The Work Kitchen

We all know it well. For some, it's the place known to inspire heated love sonnets written on Passive Aggressive Notes. Like this little gem. People fuming over the Lean Cuisine left in the mini fridge since Christmas 2005. Disdain for those who insist on letting their coffee mug soak in the communal sink for three weeks before washing. Coworkers who decide their lunch sucks ass, but yours sure looks tasty.

Our kitchen isn't like that. Yeah, we have the occasional offender that needs a little shaken baby action, but for the most part, it's harmonious love and canoodling in the Marketing and PR kitchen suite. One dedicated employee always fills our ice bucket for all to enjoy. The sink is crust-free. Even though coffee was sadly cut from the budget, the machine is now filled with premium exotic flavors that people have brought from home. And the food people bring in ... forget about it.

I guess it's probably the downfall of our department, but we're food whores. Pitch-ins that could feed an army and bring strangers out of the woodwork from every department. Leftover birthday cakes, breakfast casseroles, boxes of yeast donuts with icing from Long's Bakery, homemade cinnamon rolls, hand-churned ice cream (the dude even wore seersucker pants that day, swear to Jesus), birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, BOOM (That sound was my ass getting fat).

This is the latest treat to grace our kitchen. My boss makes food to share at least once a week. The worst part is ... she is a complete health nut and usually won't even touch the stuff she brings in. I know, it positively reeks of sabotage — until you meet her. The woman is made of gold. She even sneaks healthy substitutions into all of her recipes to make her food guilt-free.

Anyway, this cake brought back sentimental memories for me, as it is a recipe I've fondly known to be called, Yummy Bunny Cake. My dad and I used to make it on Easter weekends together. Except our cake was covered in coconut and used jelly beans for flair. Here is the recipe:

• 1 package (any type) of cake mix (plus the ingredients necessary to make that cake)
• 2 cans pre-made vanilla frosting
• 1 14-oz. package of coconut (about 5 cups)
• food coloring
• small candy pieces for decorating the cake (gum drops, jelly beans, licorice, chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions:

• Prepare cake mix as directed and pour into two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake cakes according to package directions. Cool completely.
• Cut cake as show in diagram.
• Line large tray or sturdy cardboard with foil.
• Frost sides of each cake piece.
• Place pieces of cake as shown in diagram on foil-lined tray.
• Frost top of cake.
• Sprinkle about 2 ¾ cup coconut over top and sides of cake, lightly pressing coconut onto the sides
• In a small bowl combine ¾ cup coconut with two – three drops red food coloring and toss until evenly colored. Place aside. Repeat with 1 ½ cups coconut and two – three drops green food coloring.
• Sprinkle pink coconut over ears and bowtie; outline with chocolate chips
• Decorate bunny face with other candy pieces using small slices of licorice for whiskers
• Sprinkle green coconut on foil-lined tray around cake. Place additional candies on the green “grass” if desired. You can also make the bunny’s bow tie a different color if desired.