Our Best Easter Desserts

March 24, 2011
Photo: Brian Woodcock
Delight family and friends with light and fresh spring desserts with colors and flavors that embrace the season. We put spring's bounty on full display with our Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Cream Pie, Shortcakes with Fresh Berries, and our Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes. We've got carrot cake too, from our traditional sheet cake to irresistible sandwich cookies. And we can't forget our Easy Lemon Squares and Chocolate-Mint Pudding. Now, all you have to do is start cooking.
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Healthy Easter Desserts

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Black and White Angel Food Cake

Make your Easter menu memorable by ending on a sweet note. From cookies to cakes, our Easter desserts are fresh, bright, and pretty enough for your holiday table.

If you can't decide whether you want vanilla or chocolate, this Black and White Angel Food Cake is just for you. Beaten egg whites create the light, airy texture of this classic dessert.

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Browned Butter Carrot Cake With Toasted Pecans

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Browned Butter Carrot Cake With Toasted Pecans

The Bundt pan makes for a much easier dessert, freeing you from the fuss of stacking and frosting layers. You can bake the cake ahead and freeze it, unglazed: Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip-top plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months (glaze the thawed cake).

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Easter Egg Cookies

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Easter Egg Cookies

These festive cookies are loosely based on the Greek Easter specialty koulourakia. Use egg-shaped cookie cutters to create these Easter "eggs" (we ordered ours from H.O. Foose Tinsmithing Co.). Enlist kids to decorate these simple cookies.

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Carrot Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Carrot Cake

This lighter twist on traditional carrot cake features a tender cake packed with grated carrot, juicy pineapple, flaked coconut, and chopped pecans. Cream cheese frosting and a garnish of grated carrot tops the cake.

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Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

This five-ingredient recipe is one of those refreshingly light desserts that can be so satisfying.

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Mini Almond Cupcakes

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Mini Almond Cupcakes

Kids will love decorating these cute little confections. Feel free to tint the icing to a variety of festive shades.

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Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Dream Pie

Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Dream Pie

The filling for our killer pie is somewhere between ice cream and mousse—a creamy concoction that's ridiculously easy to make.

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Easy Lemon Squares

View Recipe: Easy Lemon Squares

Whip up this easy crowd-favorite in a matter of minutes for a light dessert that's deliciously sweet and tangy.

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Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze

Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in the baking aisle at major supermarkets. Garnish with additional strawberries and fresh mint leaves.

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Coconut Cream Pie

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie

When it comes to creamy, dreamy coconut pie, never settle for anything less than mile-high. We fluff up the flavor, deploy an Italian meringue, and re-create a blue-ribbon dessert that won't march your diet into madness (learn how our Test Kitchen made over this recipe).

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Chocolate-Mint Pudding

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chocolate-Mint Pudding

Bursting with fragrance, mint adds dimension and seasonal flavor to chocolate pudding.

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Sponge Cake with Orange Curd and Strawberries

Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Sponge Cake with Orange Curd and Strawberries

Matzo and almond flour sponge cake is delightful—floral and sweet, with lemon, orange, and tangy berries.

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Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

If you're one to equate vanilla with plain and boring, this recipe will change your opinion. A touch of butter adds rich, luxurious flavor to the meringue, but, if you prefer a fluffy, snow-white cap, omit the butter as we did for the photo.

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Fresh Coconut Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Fresh Coconut Cake

Rather than knocking you out with fake coconut extract overtones, this towering, tender cake offers balanced flavor and nutrition—two things you can feel good about when serving a slice to your lucky guests.

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Gingery Banana Pudding with Bourbon Cream

Photo: José Picayo
View Recipe: Gingery Banana Pudding with Bourbon Cream

A classic southern dessert gets a boozy finish when topped with our delectable bourbon cream. Gingersnaps stand in for traditional vanilla wafers giving the pudding a spicy edge of sophistication.

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Sour Cream-Lemon Pound Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Sour Cream-Lemon Pound Cake

This reader-favorite pound cake is perfect for making ahead. Simply bake the cake (omitting the glaze) and freeze until ready to serve. After it's thawed, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.

