Spring is all around, daffodils are blooming, and Easter is on our doorstep - at last, a warm-ish holiday! And there's no better way to celebrate Easter than with colorful, scrumptious desserts. Thankfully, we have plenty of sweet treats to choose from, ranging from fruit-filled layer cakes to tropical lemon bars to good ol' fashioned hot cross buns. So check out some of our faves below, along with seasonally appropriate recipes in case you want to whip up something magical in the kitchen yourself.
1. Three-Layer Country Carrot Cake
It's hard not to reach for the superlatives when discussing (or, more likely, devouring) Sweet Endings' Country Carrot Cake. It is without doubt one of the most enchanting interpretations of this springtime classic, laden with three moist layers of crumbled carrots, walnuts, raisins and pineapple, interspersed with indulgently sweet slathers of cream cheese. A charming carrot design on top seals the deal, making this the true showstopper of any Easter feast.
2. Easter Hot Cross Buns
Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, hot cross buns have become an Easter favorite in many American households, and you can enjoy them extra-fresh by baking them at home with our step-by-step recipe. Gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and glazed in apricot jam, these toasty yeast buns are sure to disappear quickly!
Easter Bunny Bakers, grab your buns recipe here!
3. Strawberry Fields Filled Cupcakes
It's hard to go wrong with cupcakes, and Easter will be extra-fabulous with these pretty-in-pink strawberry-flavored beauties made by Sweet Endings. Each cupcake is filled with luscious strawberry custard and topped with buttercream for a treat that's as fragrant and fresh as orchard-picked strawberries. Needless to say, they're way too delicious to keep to yourself, so we'll send them to you in batches of 12 for sharing.
These Strawberry Fields won't last Forever...
4. Lilly's Shortbread Lemon Bars
Here's a light, refreshing dessert that's also a guaranteed crowdpleaser. Bursting with citrus flavor, it's presented as a quarter-sheet of tropical shortbread crust topped with tangy-sweet lemon curd, which you can cut into squares of your desired size. Or if you're really embracing the Easter theme, cut them into egg or bunny shapes.
Lemon lovers, click here to really raise the bar.
5. Florida Orange Sunshine® Desserts
Spring calls for sunny, fruity flavors, and it doesn't get much sunnier or fruitier than Florida Orange Sunshine® desserts by Sweet Endings. Available in layer cake, cheesecake, mini-cake, cupcake and bundt cake form, each is baked in freshly-squeezed juice from Florida oranges handpicked at the peak moment of freshness. With their vibrant color and citrusy-fresh flavor, they'll add an inviting sense of charm to your Easter spread.
Put on your flip-flops and follow us to the Sunshine State.
6. Passion Fruit Pavlovas
Pavlova is a giant European cake often enjoyed in summer, but we think these adorable miniature versions are perfectly apt for an Easter dessert table. Cloud-like nests of meringue enshroud smooth and refreshing passion fruit puree topped with a garnish of lime and rosemary. The tart sharpness of the passion fruit perfectly complements the soft airiness of the meringue. Think edible clouds flowering with springlike juiciness!
A recipe to ignite your passions.
7. Chocolate Lava Cakes
Chocaholics like us also need to sate our sweet tooth cravings this Easter. And there's a lot of us to feed! So add these ooey, gooey lava cakes to your dessert platter, fresh from the oven so the chocolate filling gushes out upon first slice. Kids love these things, but let's be honest...
...we can't resist them either.
8. Divine Coconut Cream Mini Cakes
Bunnies aren't the only cute little fluffy things catching our eyes this Easter. These delicate mini coconut cream cakes might seem unassuming at first glance, but take a big wholesome bite and you'll see where they get the name "Divine" from. Layers of sponge cake are filled with coconut cream pie and topped with buttercream and coconut flakes for an irresistibly crispy-sweet finish. Serve with a raspberry sauce or some grilled pineapple for that added spring touch.
9. Orange-Strawberry Ricotta Cake With Orange Syrup
If hunting for eggs just doesn't keep you and the kids busy enough, grab your oven mitts and bake a vibrant cake worthy of your Easter festivities. This fluffy ricotta cake is topped with strawberries and orange wedges, then drizzled with orange syrup to create a magnificent finale for your main meal. Add a scoop of ice cream to make this the highlight of their Easter.
This recipe's ripe for the picking.
10. Key Lime Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes
These delightful hockey puck-shaped treats offer tangy-sweet key lime cheesecake atop a graham cracker crust, finished with a fruity swirl of raspberry puree. Serve with white chocolate lime ganache and fresh raspberries for a splendid study in nummyness!
You might even call it sublime.