Make a Colorful Easter Peep Cake Recipe That Brings Spring Joy

Sweet memories of childhood come alive with this whimsical easter peep cake that transforms a simple dessert into a playful celebration.

Marshmallow bunnies peek out from layers of soft, pastel-tinted frosting.

Pastel colors dance across each slice, creating a visual feast that sparks joy.

Soft, pillowy textures blend with rich, creamy buttercream in a delightful harmony.

Children and adults alike will smile at the charming decorations adorning this festive treat.

Colorful sprinkles add a playful crunch that complements the tender cake layers.

Peep Cake That’s Playful Bright And Sweet

• Colorful Layers Wow: Create a stunning three-colored cake that transforms baking into a vibrant art project with pink, blue, and yellow layers that pop with festive cheer.
• Quick and Simple Decorating: Easily assemble this cake using basic techniques like piping, frosting, and arranging Peeps, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels who want to impress without complicated steps.
• Easter Party Showstopper: Design a centerpiece dessert that instantly becomes the talk of any holiday gathering, delighting both kids and adults with its playful Peep decorations and cheerful springtime colors.
• Kid-Friendly Fun: Engage children in the baking process by letting them help with color mixing, Peep placement, and sprinkle sprinkling, turning cake making into a memorable family bonding experience.

Peep Cake Add-ins for Easter Fun

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation for a soft, tender cake texture with good structure.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create a light, airy cake.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds rich flavor and moisture to the cake.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients and create a smooth, consistent cake batter.
• Buttermilk: Adds tanginess and helps create a tender crumb.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances overall flavor with warm, sweet notes.

• Baking Powder, Baking Soda: Help the cake rise and create a light, fluffy texture.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances other flavors.

• Food Coloring (Pink, Blue, Yellow): Creates vibrant, festive cake layers.
• Bunny Peeps: Cute marshmallow decorations for Easter theme.
• Green Coconut: Adds texture and spring-like decoration.
• M&M's: Colorful candy accents for extra decoration.

• Powdered Sugar: Creates smooth, sweet buttercream base.
• Unsalted Butter: Provides creamy, rich frosting texture.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds depth of flavor to buttercream.
• Heavy Cream: Helps achieve perfect frosting consistency.
• Salt: Balances sweetness in frosting.

Easter Peep Cake – How to Assemble and Decorate

Step 1: Prepare Cake Batter

Warm your oven to 350°F.

Generously coat three cake pans with butter and dust with flour.

In a large mixing bowl, whip butter and sugar until fluffy.

Gently add eggs one at a time, blending smoothly.

Stir in vanilla extract for rich flavor.

• Flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt

Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, alternating with buttermilk.

• Pink
• Blue
• Yellow

Mix colors gently to maintain batter’s delicate texture.

Step 2: Bake Colorful Layers

Pour each colored batter into prepared pans.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Check doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge clean.

Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.

Step 3: Whip Up Creamy Buttercream

Beat butter until supremely creamy.

Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, mixing thoroughly.

• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Heavy cream

Whip until silky smooth.

Reserve a portion in a piping bag with a large round tip.

Step 4: Build Spectacular Cake Structure

Place blue cake layer on stand, anchoring with a buttercream base.

• Blue
• Yellow
• Pink

Apply a thin crumb coat, then chill in freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerator for 40 minutes.

Step 5: Final Frosting Flourish

Coat cake with smooth buttercream layer.

• Positioning Bunny Peeps around cake edges
• Piping elegant buttercream swirls on top
• Sprinkling green coconut in center
• Scattering colorful M&M's for festive touch

Enjoy your magnificent Easter masterpiece!

Cake Tips With Easter Peep Layering

• Gently fold food coloring into cake batter to maintain vibrant, distinct layers without overmixing or creating muddy colors.
• Chill the cake before final frosting to create a clean, professional-looking surface by setting the crumb coat and preventing crumbs from mixing into the final layer.
• Use a kitchen scale to divide batter equally among pans, ensuring uniform cake heights and a perfectly balanced look.
• Add heavy cream gradually to control frosting thickness, creating a spreadable texture that's not too runny or stiff.
• Use green-tinted coconut and colorful candies strategically to add texture and playful Easter-themed visual interest to the cake.

Easter Peep Cake Keeps Its Texture Well

• Carefully wrap the cake in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep the cake in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness and prevent buttercream from melting.
• Remove cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften and reach optimal flavor and texture.
• When storing individual slices, place wax paper between each slice to prevent them from sticking together and maintain their decorative appearance.
• Wrap the entire cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Sweet Sips For Peep Cake

• Pair Sweet Spring Magic
• Match this colorful Easter cake with light, refreshing beverages that complement its festive sweetness.
• Sip Pastel Cocktail Companion
• Create a lavender lemonade spritzer with vodka that echoes the cake's playful pastel colors and provides a zesty counterpoint to the rich buttercream.
• Embrace Complementary Flavor Profile
• Select a crisp moscato wine with subtle fruit notes that balances the cake's sweetness without overwhelming its delicate flavor.
• Indulge Textural Contrast
• Serve alongside chilled vanilla bean champagne, which offers effervescence and lightness to cut through the dense buttercream and provide a sophisticated Easter celebration drink.

Easter Peep Cake Spins

• Gluten-Free Easter Peep Cake: Replace regular flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, ensuring the same texture and flavor while accommodating wheat sensitivities.
• Vegan Rainbow Celebration Cake: Swap eggs with mashed bananas or applesauce, use plant-based butter, and substitute buttermilk with almond or soy milk to create a dairy-free version.
• Low-Sugar Pastel Paradise: Reduce sugar content by using stevia or monk fruit sweetener, and opt for natural food coloring from beet or spirulina to maintain the festive pastel colors.
• Nut-Free Spring Sensation: Eliminate any potential nut ingredients and use seed-based alternatives like sunflower seed butter for added moisture and richness in the cake recipe.

FAQs

• How difficult is this Easter Peep Cake to make?

This cake requires intermediate baking skills. You’ll need to manage multiple steps like creating colored layers, making buttercream, and decorating carefully. Basic baking knowledge and patience will help you succeed.

• Do I need special equipment to make this cake?

You’ll need an electric mixer, three 9-inch cake pans, a wire cooling rack, and piping bags with round tips. A cake stand helps with assembly, but isn’t mandatory.

• Can I substitute ingredients if I don't have exactly what the recipe calls for?

For buttermilk, use milk mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. If you lack heavy cream, whole milk works. Food coloring can be replaced with natural alternatives like beet juice or matcha powder for different color effects.

• What are some common mistakes to avoid when making this cake?

Don’t overmix the batter, which can make the cake tough. Ensure ingredients are room temperature for better mixing. Let cakes cool completely before frosting to prevent melting. Check your oven temperature for even baking.

Easter Peep Cake Recipe

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4.5 from 16 reviews

• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Sprinkled with springtime charm, Easter Peep Cake brings nostalgic marshmallow magic to dessert tables. Pastel colors and playful marshmallow chicks create a whimsical centerpiece that delights both children and adults.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups unsalted butter (for buttercream)
• 8 cups powdered sugar

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 drop pink gel food coloring
• 1 drop yellow gel food coloring
• 1 drop blue gel food coloring

Decoration Ingredients:

• 24 bunny peeps (pink, blue, yellow)
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 bag Easter M&Ms
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (for buttercream)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (for buttercream)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the cake foundation by heating the oven to 350°F and preparing three cake pans with butter and flour coating.
2. Create a smooth butter and sugar mixture using an electric mixer, incorporating eggs individually and vanilla extract.
3. Separately combine dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt through gentle sifting.
4. Merge wet and dry mixtures carefully, alternating with buttermilk while maintaining a light folding technique.
5. Divide the batter into three separate bowls, infusing each with distinctive pastel colors: pink, blue, and yellow.
6. Distribute colored batters into prepared pans and bake until a toothpick emerges clean, approximately 20-25 minutes.
7. Allow cakes to rest momentarily in pans, then transfer to cooling racks for complete temperature reduction.
8. Whip butter until creamy, gradually introducing powdered sugar while maintaining smooth consistency.
9. Enhance buttercream with vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream, blending until silky.
10. Position blue cake layer on cake stand, applying buttercream between each colorful tier.
11. Create a preliminary crumb coating, chilling the cake to stabilize the structure.
12. Apply final buttercream layer for a polished exterior.
13. Strategically position Bunny Peeps around cake perimeter, alternating vibrant colors.
14. Embellish with buttercream swirls, green coconut, and playful M&M’s to complete the festive design.

Notes

• Choose room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and even baking of the colorful cake layers.
• Gently fold food coloring into cake batter to maintain a light, fluffy texture without overmixing.
• Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors that won’t thin out the cake batter or affect its consistency.
• Chill the cake before final frosting to create a cleaner, more professional-looking finish that prevents crumbs from mixing into the buttercream.
• For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain the cake’s structure.
• Create a dairy-free alternative by replacing butter with coconut oil and using non-dairy milk in place of buttermilk.
• Make the cake ahead of time by freezing unfrosted layers wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one month before assembling.
• Experiment with different Peep colors or candy decorations to personalize the cake for various celebrations.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 520
• Sugar: 58g
• Sodium: 200mg
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 73g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 85mg