Surprise Inside Bunny Cake

Note you will need a small bunny-shaped cookie cutter (a size that will fit into the center of a standard size loaf pan).

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two standard size loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Crack in the egg, spoon in the sour cream, and pour in the oil and the vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix until smooth and liquidy.

Pour batter into a prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.

Cut cake into 1-inch thick slices. Use a small bunny cookie cutter (a size that will fit in the middle of the vanilla loaf you are about to make) to cut cake slices into bunny shapes. Freeze them when preparing the vanilla cake.

To prepare the vanilla cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

In another bowl, mix eggs and sugar until well combined. Gradually add oil and vanilla, mix until just blended. Slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the buttermilk, mix until just blended. Add remaining flour mixture, mix until batter is combined and smooth.

Remove the bunny cake cut outs from the freezer. Stack them together to make a long bunny log. Line it in the center of the bottom of the other cake pan. Pour the vanilla cake batter in the pan to cover the bunny cake cut outs.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.