Bunny Cake Retrospective

Every Easter that I can remember, my family has made a Bunny Cake for desert. It is a full-fledged tradition. I could care less if dinner consists of ham, turkey, or Taco Bell, but it just wouldn't be Easter without that bunny smiling back at the family. The best part of the cake is its beautiful simplicity: If you asked me to draw a rabbit, I'm not sure I could. Yet every year, we manage to make a very cool-lookin' bunny from a couple of round cakes, some licorice, jelly beans, and a sprinkle of coconut. The best part is that the ears and the bow tie can be cut from a single, round cake, without any waste. (Definitely a subject of fascination for a 6 year old aspiring engineer.)

This Just In:
As everyone knows, the original Bunny Cake was prototyped by the Germans during WWII. Though Hitler is well known as a powerful military strategist, his talents as a pastry chef are often overlooked. Historians have recently discovered classified military drawings of the prototype bunny. We are proud to be the first people to make these rare drawings publicly available.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite Bunny Cake pics. Click any of the thumbnails for a larger image.

Here is the earliest known photograph of a Bunny Cake, taken sometime in the early 80's. My mother is finishing up the ear, my brother Kevin is smiling widely with anticipation, and Myke has already begun to eat the frosting. I am (probably) taking the picture. Since I don't have a sister, I'm not sure who the girl is. Just goes to show that people will come from miles around for good eatin'.

A nice closeup.

A green-eyed bunny from 1995. This is why I no longer wear paisley.

Mom proudly shows off 1997's masterpiece.

A fairly recent Easter at my brother's house in Philly. He can be seen in the background, planning the stategy for next year's cake.

This just in! It seems that the Chopko family (i.e., my brother's girlfriend's fam) also enjoys the Easter Bunny Cake tradition. (Is it any wonder they're such a perfect match?) Though the basic features are similar, the Chopkake has many revolutionary improvements over previous versions: Most notably, it features a rainbow bow tie, and rests on a bed of coconut grass. This pic is from 2000.

This year marked the first ever Minbiole-Chopko collabrative bunny cake. We had a lot of fun, made a great mess, and an even better cake. Here's a pic of the proud creators. From left to right: Me, Kevin, Emily, and Kate. I wonder what's in store for next year...