Food Holidays & Occasions Easter 25 Easter Desserts for a Special Spring Gathering Celebrate Easter Sunday with citrus, edible flowers, and centerpiece-worthy seasonal desserts. By Nikki Miller-Ka Updated on February 5, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Hugh Davison Our favorite recipes for impressive Easter desserts range from fragrant Spiced Carrot Cake with brown butter-cream cheese frosting to a timeless Grand Marnier Soufflé and sunny Strawberry Tiramisu. If you haven't finalized your menu, we have plenty of ideas from which you can choose. Want something easy? Go for Maria Cookie Icebox Cake. Eager to keep things bright? Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake can please a crowd and be made ahead. Read on for those recipes plus even more ideal Easter desserts for your holiday table. 01 of 25 Maria Cookie Icebox Cake Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Pastry chef Paola Velez transforms toasty Maria cookies into an icebox cake layered with a sweetly spiced cream filling, topped with luscious dulce de leche, and festooned with strawberries and flowers. Can't find Maria cookies? Any variety of thin, crunchy cookies will work here. This cake tastes best when it's had a night in the fridge. Get the Recipe 02 of 25 Strawberry Tiramisu Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas In this sunny take on tiramisu, coffee and chocolate are swapped out for bright, zesty orange and ripe strawberries. A touch of balsamic vinegar, orange liqueur, sugar, and jam deepens the flavor of the berries without overpowering it, while orange zest brightens layers of mascarpone cream. Get the Recipe 03 of 25 Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake with Orange Zest Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Tender pieces of tart rhubarb balance perfectly with the brown sugar topping of this vanilla- and orange-scented cake. Baking the cake in a cast-iron skillet helps the rhubarb caramelize, creating an unfussy but beautiful topping. To make the cake shine even more, serve it with softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Get the Recipe 04 of 25 Bunet (Chocolate Crème Caramel with Amaretti) Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Also known as bonet, bunet is a creamy, rich custard from Piedmont in Italy. Amaretti cookies enhance the almond flavor of the pudding while adding a lovely crunch to the silky Italian dessert. Get the Recipe 05 of 25 Yuzu and Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting Hugh Davison This citrusy cake is made with mochiko flour for a deliciously dense texture. It's contrasted by a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth buttercream and garnished with sticky candied kumquat slices and crunchy bee pollen for a stunning end to your holiday meal. Get the Recipe 06 of 25 Fun and Fancy Macarons Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Drew Aichele To add an extra-festive holiday touch to macarons, pastry chef Paola Velez paints them with several different colors of edible shimmering luster dust. As for the filling? Pick from homemade dark chocolate ganache, or store-bought jam, apple butter, or firm caramel sauce. The macarons can be made in advance and frozen; wait to fill them until ready to serve. Get the Recipe 07 of 25 Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bananas Foster Cheesecake. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Creamy bananas and spiced rum-brown sugar caramel come together for both the filling and the topping in this cheesecake mashup. The cinnamon-scented buttery crust doubles down on nutty flavor by using both pecan sandies and pecans. The cheesecake is made extra silky with the addition of sour cream, but the real flavor magic happens thanks to vanilla and more spiced rum. Get the Recipe 08 of 25 Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake Aubrie Pick This light cake is something Sicilian grandmothers often serve for tea. Perfect for dessert after Easter brunch or dinner, this cake can be made up to three days in advance. For a tender cake with a light crumb, be careful not to overmix the flour into the batter. Get the Recipe 09 of 25 Lemon Meringue Pie with Marcona Shortbread Crust Jennifer Causey "The filling, which I chill in an ice bath before it goes into the crust, sets in lightning speed," cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Ann Taylor Pittman says. "And the meringue, which does not need to bake, is ready to enjoy as soon as it's whipped up — because when you want lemon pie, you want it now." Get the Recipe 10 of 25 Honey-Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner This velvety-smooth, berry-topped mousse requires very little time to make — it comes together in only 15 minutes and then needs just an hour in the refrigerator to firm up. Ricotta cheese, quickly whipped in a food processor with honey and vanilla, forms the base of the mousse. Folding whipped cream into the ricotta yields a luscious dessert. Get the Recipe 11 of 25 Spiced Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner A warming blend of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg brings festive flavor to cookbook author Hetal Vasavada's tender, moist cake studded with golden raisins and crunchy pistachios. Brown butter ghee does double