This FUN cake is made with two different cake mixes. The eggs, chicks, and bunnies from the first cake are cut out and put in the second cake before it's baked. Decorated with coconut grass and candy eggs, this is a FESTIVE Easter dessert with buried TREASURES inside!!
1Funfetti or white cake mix + ingredient list on the backeggs, oil and water
one 4-color box food coloringincluding green and 2 or 3 other colors
1dark chocolate cake mix + ingredient list on the backeggs, oil and water
1cupsweetened coconut flakes
½cupsemi sweet chocolate chips
½cupheavy whipping cream
12-ouncepackage chocolate candy eggs
3-inchtall chocolate bunnyor similar
Candy meltswhite, pink, or yellow OR frosting (use store bought frosting in a shelf-stable tub to save time)*
Pastel or Easter-colored sprinklesfor decorating*
Shortening and flourto grease the Bundt cake pan
Instructions
Cake #1 On Jelly Roll Pan - Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Mix up the Funfetti cake mix according to package directions.
Divide the batter into 3 to 4 bowls. Add a couple drops of different food coloring to each bowl (such as one bowl red, one bowl purple, etc.) Leave one bowl white.
Spoon the white batter into the jelly roll pan. Put spoonfuls of each color randomly over the pan.
Swirl slightly and lightly with a knife or spatula. Do not overmix and do not mix the colors completely together.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The cake will bake quicker than you think since it's quite thin in the jelly roll pan. Let cake cool completely in the pan.
Easter Shaped Cutouts From First Cake - After it has cooled, using Easter-themed cookie cutters, cut out as many shapes as you can. You'll need 14 to 16; set aside.
To a 12-cup Bundt cake pan, using a paper towel, grease with Crisco or vegetable shortening, making sure to get it in every corner of the pan. Sprinkle with flour, making sure to cover entire pan. Turn pan over and tap out any loose flour. Tip - Don't simply use nonstick cooking spray as the cake will likely stick and not release. Set pan aside.
Cake #2 In Bundt Pan - Mix up the chocolate cake according to the package directions.
Pour half the batter into the greased Bundt pan.
Place the 14-16 cut out cake pieces UPSIDE DOWN evenly around the pan standing up.
Pour remaining batter over all the pieces, making sure to completely cover. Tip - You will have to hold the pieces upright while pouring batter in between them so they don't "tip over".
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Make sure you don’t check the cake where one of the cutouts might be or it will come out clean, yet the cake may not be completely baked.
Optional Mini Cakes From Leftover Cake #1*- As an extra fun activity (this is not integral to the recipe and only serves to use up the leftover Funfetti-swirled first cake that you have leftover from the jelly roll pan), while the cake is baking, cut out the remaining of the shapes into round mini cakes.You can melt the candy melts in the microwave for 20 seconds, repeat the microwaving and stirring process until the candy has melted. Dip the mini cakes in the candy coating and decorate with festive-colored sprinkles. Alternatively, you can use white store bought, shelf-stable, frosting in a tub instead of candy melts if you want. Add a few drops of food coloring to it to jazz it up!
Remove the Bundt pan from the oven and cool for 20 minutes. Once it has cooled, invert the cake over onto a serving plate or cake stand and allow to continue cooling.
Chocolate Drizzle - While it's cooling, add the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and heat in 15 second bursts, until the chocolate has melted, is smooth, and the cream has incorporated.
Evenly drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake; set aside to cool.
Green Coconut "Grass" - Place the coconut in a small ziptop baggie. Add a few drops of green food coloring, seal the bag, and shake until all the coconut is green.
Fill the middle of the cake with the coconut, making a nest at the top.
Add the Easter egg chocolate candies, sprinkle any remaining coconut around the base of the cake, add the Easter bunny to the plate, slice, and serve.
Cake will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Notes
* Making mini cakes from the leftover jelly roll cake is an optional idea that helps use any leftover cake. If you don't care or don't want to do this, totally fine, and you can ignore step 14 and ignore the need for candy melts (or tinted frosting) as well as the sprinkles that are called for in the directions.