The Cutest Easter Cake with Driscoll's Berries!

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone. 

It's almost Easter and this adorable cake is on our menu:)  Find Driscoll's berries at your local grocer and check out the recipe below to put a smile on your Easter guests' faces this weekend!

Ingredients:

Cake-

• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups hulled and chopped Driscoll's Strawberries*

Frosting-

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar, whisked before measuring (plus extra as needed)
• 2 tablespoons whole milk (plus extra as needed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorating Materials-

• 1 14 ounce bag of sweetened flaked long-shred coconut
• Purple gel coloring
• 3 packages (6 ounces each) Driscoll's Raspberries
• 1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll's Strawberries
• 1 package (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups) Driscoll's Blackberries

Directions:

• Cake

  1. *Use either 1 1/2 cups hulled, chopped strawberries or 1 1/2 cups chopped raspberries for cake batter.
     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat the insides of a Wilton Bunny Pan with nonstick spray and dust lightly with flour.

     
     

     Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl to combine and aerate; set aside.

     
     

     In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar gradually and beat until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in vanilla.

     
     

     Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing. Add the flour mixture in four additions, alternately with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat briefly until smooth. Chop enough hulled strawberries (or raspberries) to equal 1 1/2 cups and fold into batter. Pour batter into pan and smooth top with offset spatula.

     
     

     Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs. The cake will be golden brown on top and around the edges and will have begun to come away from the sides of the pan. Cool pan on racks for 15 minutes. Unmold and place directly on rack to cool completely.

  Frosting

  1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add remaining sugar, milk and vanilla and beat on high speed until silky smooth; this might take several minutes. Frosting is now ready to use.

  Assembly

  1. Place cake on a platter large enough so that it leaves space all the way around the bunny. Frost the cake evenly all over with frosting, reserving ¼-cup of frosting. Press coconut all over cake, tops and sides. Cake may be stored overnight at this point. Bring to room temperature before serving. Use photo as inspiration for decoration.
     
     
     Suggestion: Two blackberries for eyes; a vertically sliced strawberry half for a nose, pointing downwards; thin, vertical slices of strawberries to detail the ears; thin, vertical slices of strawberries to create a smile; a small piece of blackberry connecting the nose and mouth; tint remaining frosting a light purple, place in a parchment cone and pipe whiskers; ring the entire bunny with raspberries. Apply fruit decoration right before serving so that they don't stain the coconut.