Happy Easter! Easter Bunny Cake and Eggcups

A Happy Easter to you... one we never thought to experience... each family in our homes joining via via technology to celebrate rather than joining our voices in song and prayer together in a group... but precious none the less...

Easter eggs, with the underlyng concept of renewal and new birth, are a traditional part, although a secular one, of Easter celebrations...

which brings me eggcups!

Do you know what Pocillovy is???

Collecting eggcups!

Eggcups have been around in one form or another for centuries. The oldest example was found in Pompeii and dates to 79AD

And they have always been a favorite in England and Europe.

Johnson Brothers, England Historic America eggcup in blue transferware ironstone

In form, they are usually a simple cylinder or on a pedestal with a foot, or in the case of these Victorian and Edwardian examples above, a combination of a small size for a boiled chicken egg and a larger cup for either a boiled duck egg or coddled egg serving.

The above is a single bone china eggcup by Shelley, England in the Dainty Polka Dot pattern...

they have been made in every material imaginable....

And are elegant or fun... like these shoe hose figural eggcups above... that surely were designed to remind us of the Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe for a nursery tea...

And cottageware eggcups are so cute in a single, hoop or cylinder shape...

Porcelain with Daisies...

Bone china with red dragons.. from Crown Staffordshire, England in the Rangoon pattern...

Earthenware with fruit from Villeroy & Boch in the Jamaica pattern

Another Shelley, England in the Bridal Rose or Rose Spray pattern...

And many more...

Whatever your style or material preference, eggcups are wonderful useful, affordable and  easy to collect and display. 

There are collecting societies and collectors Guides...

Very fun! 

And from Victoria magazine... use them for small vases or place cards or favors...

I found this great recipe for a bunny shaped cake in Good Housekeeping magazine in 2011 and thought I'd add it here...as it's Easter bunny time fast approaching. The original diagram is no longer online, but I am thinking it's possible to draw your own pattern on parchment and use that. It makes a 13X9 size, then you can diagram it out.

I thought it was so cute!!

Pineapple-Coconut Bunny Cake

Serves: 16 

Yields: 16 servings

Prep Time: 35 min

Prep Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 cup(s) well-stirred cream of coconut (from 15-ounce can)*
• 1 can(s) (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3 large eggs

Silky Coconut Butter Frosting

• 3/4 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup(s) well-stirred cream of coconut
• 2 tablespoon(s) well-stirred cream of coconut
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter (no substitutions), softened

Decorations

• 1 bag(s) (7 ounces, or 2 2/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut
• 2  pink Jordan almonds
• 1  blue jelly bean
• 1  red heart-shaped tart candy
• 2  (2-inch) lengths black licorice lace

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
2. Prepare Pineapple-Coconut Cake: On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine cream of coconut, pineapple with its juice, and vanilla.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter just until blended. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in flour mixture alternately with pineapple mixture just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture and occasionally scraping bowl.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen cake from pan; invert onto rack to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, prepare Silky Coconut Butter Frosting: In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Gradually stir in cream of coconut until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
7. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in cream-of-coconut mixture. Makes about 3 cups.
8. Make a bunny pattern on parchment paper (Note: one square = one inch.)
9. When cake is cool, transfer to large flat platter. Using pattern and knife, cut out bunny's body and ears from cake. Place some cake trimmings on tail and ears to add height. With metal spatula, spread frosting over side and top of cake. Gently press coconut into frosting on cake. Decorate bunny with Jordan almonds for ear, jelly bean for eye, heart-shaped candy for mouth, and licorice for whiskers.
10. *Reserve cream of coconut remaining in can (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) to use in frosting recipe