Easy Chocolate Mousse Bunny Cake Recipe

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch round cake pan and dust it with cocoa powder to prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 cup of water, eggs, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
4. While the cake bakes, chill a stainless steel bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. This helps the whipped cream form stiff peaks.
5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan to finish cooling completely.
6. Place the baking chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power until the chocolate is slightly warm, about 1 minute. Continue to microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
7. In a large bowl, stir together the melted chocolate and condensed milk until well combined. Whisk in the pudding mix and ¼ cup of water until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the mousse to set.
8. In the chilled bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer using the chilled beaters until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overwhip.
9. Stir the chilled pudding mixture until smooth, then gently fold in the whipped cream to create the chocolate frosting.
10. Cut the cake into 2 equal halves and stack them, cut-sides down, on a platter. If needed, use a thin layer of frosting to glue the halves together for stability.
11. Cut a small wedge from the top of the cake, about ⅓ of the way up, to form the bunny's head. Attach the wedge to the bottom of the cake (opposite the head) using toothpicks to create a tail.
12. Generously frost the entire cake with the chocolate mousse frosting. Sprinkle with grated chocolate to resemble fur.
13. Place jelly beans on the front of the bunny's head to make the eyes and nose. Cut 2 large ears from construction paper and insert them into the top of the bunny's head.
14. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve. This allows the frosting to set and the cake to stay fresh.

Nutrition

• Calories: 511 kcal
• Fat Content: 27 g
• Fiber Content: 2 g
• Sugar Content: 45 g
• Sodium Content: 518 mg
• Protein Content: 9 g
• Cholesterol Content: 94 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 61 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 12 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g