Easter-tastic Peeps Cake

It’s that lovely candy-filled time of year again: Easter! When Señor Bunny comes hopping along this time, why not greet him with an adorable Peeps cake that your family and friends will love?

I use a simple one-bowl chocolate cake (recipe below) to make this Easter treat, but you could also use a boxed cake mix of any flavor or even brownies. It would be extra cute to use sanding sugar that matched the Peeps on the top for a cohesive look, though the pastel Easter sprinkles make for a festive look as well. You could also frost the cake with marshmallow fluff to turn it into one enormous Peep! The width of the Peeps bunnies make for any easy measure when you’re cutting the cake; it’s not often you get to specify slice size by bunnies… Happy (early) Easter!

Easter Peeps Cake

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 boxes Peeps bunnies
• Frosting of choice
• Sprinkles or sanding sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray 2 8″ cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
2. Beat all ingredients in mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until tops are set. Allow cakes to cool for 10-15 minutes, then turn out of their pans.
4. Level cakes if necessary, then stack the cakes with a generous layer of frosting in between. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the outside of the cake. Generously frost the top of the cake.
5. Adhere bunnies around the sides of the cake, using the side frosting as glue. Add sprinkles or sanding sugar to top of the cake.

Cake Batter Popcorn (for Ellen!)

The only girl of four students total in Bill’s Latin 4 class had her birthday today, so I decided that she deserved a treat. After all, she puts up with Bill and 3 boys every day while taking her optional fourth year of a language! Rather than my typical cupcakes (since I’d already cupcake-d once this week), I went with Cake Batter Popcorn based on the recipe from Mrs. Schwartz’s Kitchen, with help from Chickens in the Road. This was a bit of an experiment trying to replicate the cake batter flavor that we usually depend on Betty Crocker for. Since I don’t have any kids or real time crunch issues, I don’t like to use boxed cake mix even when it’s called for just for flavoring. I was hoping that the Homemade Yellow Cake Mix recipe from Chickens in the Road would be an acceptable substitute.

Cake Batter Popcorn – scratchified!

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/8 cup sugar
• 3 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 cup non-fat dry milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 cups popped popcorn
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate, melted
• 1 cup Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• assorted sprinkles

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and dry milk in a small bowl, set aside. (This is our ‘cake mix’)
2. Pop yo’ popcorn and place in the biggest bowl you have.
3. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave by cooking in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
4. Add the vegetable shortening and stir into chocolate until melted. If necessary, re-microwave for 30 seconds to melt completely.
5. Mix vanilla into the chocolate/shortening mixture until well-combined. Add the ‘cake mix’ and stir until smooth.
6. Pour mixture into the big bowl of popcorn and toss to coat evenly. Use a couple spatulas or spoons to help.
7. Pour the popcorn out onto cookie sheets to cool/harden. Sprinkle immediately with your choice of sprinkles.
8. Wait until the candy has solidified and enjoy!

I have amassed quite a sprinkle collection for different occasions, so this would be a great recipe to customize for the holidays! Our school colors are green and red, so I’m set for lacrosse season AND Christmas with this recipe.

Download a PDF of this recipe!