Make a bunny cake or a basket cake

Karen Freeman

If you are having company for Easter dinner or even if you aren’t, chances are that you are preparing some kind of dessert for Sunday dinner. If you are making dessert anyway, why not have some fun with it? Make a bunny cake or a basket cake. It isn’t nearly as hard as you might think.

You don’t need a lot of special equipment to create these two beautiful cakes. You don’t even need to make the cake from scratch. Professional cake decorators say that modem cake mix is such good quality that they use it themselves instead of making it from scratch. The only thing you may not have is a basket weave decorating tip and disposable bags. You can pick up both for less than $5 at Wal-Mart or Michael’s. Both cakes use regular cake mix and regular cake pans.

Remember to let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Once the cake has begun to cool, place the cake in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This will make it easier to decorate.

Also remember that you may need to level your cake. To do this, simply use a large serrated knife (like a bread knife) and cut away enough to make the cake level. Always level by cutting off the top and always put the frosting on the bottom of the cake.

Cake No. 1 is a bunny cake. The kids, large and small, will love this cake. Even though the recipe calls for a yellow cake mix, you can use any flavor that you prefer. Remember to chill the cake before cutting and frosting it.

The basket cake is also easy. You don’t have to do any unusual cuts for that cake. The recipe uses a basket weave tip and uses short vertical and horizontal strokes. Another option is to make a vertical strip from top to bottom and then make horizontal strips. One goes over the vertical strip the next stops on each side. Continue all the way down. Turn the cake a few inches and make another vertical strip and repeat the horizontal strips. Continue this way all the way around the cake. You can also cut out a circle in the top of the cake (before frosting) to make a depression for the coconut grass and candy eggs.

Either cake that you choose to make, your family will enjoy the novelty of it and you will discover that unique cakes are not as difficult as we think they are.



Easter Bunny Cake>



1 (18.25-Oz.) Pkg. Yellow Cake Mix
1 Cup Water
13 Cup Oil
3 Eggs



Prepare cake according to package instructions, using two standard, round cake pans.



Buttery Cream Frosting>



12 Cup Butter Flavor Shortening or 1/2 Butter Flavor Stick
7 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
2-1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 Cup Milk, plus more if needed



In medium mixing bowl, beat Butter Flavor Crisco Shortening. Add confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly blend in milk to desired consistency, adding up to 2 Tablespoons more if needed. Beat on high speed for five minutes, or until smooth and creamy.

Assembly

1. Cut cake according to diagram.

2. Arrange cakes on large serving plate, as shown.

3. Frost entire cake; sprinkle with coconut and decorate.

4. Arrange thin licorice strips for whiskers and smile, gumdrops for eyes and nose and Jelly Beans for bow tie decoration.



Easter Basket Cake>



1 (18.25-Oz.) Pkg. Yellow Cake Mix
1-Cup Water
13 Cup Oil
3 Eggs



Prepare cake according to package instructions, using two standard, round cake pans.

To make the Easter Basket Cake, first cover the cake with a thin layer of icing and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. This makes the cake easier to decorate.

Using a pastry bag with a basketweave tip, alternately pipe a short horizontal line, then a short vertical line, rotating around the entire bottom of the cake, until you reach the point where you started.

Continue with another row above these lines, alternating the vertical and horizontal stripes with what is on the bottom. Keep adding rows until you reach the top.

Create a border by weaving the tip around the top of the cake's perimeter.

Bend a forsythia branch over the top of the cake and tuck the tips into the side for a basket handle.

Fill the center of the "basket" with toasted coconut that has been tinted green.

Place chocolate eggs and other candies in the center of the basket.



Did you know?>



Egg decorating tips

Traditional method: Hard boil eggs. Fill several mugs with boiling water and add 1-2 tsp. vinegar. Place a few drops of desired food coloring in each mug. Place eggs in mugs for several minutes until eggs reach desired shades.

Remove with a spoon. Place on paper towel to dry. When dry, polish with a small amount of shortening on a paper towel. Buff until glossy.

You can draw or write on the eggs with a light colored or white crayon before dipping. The drawing will remain white after the egg is dipped.

To clean out mugs, put a little bleach water in the cups and soak for a few minutes.

Natural Easter Egg dyes: If you would like to try dying eggs naturally, try the following:

Yellow – yellow onion skins, turmeric (12 tsp. per cup water) celery leaves

Orange – any yellow dye plus beet juice

Red -- beets, paprika, red onion skins

Pink – cranberry juice

Blue – blackberries, grape juice concentrate, red cabbage

Brown – black tea, white oak, juniper berry, coffee, barberry

Light purple – blackberries, grapes, violets

Green – alfalfa, spinach, kale, violet blossom plus 1/4 tsp. baking soda, tansy, nettle, chervil, sorrel, parsley, carrot tops, beet tops or dip yellow egg in blue dye

Hard boil eggs with one tsp. vinegar in the water. Place dying ingredients in non-aluminum pans, cover with water and boil five minutes to one hour until desired color is achieved. Use enough material to make at least 1-cup dye. Crush ingredients as they boil to extract as much dye as possible. Strain the dye. Most dyes should be used hot. Let each egg sit in the dye until it reaches the desired color. Some dyes will take longer than others to make the desired colored on the egg. Remove the egg and let dry.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@suddenlink.net to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/



Glitter eggs – Place 1 tablespoon each of glue and water in a cup. Stir the mixture and then paint the eggs with it. Sprinkle with glitter. This can also add sparkle to already dyed eggs!

Crepe Paper Eggs- Wet a white or dyed egg. Dab torn pieces of colored tissue paper or pieces of pretty colored napkins on the eggs. When the paper dries, the paper falls off and leaves the color behind on the egg.

Decoupaged eggs - Tear small pieces of wrapping paper, napkins, stickers, or clip art. Mix equal amounts of glue and water. Paint egg with glue mixture. Place paper on top and then cover with more glue mixture. Let dry.

Spotted Eggs- Place 1 tsp. of cooking oil in dye. Dip the egg. The oil will cause the dye to make an irregular pattern on the egg.

Waxed Eggs- Dip a portion of the eggs in melted paraffin or candle wax. Then dip them in the dye. Remove from dye. Dry and peel off the wax. The egg will be white on one half and colored on the other half. You can also dip in dye before waxing to get two colors.

Hollow Eggs- Poke a hole in one end of an egg with a very small needle. Poke another slightly larger hole in the other end. Then blow on the small end and the egg will come out the other side. Decorate as desired.





Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@suddenlink.net to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/

Text Only