The Bunny Cake

With Easter just 36 hours away, it's time to get those cake pans buttered and floured, and fire up your mixer to make the Bunny Cake.  When I suggested that we make one for Easter this year at our daughters' house, I got a few moans and then Eric said HE wanted the bunny cake!  This technique isn't rocket science, you can make your favorite cake and then cut the layers to make the bunny.  This year, I thought I'd share the recipe for the best carrot cake on the planet.  It's filled with nuts, and coconut, and carrots, and pineapple chunks, and gets better if it is made a day or two ahead.  The secret to not smearing the frosting is to chill the layers before frosting them, that way, the frosting will adhere to the cake layers, and not smear crumbs everywhere.

The Best Carrot Cake On the Planet
Makes One 13-by-9-inch or two 9-inch layers

1 1/2 cups canola oil

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups grated carrots

One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice

1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan OR two 9-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. 

3.      Add the carrots, pineapple, juice, nuts, and coconut stirring until blended. 

4.      Add the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir to combine.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes for the 13-by-9-inch, and 30 to 40 minutes for the layers. 

5.      Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely. Spread the top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting.

6.      Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Cook’s Note:  The food processor will make short work of grating the carrots, but some grocers carry already grated carrots.  These are a little drier than freshly grated carrots, so if you’re using them, add an extra 1/2 cup to the batter to make up for the lack of moisture. 

             

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 6 cups, enough to frost two 9-inch layers, one 13 x 9-inch cake, or 48 cupcakes

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine

5 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon orange extract or 1/2 teaspoon orange oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Milk, as needed to thin the frosting

1.      Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a medium-size bowl.

2.      Add the confectioners’ sugar and extracts and beat until the mixture is of spreadable consistency.  If the frosting is too thick, beat in some milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

3.      Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. I recommend you soften it at room temperature after it’s been refrigerated, so it’s easy to spread.

      

To Assemble the Bunny Cake      

1. Bake the carrot cake in two 9-inch round pans.  When the rounds are cooled completely cut the sides of one cake into two tapered ovals to resemble rabbit ears, leaving the center to look like a bow tie.  
2.  Arrange the other circle in the center of an 18-by-15-inch cardboard rectangle.  Place the two ovals on either side of the whole cake circle, and arrange the bow tie underneath the circle. 
3. Frost the tops and sides of the cake.   
4. Arrange licorice whips for whiskers, and jelly beans for eyes and nose in the center circle. 
5. Tint 1 cup of coconut with 2 drops of green food coloringand sprinkle the coconut over the bow tie and sprinkle with a few jelly beans to look like polka dots.  
6.  Tint 1 cup of coconut with 1 drop of red food coloring and sprinkle the coconut inside the “ears” of the rabbit.   
7. Sprinkle the rest of the untinted coconut over the rabbit’s face.  If you aren’t serving the cake immediately, cover with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours. 

I hope your weekend is filled with fun activities and that you enjoy this holiday weekend.  I'll be back on Monday with some photos from our weekend with the family, until then, celebrate each moment!

Who's Your Bunny?

Easter is this Sunday, and even if it's not your holiday, you can't help but be surrounded by the signs of spring; daffodils, crocus,

 

a plethora of hams

 and leg of lamb in the grocery store.

 asparagus, 

 and strawberries, are all signs of spring, and the reawakening that comes at this time of year. 

 

To say the weather in the US has been crazy would be an understatement, it's been downright bizarre, so spring in some places may not even come, we may go straight to summer!  That said, all this week I'm going to try and give you some great recipes for a spring dinner, that will be perfect for Easter or any other Sunday supper. 

Today we'll begin with a potato gratin; the French version of scalloped potatoes, only cheesier.  I'm positive that there are a billion of similar casseroles on Easter tables and many of them aren't cooked all the way through, or taste lackluster.  I've got the perfect recipe, and it's all do-ahead, so you can make these a few days ahead and keep them in the fridge you are ready to bake them. Since leeks are coming in now, they are perfect in this gratin, but you can leave them out if you have some diners that don't prefer onions.  Choosing different cheeses, adding leftover ham for another meal, or a layer of caramelized onions can all be done in this recipe.  This recipe calls for heavy cream and milk; don't substitute for either one, the sauce will separate and you will have a proper mess on your hands.  

Springtime Potato Gratin

Serves 8

2 leeks, thinly sliced, using the white and tender green parts

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)

½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano  

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.     Coat the inside of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3.     

5.     In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt the butter in the olive oil and saute the leeks for 5 minutes, until tender.

6.     Add the cream and milk to the skillet, and add the  potatoes, salt and Tabasco.   Simmer the potato mixture until the potatoes are tender, about 6 minutes. 

7.     Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top of the potatoes. 

8.     Bake the gratin covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes, remove the foil and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown.  Allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Cooks' Note:  Choose a low starch potato for this dish; no russets or baking potatoes, but reds, white creamers and Yukon golds will all work beautifully here.  

Peel the potatoes if the skins aren't beautiful; or if they have a green tinge on them.  Peel off all the greenish area before using the potatoes.  

Mint Pesto Crusted Racks of Lamb with Cucumber Mint Salsa

Serves 8

1 cup packed mint leaves

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

6 to 7 leaves fresh oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

Four 1-pound racks of lamb, trimmed 

1.  In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the mint, garlic, vinegar, oil, oregano, cayenne and salt, processing until smooth.  
2. Do-Ahead:  the pesto can be frozen for up to 2 months.  Defrost before proceeding.
3. Make ½-inch slits all over the racks, and transfer to a zipper top plastic bag.                   
4.  Pour the pesto sauce over the racks, and turn to coat.  Seal the bag and refrigerate for 12 hours, and up to 24 hours. 
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
   Remove the racks from the bag (no need to pat dry) and place in a roasting pan, fat side up.   
   Roast the lamb for about 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140.  
6. Remove from the oven and allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Serve with cucumber mint salsa.  
7. Do-Ahead:  If you would like to roast the racks ahead of time, roast them to 125 degrees and remove them from the oven.  Allow to cool to room temperature and then wrap in foil or zipper top plastic bags.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days.  One hour before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and place the racks in a baking dish for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.  Bake the racks for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are heated through. 
   Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

 Cucumber Mint Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

1 European cucumber, cut into ½-inch dice

2 green onions, chopped, using some of the green part

½ cup packed mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch cayenne

1. In a small glass bowl, stir together the cucumber, onion, mint, vinegar, oil, parsley, salt, sugar, and  cayenne.  
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.  Toss again, and serve cold.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few ideas for veggies and dessert; I hope this day brings you joy.

Just FYI, these are Julia Child roses, for more information on these gems, click here.