62 Sweet Easter Cake Recipes

March 06, 2019
Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
If you need a cake recipe for your Easter meal, we’ve got what you need, from coconut and carrot to strawberry shortcake and pineapple upside down cake.
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Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham    
Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Recipe

Trust us: This simple and swoon-worthy sheet cake will be a keeper in your recipe box. File it under "Springtime Crowd-pleaser."

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Strawberry-Lemon Crêpe Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff
Strawberry-Lemon Crêpe Cake Recipe

If you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of strawberry lemonade, you know this is a refreshing combination. And this company-worthy crepe cake will make everyone swoon with its ethereal layers and rich lemon filling. Be sure to save the liquid after macerating the strawberries–it’s delicious drizzled over each serving.

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Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream Recipe

You’ve got dessert duty? We’ve got you covered with this lightly spiced sheet cake that serves a crowd and travels well too. Why choose between carrot cake and coconut cake when both flavors work so well together?

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Lemon-Olive Oil Cake with Whipped Mascarpone

Photographer: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lauren Smith Ford; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos 
Lemon-Olive Oil Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Recipe

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Ultimate Coconut Cake

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans
Ultimate Coconut Cake Recipe

"Ultimate" is no exaggeration here—this cake features coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut sugar, coconut extract, and (of course) flaked coconut. Given this cake's incredibly moist layers, intense coconut flavor, and lighter-than-air filling, our test kitchen chefs fought over the leftovers.

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1-2-3-4 Cake 

Photographer: Gina DeSimone; Prop stylist: Kashara Johnson; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock
1-2-3-4 Cake  Recipe

Time to oust your box cake mix, and embrace your inner baker with this basic yellow cake formula. This recipe will raise your cake-crafting confidence to new heights the first time you try it. As the name suggests, the numbers represent the measurements of the ingredients in the cake. Just remember what number matches with which ingredient, and you can easily memorize this recipe to whip up anytime you please. The buttery yellow cake is moist and has a perfectly dense crumb. Consider the 1-2-3-4 Cake a blank canvas; have fun adding layers of your buttercream frosting, whipped cream with fruit, or your own favorite frosting. One key to keep in mind when making this cake is that you really do need to have your butter softened and, ideally, your eggs at room temperature. Mixing these ingredients in when cold makes them more difficult to incorporate and can yield a “broken” batter. When baking the cake, be sure to use a light baking pan to help prevent over-browning. If you see that the top of your cake is brown, but the center is still wet, make a foil tent over the cake to keep it from getting darker. 

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Chocolate “Chip” Cake

Meredith Food Studios
Chocolate “Chip” Cake Recipe

This salty-sweet treat is an easy but awesome way to upgrade a boxed cake mix and store-bought frosting. Just remember—you’ll want to serve this decadent cake within an hour of frosting it so that the chips stay nice and crispy.

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Confetti Flower Cake

Photo: Whitney Ott; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Confetti Flower Cake Recipe

 

It may be hard to believe that this stunning layer cake could taste as delightful as it looks, but trust us on this one… it’s well worth cutting into. We create an all-natural “fun-fetti” look for this Confetti Flower Cake with edible flower petals flecked throughout the moist and delicate vanilla layers. Covered in a light, fluffy strawberry frosting (and a few more garnishing edible flowers for good measure), this wow-worthy confetti cake is the perfect centerpiece for your next special occasion—be it a birthday party or a wedding shower.

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Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
Mama's German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Bake a cake that would make mama proud. German chocolate cakes are known for being rich, indulgent cakes, so enjoy a slice with a glass of milk.

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Basic Pound Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilles; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos and Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
Basic Pound Cake Recipe

So comforting and delicious, with a perfectly crusty bottom. Keep things classic or get adventurous with your glaze. 

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Skittles Rainbow Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio 
Skittles Rainbow Cake Recipe

Cake the rainbow.

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Hummingbird Cheesecake

Photo: Hannah Burkhalter
Hummingbird Cheesecake Recipe

All of the elements of a classic hummingbird cake come together here in decadent cheesecake form. Layers of banana cheesecake, pineapple-pecan praline sauce, vanilla cheesecake, and white chocolate ganache are all stacked into a pecan-coconut graham cracker crust for a show-stopping dessert you won’t soon forget. Despite the intimidation factor that often surrounds making cheesecakes at home, we highly encourage you to give this one a go. In all honesty, cheesecakes are much easier to make—and make well—than you’d probably think. A layered cheesecake like this one is certainly simpler to pull off than baking, assembling, and frosting a traditional layer cake. So break out your springform pan with confidence—you’ve got this.

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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Recipe

Fresh summer peaches turn sticky and sweet when baked in the bottom of a Bundt pan with butter and brown sugar. After you place the peach slices in the ridges of the pan, gently spoon the cake batter over the fruit, then smooth the top with an offset spatula.

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Watercolor Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio
Watercolor Cake Recipe

This stunning watercolor effect is a surprisingly simple cake decorating technique that makes for an incredibly special dessert. 

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Tahini Glaze

Sara Tane
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Tahini Glaze Recipe

What better fall-inspired dessert to make than this tahini-glazed pumpkin bundt cake. A medley of fragrant, ground spices enhance the rich sweetness of this incredibly moist bundt cake. Topped with a toasty, perfectly bittersweet tahini glaze, this  easy to make and comforting fall dessert is the perfect centerpiece for your next dinner party, Halloween gathering, or special occasion.

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Strawberry Poke Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Strawberry Poke Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze Recipe

Poke cake meets pound cake in this must-make spring dessert. A perfectly moist, dense vanilla pound cake (with a delightful hint of almond) is filled with a fresh strawberry filling—adding to the cake's tender crumb and providing the perfect fruity sweet-tart flavor balance. Finish the whole thing off with an eye-catching fresh strawberry glaze, and you have a supremely awesome cake on your hands. Be warned, if you share this pound cake with friends, you'll need to be ready to share the recipe as well. 

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Lemon and Vanilla Angel Food Cake

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Lemon and Vanilla Angel Food Cake Recipe
What better way to celebrate Easter than with a divine lemon angel food cake? The best part about this heavenly cake is it's gluten-free.

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Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis  
Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This vibrant pink layer cake is pure strawberry-on-strawberry goodness, with fresh strawberries going into the cake batter and frosting. One thing to note about the buttercream frosting—it is absolutely bursting with berry flavor, but is easily over-mixed. If you find you've broken your emulsion when whipping this frosting up, no worries. You can simply mix in a little more powdered sugar to restore it. That said, we love how purely strawberry-forward the flavor of this frosting is, so we'd advise being very light-handed when adding extra powdered sugar, as it will dilute the berry flavor. In our opinion, it's better to have a slightly broken frosting that tastes like strawberries than a perfectly pristine frosting that tastes like sugar. 

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Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Dylan + Jeni; Styling: Scott Horne
Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Zucchini makes a brilliant addition to carrot cake, adding a verdant note to the sweet carrot.

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Strawberries and Rosé Cake

Photo: Jessica Colyer
Strawberries and Rosé Cake Recipe

This impressive blush-tone cake is inspired by two of our favorite summer treats: rosé wine and fresh strawberries. Perfect for a bridal shower, birthday party, or any number of other special gatherings, this cake is as spirited as it is elegant. If you are a big frosting fan, you may want to consider doubling the buttercream component of the recipe, as this was developed as a more delicately iced cake. Leave enough frosting after filling the layers to swipe a light crumb coat around the exterior of the cake, if you like that look--or you can simply keep the frosting in between the layers for a fully "naked" cake aethetic.

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Dark Chocolate Avocado Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Dark Chocolate Avocado Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting Recipe

This vegan cake (no eggs or butter!) is so delicious that our kids begged for more. The frosting is silky smooth, and the cake is light and loaded with chocolate flavor, and healthy fats.

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Tres Leches Cake

Photo: Jessica Colyer; Styling: Emma Crist
Tres Leches Cake Recipe

This gorgeous, rich traditional Mexican cake is made with three types of milk (whole, sweetened condensed, and evaporated) and topped with loads of fresh, juicy berries. The syrup will penetrate the cake if given sufficient time, so be patient.

