Description
Celebrate Easter with this delightful Easter Bunny Poke Cake featuring a moist cake base filled with creamy vanilla pudding, topped with fluffy whipped topping and festive pastel-colored candies. This fun and festive dessert is perfect for springtime gatherings and family celebrations, with easy step-by-step instructions to create charming bunny faces and decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box (18.25 oz) white or yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Pudding Filling
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
Topping and Decorations
- 1 container (8 oz) whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
- Pastel-colored jelly beans or candy-coated chocolates (e.g., M&M’s)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (dyed pink or left white for bunny ears)
- Optional: Candy eyes, licorice strips, or other decorations for bunny faces
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish thoroughly to prevent sticking and ensure easy cake removal.
- Mix and Bake Cake: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water, and vegetable oil. Mix until you achieve a smooth batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake according to the cake mix package instructions, typically about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Poke Holes: Allow the cake to cool for approximately 10 minutes once removed from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly all over the surface of the cake to create pockets for the pudding filling.
- Prepare and Pour Pudding: In a medium bowl, whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold milk until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Pour the pudding evenly over the cake, making sure it seeps into all the holes. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to let the pudding set.
- Add Whipped Topping: After chilling, spread the thawed whipped topping evenly over the pudding layer for a creamy finish.
- Decorate Cake: Use pastel-colored jelly beans or candy-coated chocolates to create festive Easter-themed patterns or bunny faces on top of the whipped topping. Sprinkle shredded coconut, dyed pink or white, to form bunny ears on the cake.
- Add Final Decorations: Complete your bunny design with candy eyes, licorice strips for whiskers, or any other desired embellishments to enhance the bunny face and overall presentation.
- Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the decorated cake for an additional 30 minutes to allow all layers and decorations to set firmly. Slice and serve chilled for best results.
Notes
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon ensures holes deep enough for pudding to fill but not too large to break the cake apart.
- Thoroughly chilling the cake after adding pudding and after decorating helps the flavors meld and stabilize the cake.
- You can dye shredded coconut with food coloring to make bunny ears look more festive.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute pudding and whipped topping with suitable non-dairy alternatives.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
