1. You’ll want to start by making the fondant pieces (especially the bunny ears) a few days in advance of when you’ll use them so they have time to dry out and firm up. At least 3-5 days in advance is ideal.
2. To make the nose, pinch off about 1 tablespoon of the white fondant and color it pink. Roll the pink fondant out and use an exacto knife, or something similar, to nut out a nose.
3. Divide the remainder of the white fondant into two. One half should be a little bigger than the other, since you’ll make white ear pieces that are bigger than the pink ones. Color the smaller of the two with pink gel icing color so that it’s similar in color to the nose.
4. Roll out the white fondant and cut out the bunny ears. You can free hand it with an exacto knife, or use a piece of paper to first cut out the ears for a guide and then place that on the fondant to trace around it. I make my ears about 7 inches tall, so that a couple inches could be inserted into the cake and they’d still be tall.
5. Roll out the pink fondant and cut out the inner parts of the bunny ears. You can trim down the paper ears you made to get the right size and then trace that, if you like.
6. Brush the backs of the pink pieces with a little water and then place them onto the white ears. The water will help them stick together.
7. Fold over the top part of one ear and rest it on a rolled up piece of paper towel. Allow the ears to dry.
8. One thing to note about the ears is that even though they will dry out, after they are stuck into the cake, the moisture from the cake will begin to soften them. If you are going to have the ears in the cake for an extended period of time (more than 30 minutes or so), you might want to attach a skewer to the backs of the ears with some leftover fondant before adding them to the cake. The skewers will hold the ears in place as the fondant at the bottom begins to soften.
9. To make the eyes, break off a small pieces of black fondant (about the size of chickpea) and roll it lengthwise, then shape it into the shape of the eye. Break off another smaller piece of fondant to create the eyelash and attach them with a little water. Allow all the fondant pieces to set.
10. To make the cake, prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
11. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
12. Add the butter, sugar, oil and coconut extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
13. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
14. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
15. Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter will look curdled, but that’s ok.
16. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
17. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
18. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
19. To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
20. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
21. Add the coconut extract and salt and mix until well combined.
22. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar, as desired for consistency purposes.
23. To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat.
24. Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
25. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
26. Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting.
27. Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
28. Press the shredded coconut onto the sides of the cake.
29. Shortly before serving the cake, brush the backs of the eyes and nose with some water and stick them into the sides of the cake. Move some of the coconut out of the way, if needed. Press the ears into the top of the cake. Remove the ears prior to serving. Cake is best when stored well covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.