry bag with 1 cup of the white buttercream and attach a medium star tip. Pipe small tufts all over the bunny, beginning with the hard-to-reach areas: around the feet on either side, around the arms and tail, and under the chin. Then, starting with the head, completely cover the bunny with fur by holding the tip close to the cake, squeezing the bag and pulling away slightly as you let up on the pressure. Refill the pastry bag as needed with 1/2 cup white buttercream.
Fill a clean pastry bag with the green buttercream and attach a medium leaf tip. Pipe short leaves around the top of the basket in an overlapping pattern.
Cut a pink jelly bean in half and place one half over the nose. Cut a blue or green jelly bean in half and place one half over each eye. Fill the basket with jelly beans and place more around the base of the bunny. Serves 16.
To make the simple buttercream, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium, add the 7 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt, and beat until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.
If not using the buttercream immediately, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and beat again with an electric mixer before using.
Transfer 1 cup of the buttercream to a small bowl and tint with brown food coloring. Transfer 1/4 cup of the buttercream to another small bowl and tint with pink food coloring. Transfer 3/4 cup of the buttercream to another small bowl and tint with green food coloring.
Fill a pastry bag with the brown buttercream and attach a medium basket-weave tip. (Before piping buttercream onto the cake, first pipe some onto a piece of parchment paper to ensure the buttercream has the proper shape and consistency.) Starting 1/2 inch from the left side of the basket, pipe a vertical line down from just below the basket handle to the base of the basket. Next, create horizontal lines: Starting at the top edge of the basket and using the vertical line you just piped as a center post, pipe a 1 1/2-inch horizontal line that crosses over the vertical line. Pipe another horizontal line that is 1 stripe width away from the first. Repeat until you reach the bottom of the cake.
Now pipe a second vertical line at the right edge of the horizontal lines you just created. Then pipe horizontal lines between the first row, using the second vertical line as a center guide. Continue until the entire basket is covered with the basket-weave design.
Switch to a medium star tip. Pipe short diagonal lines across the top of the basket to create a handle.
Using a small offset spatula, spread a smooth layer of the pink buttercream over the interior of the bunny's ears.
Fill a clean pastry bag with 1 cup of the white buttercream and attach a medium star tip. Pipe small tufts all over the bunny, beginning with the hard-to-reach areas: around the feet on either side, around the arms and tail, and under the chin. Then, starting with the head, completely cover the bunny with fur by holding the tip close to the cake, squeezing the bag and pulling away slightly as you let up on the pressure. Refill the pastry bag as needed with 1/2 cup white buttercream.
Fill a clean pastry bag with the green buttercream and attach a medium leaf tip. Pipe short leaves around the top of the basket in an overlapping pattern.
Cut a pink jelly bean in half and place one half over the nose. Cut a blue or green jelly bean in half and place one half over each eye. Fill the basket with jelly beans and place more around the base of the bunny. Serves 16.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
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