Two-Tier Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake Recipe UK
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Easter
Servings
20
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
65 minutes
Calories
650
🐰🍫 Hop into Easter with this magnificent Two-Tier Chocolate Bunny Cake!
Two generous tiers of deeply chocolatey, ultra-moist sponge, a sturdy 8-inch base and an elegant 6-inch crown, each layer enriched with real dark chocolate and a hint of coffee for that irresistible cocoa intensity.
Generously coated in silky chocolate buttercream and decorted with a charming chocolate bunny surrounded by colourful mini eggs 🥚🌸, this beauty is every bit as delicious as it is adorable.
It's the ultimate festive showstopper that will have everyone hopping back for seconds! ✨
Ingredients
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375g (3 cups) plain flour
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550g (2¾ cups) caster sugar
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110g unsweetened cocoa powder
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150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids recommended), chopped
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2½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
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2 tsp baking powder
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1 tsp fine salt
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4 large eggs, room temperature
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360ml (1½ cups) buttermilk (or whole milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar, left to stand 5 minutes)
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360ml (1½ cups) strong brewed coffee (or hot water)
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113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
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1 tbsp vanilla extract
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250g (2 cups) plain flour
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350g (1¾ cups) caster sugar
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75g unsweetened cocoa powder
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100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
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1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp fine salt
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3 large eggs, room temperature
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240ml (1 cup) buttermilk (or substitute as above)
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240ml (1 cup) strong brewed coffee (or hot water)
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75g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, melted
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1 tbsp vanilla extract
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450g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
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900–960g (7½–8 cups) icing sugar, sifted
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150g (1¼ cups) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
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75g dark chocolate, chopped and melted
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120–180 ml (½–¾ cup) milk or double cream, as needed
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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Pinch of fine salt
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300g chocolate mini eggs (mixed colours look best)
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1 large chocolate Easter bunny (hollow or solid)
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Optional: edible glitter, mini Easter decorations, piped buttercream rosettes, or a chocolate Easter Bunny
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2 × 8-inch round cake tins, 2 × 6-inch round cake tins, 8-inch and 6-inch cake boards, 4–5 cake dowels or thick straws, wire cooling racks.
Bottom Tier (8-inch round, 2 layers):
Top Tier (6-inch round, 2 layers):
Chocolate Buttercream (enough for filling, crumb coat & final coat):
To Decorate:
You will also need:
Directions
Bake the Bottom Tier (8-inch):
Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Grease two 8-inch tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Melt the 150g dark chocolate in the microwave (20-second bursts, stirring well) or over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
In a jug or second bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, melted butter, vanilla extract and the cooled melted chocolate until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined and smooth — do not overmix.
Divide evenly between the two prepared tins. Bake for 30–35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Leave in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Bake the Top Tier (6-inch):
Keep the oven at 175°C / 350°F.
Melt the 100g dark chocolate as before and set aside to cool.
Whisk the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt).
Whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, coffee, melted butter, vanilla and melted chocolate).
Combine gently until smooth, then divide between the two 6-inch tins.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream:
Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Pour in the melted 75 g dark chocolate, vanilla extract and salt. Beat for another 2–3 minutes until light, smooth and spreadable.
If the buttercream feels too stiff, add a little more milk (1 tbsp at a time). If too soft, add a few extra tablespoons of icing sugar.
Assemble the Cake:
Level the tops of all four cakes with a serrated knife if they have domed.
Bottom tier: Place one 8-inch layer on an 8-inch cake board or serving plate. Spread a generous layer of buttercream on top. Add the second layer and press gently. Apply a thin crumb coat all over, then chill for 20 minutes.
Top tier: Repeat the process on a 6-inch cake board. Crumb coat and chill for 20 minutes.
Frost the bottom tier with a final smooth layer of buttercream.
Insert 4 cake dowels (or sturdy straws) into the centre of the bottom tier, cut level with the top of the cake.
Carefully lift the top tier (still on its board) and place it centrally on the bottom tier.
Frost the top tier with a final smooth coat.
Decorate: Press mini eggs around the base of each tier and up the sides. Pipe small rosettes of buttercream if you like. Place the chocolate bunny on top, securing it with a small dab of buttercream.
Recipe Notes
If you have any questions, please post a comment below and we will get back to you asap.
Servings: The recipe typically yields about 20 delicious slices of Easter Bunny Cake.
Calories per serving: 650 calories.
Remember: Tag #whitakerschocolates with your bunny cake photos!
Laura's Top Tips for This Recipe
I find it best if you bring all your ingredients to room temperature before you start. It really helps everything mix together smoothly and gives a better texture.
When I tried it, using strong brewed coffee instead of plain water made the chocolate flavour so much deeper. It is worth the extra step.
One thing I always do is level the cake layers before stacking. It makes the tiers sit nice and straight and stops the whole cake from leaning.
I find the buttercream can sometimes need a splash more milk than the recipe says, especially if your kitchen is cool. Just add it a teaspoon at a time until it spreads easily.
When I made this for Easter last year, I decorated while the final coat of buttercream was still slightly soft. The mini eggs stuck much better that way and it looked far prettier.
Nutritional Information:
Nutrient | Per slice (1/16 of cake) |
|---|---|
Energy | 390 kcal |
Fat | 22 g |
of which saturates | 10 g |
Carbohydrate | 48 g |
of which sugars | 35 g |
Protein | 5 g |
Salt | 0.5 g |
What's the Story with the Easter Bunny?
The Easter Bunny’s tale begins with German Lutheran traditions in the 17th and 18th centuries, where the "Osterhase" or Easter Hare brought eggs and treats to good children.
German immigrants carried this custom to America in the 1700s, planting it in places like Pennsylvania Dutch communities.
Hares, known for their fertility, were ancient symbols of new life, linked to spring and possibly the goddess Eostre in pre-Christian Europe.
Christianity wove these pagan symbols into Easter, a celebration of resurrection and renewal, making the hare a fitting figure.
Eggs, already emblems of life, became Easter staples after being forbidden during Lent in medieval times.
By the 19th century, the Easter Bunny spread across Western culture, with Victorian England embracing rabbit-themed goodies.
Over time, the hare became a softer "bunny," delivering chocolate and sweets as confectionery boomed.
Today, the Easter Bunny is a beloved secular icon, blending old folklore with modern festivity, perfect atop your chocolate cake.
Why Do We Eat Chocolate at Easter?
Eating chocolate at Easter ties back to the holiday’s blend of religious and seasonal traditions.
Easter celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection, a time of joy after the austerity of Lent, when sweets were often avoided.
Eggs, symbolising new life and rebirth, were already part of Easter festivities, decorated and eaten to mark the end of fasting.
In the 19th century, European confectioners, especially in Britain and France, began crafting chocolate eggs, merging the egg tradition with a growing love for cocoa.
Chocolate was a luxury then, making it a special treat to celebrate Easter’s abundance after Lent’s restraint.
The Easter Bunny, a gift-bringer in folklore, got roped in, delivering these chocolate eggs to children, boosting the custom.
By the 20th century, mass production made chocolate affordable, and companies like Cadbury turned Easter eggs into a commercial hit.
Now, we eat chocolate at Easter—eggs, bunnies, or cakes—because it’s a tasty mix of ancient symbols, religious joy, and modern indulgence.
1 comment
Happy Easter! :-)