By Emma turns fourteen on May third. Finishing eighth grade. Middle school: conquered. She ran student council, organized bake sales, started a school garden (Jack consulted, grudgingly credited), maintained a 4.0. The girl accomplished more in three years than most people accomplish in a decade.
Birthday dinner: pad Thai from the good place. The funfetti cake: still. Always. The constant. Cream cheese frosting. Extra sprinkles. The cake has been the same since she was four because the funfetti is not a cake, it's a time machine.
She's restless already. The restlessness that isn't negative — it's a plant outgrowing its pot. The pot is Des Moines. The pot is middle school. High school will be a bigger pot. Whether the pot is big enough remains to be seen. Emma is the kind of girl who outgrows containers the way Jack's watermelon outgrows the mound: thoroughly, ambitiously, and with no regard for the boundaries.
I know the funfetti is sacred — and it always will be — but for the years when Emma’s birthday feels too big to contain in a single tradition, I like to have a second cake up my sleeve: something equally joyful, equally her. Peter Rabbit has always been Emma’s spirit animal in a way — curious, always pushing past the garden gate, never quite staying where you put him — and this cake captures that energy perfectly. It’s the cake I’d bake for the girl who outgrows every pot she’s planted in, and does it gloriously.
Peter Rabbit Cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green and brown gel food coloring (optional, for decoration)
- Decorative candy vegetables or bunny cake topper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper rounds.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry. Reduce mixer to low. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined — do not overmix.
- Fold in mix-ins. Using a spatula, gently fold in the grated carrots, drained pineapple, and shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low until incorporated, then increase to medium-high. Mix in vanilla. Tint a portion of frosting green for grass decoration if desired.
- Frost and decorate. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Place second layer over and frost the top and sides. Decorate with candy vegetables, a bunny topper, or a simple garden scene using tinted frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 73g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 290mg