Tablescapes, Cotton Tail Cake Buffet
Easter is just a few days away and I am still playing with bunnies…I had a few things follow me around Home Goods the other day, just begging to come to my house…
These were too too cute to pass up! The mugs have a bright carrot orange interior.
One bowl has a bunny with “hop” on the inside, and the other has a carrot with “crunch”
The plates have a dotted egg and “sweet” on them…
Notice my restraint in only buying 2 of each. Good Girl!! What will power!! Besides they only had 2 of each left, ahhemmm…
With some bright zig-zag fabric left from my recent chair make-over {posting tomorrow}, I made a runner for the kitchen island, and decided to set up a little “Bunny Buffet”
Now if you were a bunny, what would be the next best thing after a nice crunchy carrot?
Why Carrot Cake of course!!
With “cotton tail” icing!
Maybe some cucumber bunny sandwiches to start…
topped with a white cheese ball “cotton tail”
with some extra “cotton tails” on the side, and perhaps some peeps and tangerine jelly beans
The cake plate was waiting for the star attraction
which didn’t take long with “Duncan’s” help.
To the mix I added some fresh carrot and chopped walnuts, reconstituted the packet of dehydrated carrots and raisins that came with the mix in orange juice instead of water, substituted melted butter for the oil and added an extra egg and 1 tsp of vanilla. Then I baked it according to the package directions.
Some “cotton tails’ were fashioned out of buttercream icing and coconut and placed atop the cooled bundt cake.
In no time at all the cake was happily perched on it’s pedestal,
surrounded by eggs and jelly beans.
This cake is ready for a party!
It will stay fresh until later under this tall dome, tied with some carrots of course.
The dome was still in place the next day, but look closely….
Half the cake was gone!! The bunnies have been nibbling! It was really quite delicious!
I used a cookie cutter for the sandwiches and Pepperidge Farm thin bread, white and wheat. Use a rolling pin to “stretch” the bread a little if it’s too small for your cookie cutter.
I used Alouette Light Garlic and Herbs spreadable cheese with some thinly sliced cucumber. I wanted to make homemade veggie cream cheese and pimento cheese but time constraints forced me to choose Plan B. With a pretty setting no one will ever guess your cake came from a mix or and other little secret shortcuts you might have taken!
The white Cheddar cheese balls came in this package from World Market or Target, and they are not only cute but pretty tasty! You could also fashion bunny tails with cream cheese or white Cheddar. Another version I wanted to make was ham with orange marmalade and do the cotton tail with cream cheese and coconut. So many ideas, so little time!
Cottontail Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box carrot cake mix {I recommend Duncan Hines Decadent Classic Carrot}
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup shredded fresh carrot
- 1 extra egg 4 eggs total
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
Cotton Tail Icing
- 1 stick (8T) unsalted butter
- 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 Tbsp milk or half and half
- coconut shreds
Instructions
Cake
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions except reconstitute dehyrated carrot and raisin packet with orange juice instead of water. Substitute melted butter for the oil, and add an extra egg. .
- Add 1/2-1 cup each of shredded fresh carrot and chopped walnuts. This makes a texture filled cake so if you don’t like that just leave out these extra carrots and walnuts.
- Bake according to directions, checking often near the end of cooking time so you don’t over bake
Cotton Tail Icing
- Beat butter with sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy.
- Adjust milk to control the consistency of the icing. Keep it firm enough to form into balls.
- With a cookie dough scoop or spoon, make 12 bunny tails, flattened slightly on one side.
- Sprinkle with coconut and gently press into icing balls. Arrange balls on top of cake, placing the flattened side down.
Thanks for hopping by!
________________________________________________________________
I’m joining some of these great parties this week:
the Tablescaper for SEASONAL SUNDAY
Between Naps on the Porch for METAMORPHIS MONDAY & TABLESCAPE THURSDAY
Stone Gable for ON THE MENU MONDAY and TUTORIALS, TIPS & TIDBITS THURSDAY
The Gunny Sack for WHAT’S IN THE GUNNY SACK?
Memories by the Mile for TUESDAY TRIVIA
Savvy Southern Style for WOW US WEDNESDAY
Cuisine Kathleen for LET’S DISH
Rattlebridge Farms for FOODIE FRIDAY
Alderberry Hill for MAKE THE SCENE MONDAY
The Dedicated House for MAKE IT PRETTY MONDAY
No Minimalist Here for OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY
the Answer is Chocolate for BFF OPEN HOUSE
The Busy Bee’s for THURSDAY BLOG HOP
Crafts ala mode for WHAT TO DO WEEKENDS
check out these amazing blogs!
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Delicious and adorable for everybunny Jenna! Love your cute new mugs and plates and I had not seen the cotton tail balls between all my hopping between World Market & Target 🙂 Love the additions to your box mix carrot cake, I can see why all the bunnies have been nibbling with the buttercream & coconut cottontail topping! Your chevron runner with the bunny grass border for your kitchen island is so cheery and how fun to have a remnant left from a chair project too!
Thanks Mary, I am going to have a hard time giving bunnies up after Easter! Thanks for all your nice comments,
Jenna
This post is the cutest ever. So colorful and darling and great ideas that are edible! Love the chevron table runner and precious dishes!!!!
Thank you Bonnie, Happy Easter, I think we are all ready for some bright and sunny weather even if we have to create it inside!
Jenna
Jenna, the bunny dishes are adorable. What restraint you used! The runner makes a nice backdrop. Have a beautiful day and a blessed Easter. xo marlis
Yes, the bunny dishes were too too stinkin cute to pass up! The mugs with the carrot orange interior would have hopped right into my cart! Wishing you a blessed Easter.
Thanks Debbie, Happy Easter!
Thanks Marlis, Thank goodness they were almost sold out! Happy Easter to you too!
I have not noticed those cotton tail cheese balls at the store, but that is a really great idea! Somebody in the marketing department was on their toes! 🙂 I love all the stuff that followed you around Home Goods, especially those mugs! The bright orange interior is just glorious!!! That’ll wake ya right up in the morning, won’t it? 🙂 REALLY cute idea to create your own cotton tails for the cake! You are beyond ready for this Easter weekend!!! I hope that with all of this advance prep you have time to relax and enjoy. Happy Easter, Jenna!
Thanks Alycia, Things have been “hopping” around here for sure! We are actually going to have a pretty low key Sunday, and it’s supposed to rain all weekend so I’m glad it’s bright and sunny inside anyway! Happy Easter to you!
What a cute table…the cake looks yummy! Do hope you return the visit.
Happy Easter.
Such a cute table and I love those bunny sandwiches! The cake looks delicious and the way that you displayed it is great. I do not blame those bunnies for nibbling! Happy Easter!
Thanks for sharing all these cute ideas. Love the bunny sandwiches. I’m going to file this idea and will look for the bunny tail cheese. ‘-)
Happy Easter to you!
Carrot cake is perfect for Easter. Love all of your pretties! I need to hop over to Home Goods!
I love the tweaks you add to the box mix to freshen it up! The cotton balls are so cute! What an amazing looking cake.
Stopping by from Festive Fridays.
Alexis from Running Away? I’ll Help You Pack!
Oh, I’m so glad they followed you home. They almost followed me home and my cupboards are filled to overflowing!
– The Tablescaper
This looks yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this on the FESTIVE FRIDAY FIESTA Link Party last week! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for this week!