Sourdough Easter Bunny Cake

What could be better for your Easter table than a delicious and cute 3D bunny cake – made with a healthy sourdough cake batter?

I know … there are a lot of Easter cake recipes out there. But this recipe has it all: it’s a cute 3D cake form, it tastes delicious, and it is made with sourdough.

If you’re reading this right when I publish this post, you still have enough time to get the cake form and make the cake before Easter. But don’t worry!

You can absolutely make this cake without the 3D mold. Simply take any cake pan or baking dish and adjust the baking time accordingly. More about that later!

If you’re looking for another traditional Easter recipe to add to your brunch table, check out my sweet nut braid (Osterzopf)!

New To Sourdough? Check out My Super Simple Sourdough Course!

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Where to get the 3D Easter bunny cake mold?

So mine happens to be a vintage 3D cake mold that I have had for a long time. I think I got it in Germany in the 1990s but my memory is a bit blurred.

If you’re looking for such a 3D bunny cake mold, you can search on Etsy or eBay. There you will find lots of options, including the same one I have (at least last time I checked).

You can get a similar bunny cake mold here or get a lamb cake mold. Sometimes, it’s worth checking thrift stores for these kind of cake molds, too.

What about the sourdough starter?

If you’re reading this post, you might already be an avid sourdough baker.

However, if you are completely new to sourdough baking, I recommend you check out my tutorial on how to make a sourdough starter.

I also encourage you to read about my super easy sourdough method without discards and feedings. This is perfect for anyone who bakes once a week or less.

Maybe you’d like to make this recipe, but don’t have a sourdough starter, and don’t have time to make one from scratch.

In that case, I recommend you ask around in your family and circle of friends if anyone has a starter. Otherwise, it’s worth checking neighborhood networks or Craigslist. If you’re still looking for one, you can order one on Etsy, too.

What other ingredients do you need?

Besides a good sourdough starter, this cake recipe is very basic. You will need butter, sugar, vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, salt, lemon zest, eggs, flour, and some baking powder.

You probably have most if not all of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

How to make this 3D Easter bunny cake:

1. Gather all your ingredients. Your butter should be at room temperature.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until very fluffy. Add 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp of lemon zest and mix well.
3. Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating the dough for about ½ minute each time.
4. Now add your 1/2 cup of sourdough starter and mix just until incorporated.
5. Mix 1 1/4 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp of baking powder and gently fold them into the batter.
6. You can either directly proceed with the recipe or let this batter sit for about 2 hours before baking.
7. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Thoroughly grease your cake mold with extra butter.
8. This is very important! Then dust it with flour, shaking out excess flour. Fill the cake mold with the batter. Depending on the size of your cake mold you might have extra batter. I just put it in a muffin pan or individual ramekins.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Since every oven is different, check after 30 minutes. The cake is done when you insert a wooden toothpick and it comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the mold for 10 minutes before removing it.

How to make a long-fermented version of this cake:

Some people enjoy the subtle tanginess of sourdough as it is. I know we do. However, to get all the health benefits from sourdough, it needs to ferment for some time. 2 hours is good but you can let it sit for up to 8 hours.

That way the sourdough pre-digests the gluten, breaking down some of the indigestible proteins and literally making the bread easier to stomach. Furthermore, the slow fermentation process seems to improve the bioavailability of important vitamins and nutrients (source).

Don’t have the 3D mold? Not to worry:

You might not want to or can get an Easter 3-D mold in time. That’s fine. You can still make a delicious, beautiful sourdough cake without it. As I said above, you can use a square baking dish or any other cake mold. Since you might have to adjust the baking time to your oven already, this will be no different.

I recommend you watch your sourdough cake closely. If you get a nice brown crust it’s probably done. The best way to test for doneness is with a wooden toothpick.

Decorating the 3D sourdough Easter cake bunny

In our house, we don’t actually eat a lot of sugar and sweets. Therefore, this cake is sweet enough for us. For the special occasion of Easter, I am dusting it with some powdered sugar. Of course, you could decorate it with your favorite icing or pastel-colored sprinkles.

Shop this post:

3D lamb cake mold: https://amzn.to/3fcprNb

3D bunny cake mold: https://amzn.to/3sphp7m

Sourdough starter: https://www.etsy.com/listing/936250530/organic-sourdough-starter-the-mother?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sourdough+starter&ref=sc_gallery-1-4&plkey=8c50dd30835e8beaf05ad47ac26d44d6cbb46492%3A936250530&frs=1

Do you have any questions or comments about this sourdough 3D Easter bunny cake? Let me know below!

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