Have you seen Zootopia yet? Go see it! Holy crap, this is now one of my favorite movies of all time. Maybe it’s the genius character design and writing, maybe it’s the fact that it is something everyone can enjoy without pandering to the kiddies, maybe it’s all the intricately woven pop-culture references, or maybe I just really love seeing the cutest fuzzy-wuzzies acting like people. Or maybe it’s just all of it. Does it matter?
This was me the entire movie.
The premise is that all mammals, prey and predator have evolved to live among each other in peace and build a civilization. Just like our society, however, prejudices still run rampant under the veneer of peace and harmony. Case in point: protagonist Judy Hopps has had a lifelong dream since childhood to serve and protect the citizens of Zootopia as a police officer. As a rabbit in a seemingly large mammal only industry, she finds it increasingly difficult to gain respect among her donut-loving brethren.
Speaking of donuts, that’s what we’re making today. I figure after a long day of being screamed while issuing parking tickets, a bunny could use a heaping dose of junk food.
So what would a bunny consider junk food? Well considering I’ve had the little cotton-tailed floofs since childhood, I should know. I wouldn’t recommend feeding the following recipe to an actual rabbit unless you want them to die of diabetic shock, though.
First we’re going for the obvious and making the donuts with carrot cake batter.
In that batter you’ll find some tasty, exploded blueberries, and you’ll just have to see the movie to get that reference.
Spread on top of all of this fruit and veggie cake goodness is a rich strawberry and cream cheese icing, decorated with a sprinkling of shelled sunflower seeds. I can tell you that all of my rabbits would mine their mixed food for seeds, leaving dozens of shredded black and white husks in their wake. And I think you all know that bunnies love berries.
So here it is — sweet, creamy, and paradoxically good for you in a totally not good for you way.
Bunny in Blue-Berry and Carrot Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cups vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- cooking spray
Icing
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
Garnish
- at least 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Whisk the first five batter ingredients together in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla. Mix the wet into the dry ingredients with a spatula into a thick batter. Fold in the blueberries and allow the batter to sit while preheating the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Prepare your donut pan with cooking spray and spoon batter into the rings until each is about halfway full. Bake donuts 10-15 minutes or until inserting a toothpick comes out clean. Cool donuts on a rack while you prepare the icing.
- Combine all the icing ingredients in a stand mixer until blended and smooth. Ice the top of the donuts and sprinkle with sunflower seeds before serving.
