The World’s Cutest Bunny Bakes a Carrot Cake

Meet Cleo, a rabbit so adorable she almost doesn’t look real. She’s an Instagram celebrity pet, thanks to owner Diana Yen, whose culinary star is on the rise: Yen has made cookies alongside Martha Stewart, styled steaks for Epicurious, and even has a cookbook to her name: this year’s A Simple Feast: A Year’s Worth of Stories and Recipes to Savor and Share. It’s all part of Yen’s multimedia food studio called Jewels of New York.

As for that Instagram, Yen’s followers can’t get enough Cleo: The rabbit cozies up to a mint-hued Kitchen Aid stand mixer, lounges under a cape of kale, hangs out with fresh mushrooms, and nibbles on carrot shavings (of course). Commenters often ask if Cleo can have her own Instagram account.

That hasn’t happened yet, but Cleo is the star of a new baking video from cult photographer Alice Gao, herself an Instagram luminary, and food stylist Kristy Mucci. (Check out Gao and Mucci’s new website A Standard of Living.) The toque-topped bunny is the “chef" responsible for Jewels of New York’s moist, cinnamon-and-nutmeg-spiked carrot cake, which appears in the studio’s new vegetarian column. A velvety, vanilla-tinged cream cheese frosting adds an extra layer of decadence.

Here’s the recipe, from Yen (and Cleo) to you.

Cleo’s Carrot Cake
Courtesy of Jewels of New York
Serves 8-10

For cake:

1 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups grated carrots
3/4 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans, plus more for garnish

For frosting:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease and flour the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing each time until just combined. Gently fold in the carrots and pecans.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake emerges clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cakes cool completely in the pan, then run a knife around the perimeter of each and turn out onto a cooking rack. Remove parchment.

Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Assembly:

Place 1 cake layer, flat side down, on a large platter. Spread 1/3 of the frosting  over the top/ Place the second layer, rounded side down, on top of that, lightly pressing layers together. Spread the remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake. Garnish with pecans.

Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.