This Vegan Easter Loaf Cake with a hidden chocolate bunny cake in a vanilla sponge, made using the hidden design technique, it looks so impressive and clever but is easier to make than you think!
This loaf is perfect if you want to give hidden designs a go for the first time. It’s super easy to put together and the outcome is really impressive! It’s a delicious and moist vanilla cake with a scrumptious cream cheese buttercream frosting. The most exciting part is when you cut into it and see the chocolate design for the first time! It is such a fun surprise, especially if you don’t tell who you’re serving the cake too – haha!
Ingredients and tips to make the best easter loaf
- Use a good quality vanilla
Vanilla extract is yummy, but to elevate this loaf to the extreme, splash out on a high quality vanilla bean paste or vanilla pods. It makes all the difference.
- Use loaf liners
Loaf liners are great at saving time. I mean, who has time to line a tin when there is a hidden loaf cake to make? Haha!
- Tin size
You will need a 9×5 inch loaf tin for this recipe. If you wish to make this a larger cake / loaf, double up on the ingredients.
- Measure correctly
For the teaspoon and tablespoons measurements, use a set of measuring spoons. This will ensure accuracy and provide the best results when making this cake (that goes for all of my recipes).
- Weigh correctly
This goes alongside the spoons, but make sure to measure out the ingredients correctly with a set of kitchen scales. The recipe card below does include cups, but scales are much more accurate meaning for a delicious loaf cake each time!
- Allow the cake to cool fully
In order to have perfectly shaped bunnies, make sure the cake is cool before using the cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. If you rush and try to cut them out when the cake is warm, you risk damaging the cake.
How to make a Vegan Easter Loaf cake (with hidden bunny)
- You will want to make 2 loaf cakes, one for the chocolate bunny surprise, and the other for the vanilla cake.
- As the chocolate sponge will be hidden inside the vanilla, you will want to bake the chocolate loaf first.
- Once baked, cut off the ends of the loaf, and slice the loaf into slices, making sure they’re equal in thickness.
- Use a bunny shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shapes and set aside.
- Make the vanilla cake mixture, and spoon some into the base of a lined loaf tin.
- Press the chocolate bunnies in a line in the middle of the tin, then spoon over the remaining vanilla mixture. Make sure the bunnies are hidden within the mixture.
- Bake until golden, then allow to cool.
- Frost with cream cheese frosting, or serve with a drizzle of lemon icing (icing sugar and lemon juice mixed together until a paste).
- Serve and see the surprise with each slice.
What happens to the off cuts of the chocolate cake?
When making a hidden loaf cake, you will only want to use the cut out shapes from the sponge. This will leave you with lots of left over chunks of cake! Don’t fret, we won’t waste this (all cake is delicious right?!)
Place these in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge as a yummy snack. Alternatively, you could mix any left over loaf cake with dairy-free buttercream to make tasty (and very quick & simple) cake pops! Why not add a lollypop stick and dunk them in chocolate! They’ll taste and look bloomin’ delicious! Perfect for an Easter party!
Looking for more Easter recipes? Check these out!
The BEST Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf
Easter Vegan Chocolate Orange Sheet Cake
The BEST Vegan Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Make sure to ‘PIN’ the photo below to your favourite Pinterest Board.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. It would mean so much. Thank you & happy baking!
- Total Time: Overnight
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This surprise-inside Easter bunny loaf cake is perfect for all to enjoy. A moist vanilla loaf hides a chocolate bunny-shaped cake inside.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chocolate sponge bunnies
- 250g of plain flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 150g of caster sugar
- 70ml of sunflower oil
- 220ml of dairy-free milk
Ingredients for the vanilla sponge
- 250g of plain flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 150g of caster sugar
- 70ml of sunflower oil
- 220ml of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients for the frosting
- 80g of dairy-free block butter*
- 20g of dairy-free cream cheese
- 250g of icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract / vanilla bean paste
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Instructions
Method (chocolate sponge bunnies)
- Preheat oven to 180ºC fan, and line an 9×5 inch loaf tin with greaseproof paper (or a loaf liner).
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and sugar. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add in the oil and dairy-free milk. Whisk to combine then pour into the dry ingredients. Fold together until a smooth batter. Don’t over-mix
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and tap on your work surface to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the loaf into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. You will know its done when you put a knife or skewer down the centre and it comes out clean and the sponge is springy to the touch.
- Place the loaf (in the tin) on a cooking rack and allow to cool fully before lifting the loaf out of the tin.
- Allow the cake to cool fully then place in a sealed container overnight. Doing this makes the sponge moist, which is easier to cut out the bunny shapes.
- Slice the loaf cake into equal sized slices, then using a small bunny-shaped cookie cutter, cut out bunnies from the sponge and place onto some greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- TIP: With any leftover cake, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for snacking or make them into cake pops.
Method (vanilla loaf)
- Preheat oven to 180ºC fan, and line an 9×5 inch loaf tin with greaseproof paper (or a loaf liner).
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add in the oil, dairy-free milk and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine then pour into the dry ingredients. Fold together until a smooth batter. Don’t over-mix.
- Spread some of the mixture into the bottom of the lined tin, and place the bunny shaped chocolate cake into it neatly in a row.
- Spoon or pipe the remaining vanilla mixture around and on top of the chocolate bunnies, making sure they’re covered.
- Place the loaf into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. You will know its done when you put a knife or skewer down the centre and it comes out clean and the sponge is springy to the touch.
- Allow the cake to cool fully then place in a sealed container before frosting. Doing this makes the sponge moist.
Method (frosting)
- In a bowl/stand mixer, cream the dairy-free cream cheese and butter on high then add in the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Whip until smooth and combined.
- Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed.
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip nozzle. If you don’t have a piping bag / nozzle, spread the frosting over the loaf cake with a knife or off-set spatula.
- Pipe swirls or spread the frosting over the top of the loaf and decorate with some easter sprinkles or vegan mini eggs (optional).
Notes
To store: Store the cake in a sealed container in the fridge. Best eaten within 3 days of making. Un-iced cake can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before tucking in!
What dairy-free block butter to use? My favourite vegan block butter to use is Flora Plant Based Block and Naturli Block.
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