duty here — it enriches and flavors the cake batter, and the caramelized milk fat leftover from making it adds a nutty flavor to the cream cheese frosting. Get the Recipe 12 of 25 Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Layers of delicate flavors from lemon, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil — which helps keep the cake moist and imparts mild fruitiness — come together in a one-bowl batter. Stacked with a fluffy and rich lemon–cream cheese frosting, this easy layer cake is a keeper for Easter celebrations to come. Be sure the butter and cream cheese are softened for the smoothest frosting. Get the Recipe 13 of 25 Carrot and Orange Cake with Sour Cream Glaze Antonis Achilleos "My Carrot and Orange Cake with Sour Cream Glaze celebrates the way oranges trigger our senses," cookbook author Nik Sharma says. He notes that dried apricots and candied orange peel bring sweetness to the cake, which also gets texture from the addition of pistachios. Get the Recipe 14 of 25 Chocolate Cardamom Cream Tart with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle Anna Stockwell This fancier cousin to a chocolate cream pie gets complex depth from a combination of bittersweet and milk chocolate, and plenty of richness from heavy cream. A touch of cardamom in the custard and the whipped cream topping, plus the contrasting crunch of homemade nut brittle, elevate this dessert far above the ordinary. Get the Recipe 15 of 25 Brown Butter, Radicchio, and Parsnip Cake Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely With warm spiciness from nutmeg, a satisfyingly crunchy top, and beautiful flecks of parsnip and radicchio, this unique bundt cake makes a case for being served for either breakfast or dessert — and the leftovers taste even better the next day. Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Labneh Panna Cotta with Orange Blossom Granita Tara Donne This dessert is all about contrast in temperature, texture, and flavor. Smooth and creamy panna cotta is paired with a lightly floral, lightly sweet granita for an icy, cool bite. A base of tangy, tart apricot jam and a garnish of crispy crumbled toasted baguette finishes off each plate. Get the Recipe 17 of 25 Cornmeal Cake Trifle with Sabayon and Candied Kumquats Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This stunning collaboration between pastry chef Kelly Fields and baking legend Claudia Fleming has many delicious components, most of which can be made ahead. Layers of crumbly cornmeal cake and fresh and candied citrus float on billowy drifts of barely boozy sabayon, topped with sweet, crisp peaks of toasted Italian meringue. A masterpiece of technique and flavor, the flavor of the Prosecco will come through strongly in the sabayon, so choose a quality bottle. Get the Recipe 18 of 25 Vanilla-Scented Cornmeal Cake with Olive Oil Buttercream Sam Aguirre-Kelly Pastry chef Bronwen Wyatt's rich, elegant cake is perfect for Easter. You can simply spread the buttercream frosting to cover it, swirling for a little flair, or follow Wyatt's decorating tips by using a pastry bag to form ruffles and squiggles with the buttercream. Top the cake with edible decorations of your choice, such as flowers, fruits, and herbs. Get the Recipe 19 of 25 Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea Moscato gives this cake a lighter, more tender crumb than a typical pound cake while also imparting a subtle sweetness. Freeze-dried grapes bring vibrant color to the glaze. If you like, you can substitute lime juice in place of Moscato in the glaze for a brighter pink color. Get the Recipe 20 of 25 Rainbow Panna Cotta Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s colorful layered almond panna cotta is topped with a thin layer of fruity jam, grated chocolate, and dukka-spiced almonds. Get the Recipe 21 of 25 Chocolate Babka © Con Poulos This amazing chocolate babka from pastry chef Melissa Weller gets extra flavor in the swirl from chocolate cookie crumbs. As a bonus, the tender-crumbed babka is topped with a thick and luscious chocolate glaze. Get the Recipe 22 of 25 Rhubarb and Candied Ginger Crostata Eva Kolenko Free-form tarts look best when completely rustic — the more uneven folds of flaky, golden pastry and bubbling fruit juices, the better. This springtime stunner stars fresh rhubarb that’s combined with rhubarb compote and studded with candied ginger. Get the Recipe 23 of 25 Coconut Milk Cake with Pistachios, Whipped Coconut Cream, and Strawberry Glaze Abby Hocking Chef Angela Garbacz's coconut milk cake has crunchy edges, a gooey, thick crumb, and it just happens to vegan. Topped with pillowy whipped coconut cream and a gorgeous bright pink strawberry glaze, this showstopper cake is worthy of your Easter celebration. Get the Recipe 24 of 25 Grand Marnier Soufflé Greg DuPree In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: In the inaugural issue of Food & Wine, legendary chef Jacques Pépin shared his recipe for the perfect soufflé. This ethereal recipe is as good today as it was in 1978, showing that some dishes are simply timeless. Get the Recipe 25 of 25 Coconut Cream Pie © Christina Holmes Every part of this fluffy pie from pastry chef Kierin Baldwin has coconut: the crust, the filling, and the topping. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit