Maxy's Hideout

Easter Basket Cakes

By Khalil Hymore

Cute enough for kids but cool enough for adults, these sweet little desserts are so easy that even beginner bakers can pull them off.

Photo by Kate Sears

Makes 12
Work: 25 minutes
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Turquoise petal dust (available at countrykitchensa.com) or blue food coloring
4 cups (12 ounces) shredded sweetened coconut
Confectioners' sugar
1 16-ounce container vanilla frosting
Candy eggs
Mini chocolate bunnies
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside. Grease a basket pan evenly and dust with extra flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 8 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture in 3 stages, mixing until just incorporated. Divide half the batter among the 6 cups of the pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, turn cakes out, and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. Mix petal dust, a pinch at a time, with 2 cups coconut until you get desired shade (if using food coloring, use a couple of drops before adding more); spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. until dry but not browned, about 8 minutes. Spread the remaining 2 cups coconut on another baking sheet and bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Dust cooled cakes with confectioners' sugar and fill each with 2 tablespoons frosting. Top with coconut to make a nest and decorate with candy eggs and bunnies.

Happy Easter