Easter Bakes: Lemon, thyme, and white chocolate bunny cake

Get ready for a very hoppy Easter

Simple yet striking, this citrussy bunny cake is speckled with thyme and white chocolate for a grown up twist. If you need to work ahead of time, the cake can be frozen for up to a month. Just pop it in the freezer and defrost thoroughly before filling.

Lemon, thyme, and white chocolate bunny cake

Prep: 30 mins

Bake time: 45-60 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 50ml milk
• 90g self-raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2tsp chopped fresh thyme

For the filling and decoration:

• 3tbsp lemon curd
• 75g unsalted butter
• 170g icing sugar
• 2-3tsp lemon juice
• 40g white chocolate
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Mini eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C (fan)/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 4″/10cm round cake tin in preparation.
2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the thyme leaves and eggs.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture a spoonful at a time, alternating with a glug of milk. Continue until mixed thoroughly.
4. Transfer the batter to the cake tin. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
5. For the filling, whisk together the butter, icing sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. If the frosting is a little stiff, add a drop of milk to loosen.
6. Slice the cake into three even layers. Fill each layer with a good, thick dollop of frosting. Stack the layers and spread any remaining buttercream around the cake before scraping with a butter knife to create a semi-naked effect.
7. Heat the white chocolate in short spurts in the microwave. Spoon the chocolate over the edges of the cake, leaving it to create its own drip effect.
8. Take two pieces of white florists wire and bend them into two bunny ears. Wrap some thyme around the wires before inserting into the top of the cake.
9. Wind some thyme around the base of the cake. Decorate with mini eggs and serve.