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Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

Mashed ripe banana adds moistness to this springtime cake while a hint of lemon in the cream cheese frosting provides just the right amount of tartness.

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Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

View Recipe: Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Add some color to your dessert tray with these jam-filled thumbprints. We recommend filling with homemade Raspberry Refrigerator Jam, but in a pinch your favorite store-bought variety will work just fine.

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Lemon Cloud with Strawberry-Mint Compote

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Lemon Cloud with Strawberry-Mint Compote

Here's a case where you want your soufflés to fall. As they do, the lemon flavor intensifies, and the texture becomes almost cakelike. Any berries will work in place of the strawberries for the compote.

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Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Perfect for brunch, this light cake features sweet, seasonal berries and a lemony glaze. Garnish with ribbons of lemon rind and fresh blueberries.

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream

Make a nonalcoholic version of this grown-up ice cream by substituting cranberry juice cocktail for the wine.

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Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars

Photo: Jeff Kauck
View Recipe: Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars

Channel the tropics with these cheesecake bars that feature fresh, in-season pineapple. This recipe uses a small amount of coconut flour, which is slightly sweet, high in fiber (3 grams per tablespoon), and gluten-free. Look for it in health-food stores or order online from Bob's Red Mill. You also can substitute an equal amount of all-purpose flour.

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Strawberry Layer Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Strawberry Layer Cake

To make this cake kid-friendly, use fresh orange juice instead of Grand Marnier in the cream cheese frosting. The bright pink cake will be a lovely surprise when you make the first slice.

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Café au Lait Chiffon Pie

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Café au Lait Chiffon Pie

Boiling coffee down to a concentrated syrup, then mixing it with milk in an airy chiffon filling makes this chocolate-graham-cracker-crusted pie a dessert that's sure to give you a buzz.

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Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

Photo: Lauren Rubinstein
View Recipe: Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

Nestled in a creamy filling and crumbly graham cracker crust, strawberries shine in this delectable tart.

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Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Based on the classic whoopie pie, these soft sandwich cookies provide all the pleasures of traditional carrot cake in a fun-to-eat package, including the thick, tangy cream cheese frosting—especially the cream cheese frosting.

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Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

Top these lemon-scented angel food cupcakes with tiny edible pansy blossoms or rosebuds for decoration. Store extra cupcakes in an airtight container.

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Strawberry-Lemon Shortcakes

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Strawberry-Lemon Shortcakes

Tender biscuits get a little lift from sweet, floral lemon rind. For slightly taller shortcakes with soft sides, pack biscuits into a round cake pan; for separate shortcakes with crisp edges, arrange onto a baking sheet with space between.

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Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These delectable morsels melt in your mouth, because they're so moist. If the frosting is too thin, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until it's spreadable.

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Fresh Coconut Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Fresh Coconut Cake

Rather than knocking you out with fake coconut extract overtones, this cake offers balanced flavor and nutrition—two things you can feel good about when serving a slice to your lucky guests.

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Individual Chocolate Soufflé Cakes

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Individual Chocolate Soufflé Cakes

Our simple directions make a properly risen soufflé a cinch. For easy variations in flavor, substitute almond, lemon, or orange extract for the vanilla.

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Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

View Recipe: Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

Studded with plump, juicy fresh berries, these cupcakes are perfect for an Easter gathering. Be as creative as you want when frosting the cupcakes. For a more homespun look, use a small, flat spatula. Want to be fancy? Pipe frosting onto cupcakes with a pastry bag fitted with a star tip for a fun, swirled appearance.

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Fresh Mint Ice Cream

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Fresh Mint Ice Cream

This make-ahead creamy treat makes an ideal dessert for entertaining. Not a mint fan? Substitute toasted coconut for mint.

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Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Meringue Frosting

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Meringue Frosting

After a slice of this show-stopping cake, you'll never be able think of vanilla as "basic" again. You'll find potato starch on the baking aisle at most of your local supermarkets and health-food stores. Also known as potato flour, it helps ensure the cake will have a fine crumb and moist texture.

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Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Here's a moist, buttery dessert that can make even the smallest spring gathering a true celebration. Fresh edible flowers, such as mums, make an easy, pretty decoration; most people remove the flowers before eating the cake.

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No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie