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