Chocolate Mousse Bunny Cake

I have seen recipes for bunny cakes, but none that are made without coconut. So I put new spin on an old tradition and started a new tradition out of imagination and a love of chocolate that has been enjoyed and savored by family and friends....Enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 511 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• ¼ cup cold water
• toothpicks
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or as needed
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate, grated
• 3 small jelly beans
• construction paper

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.

Step 3

Stir cake mix, 1 1/4 cup water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until batter is smooth, 2 minutes.

Step 4

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until the cake top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 6

Place a stainless steel bowl and beaters in refrigerator until chilled, at least 20 minutes.

Step 7

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing to finish cooling completely.

Step 8

Place unsweetened baking chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave on high power until chocolate is slightly warmed, about 1 minute. Continue to heat chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and free of lumps.

Step 9

Stir melted chocolate with sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; whisk in 1/4 cup water and instant chocolate pudding mix until thickened and smooth, about 1 minute. Cover bowl and chill pudding mixture until cold, at least 30 minutes.

Step 10

Whip cream in the chilled stainless steel bowl with chilled beaters until the cream holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. If necessary, use a cloth to touch the steel bowl to avoid warming the bowl.

Step 11

Remove chocolate pudding mixture from refrigerator and stir until smooth; gently fold whipped cream into pudding mixture to make a fluffy chocolate frosting.

Step 12

To assemble the cake, cut the cake into 2 equal halves and place the halves together on a cake serving platter with the cut sides down, and rounded sides up. If needed, glue the two cake halves together with a smear of frosting.

Step 13

Cut a small wedge out of the edge of the cake halves about 1/3 of the way up to form a head.

Step 14

Attach the cut-out wedge with toothpicks to the bottom of the cake opposite the head to make a tail.

Step 15

Generously frost the cake with the chocolate cream frosting.

Step 16

Sprinkle the whole cake with grated chocolate for fur. Place jelly beans on front of head to make eyes and nose.

Step 17

Cut 2 large ear shapes from brown construction paper. Cut 2 smaller ear shapes from pink construction paper for the insides of the ears. Fold together to make the ears and insert into top of the head.

Step 18

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.