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Orange-Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla Glaze

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Cat Steele; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
Orange-Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla Glaze Recipe

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Cat Steele; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower

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Pistachio Raspberry Cake

Photo: Thomas J Story
Pistachio Raspberry Cake Recipe
Roasted pistachios accentuate the pistachio and raspberry buttercream adorned on this spring-inspired layer cake.
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Butter's Vanilla Cake

Photo: Thomas J Story
Butter's Vanilla Cake Recipe
Make ahead: Bake the cakes first and let them cool; the next day, make the frosting and assemble the cake for an easy Easter Sunday.

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Rainbow Sprinkle Cake

Photo: Thomas J Story
Rainbow Sprinkle Cake Recipe
We love this make-ahead cake because the garnished rainbow sprinkles look like tiny Easter eggs!

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Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Oxmoor House
Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
A smear of cream cheese frosting is the ideal topper for warm spiced carrot cake.
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Pink Lemonade Icebox Cake

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Pink Lemonade Icebox Cake Recipe
Delicate, thin purchased cookies are the secret to this stunning no-cook Easter dessert.

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Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Helen Dujardin; Styling: Kay Clarke
Strawberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe

This perfectly light summer cake comes out beautifully, either way you flip it.

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Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Blakeslee Giles
Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake Recipe

Layers upon layers of fresh key lime, luscious cream cheese, and shortbread cookies make for a delicious no-bake cake with a show-stopping presentation. A thin layer of pistachios adds a crunch to each creamy, bright bite. The taste is light and sweet, making it the perfect ending to a large holiday meal. If you can't find Key limes to juice, try Nellie & Joe's brand. 

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Hummingbird Bundt Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Annette Joseph
Hummingbird Bundt Cake Recipe
From pineapple to cream cheese, Hummingbird Bundt Cake has the same ingredients as the original popular layer cake but simplified by baking in a Bundt pan.

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35th Anniversary Hummingbird Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
35th Anniversary Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Over-ripe bananas (yellow peels splotched with brown flecks) are best for baking. You won't get the same depth of flavor or moistness without them.

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The Lane Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
The Lane Cake Recipe
This famous cake just got a spiked, peachy makeover. A half cup of peach schnapps gives it an unforgettable meringue frosting, while a half cup of bourbon perfectly rounds out the peach filling.
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Strawberry Mousse Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck and Caroline Cunningham
Strawberry Mousse Cake Recipe
Strawberry-sweetened frosting surrounds the outside of the cake while creamy strawberry mousse divides the layers. This beautiful cake is ideal for brunch, baby showers, or any springtime celebration.

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Coconut Cream Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
A beautiful coconut layer cake will be a crowd favorite at your Easter celebration. The filling in this recipe calls for packaged coconut shavings. Look for them in your grocer's natural foods section.

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The Coconut Chiffon Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
The Coconut Chiffon Cake Recipe
Unexpected mascarpone cheese and coconut fills the layers in this rich Coconut Chiffon Cake. Coat with flaked coconut for the finishing touch.
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The Jam Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
The Jam Cake Recipe

The origins of jam cake lie deep in Appalachia where store-bought sugar was once scarce. Cakes were often sweetened with homemade jams, filled with wild berries and mountain fruits to deliver a rich, dense cake with a depth of flavor sugar alone couldn't deliver. 

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Key Lime Icebox Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Key Lime Icebox Cake Recipe
Add the lime juice once you've fully cooked the custard to let the cornstarch thicken the mixture properly.

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Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Sauce

Photo: Tara Donne; Styling: Sarah Smart
Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Here's a recipe that demonstrates the need for (and rewards of) patience. When you whip egg whites slowly--first at medium-low and building up speed gradually--you end up with the softest, creamiest, fluffiest mixture, into which you need to patiently and gradually fold flour. Try to rush things, and you'll end up with a dense cake, full of holes, that falls instead of lifts.
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Bird's Nest Cake

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Elizabeth Blake
Bird's Nest Cake Recipe
Frost a cake. Add Peeps. Boom: Bird's nest on a cake. Go on and impress your friends. You can even say the idea was yours; we won't tell.

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The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Recipe

Expecting a twist on cheesecake? You're in for an even sweeter surprise. These cake layers are filled with a buttery rich lemon curd instead. 

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Almond-apricot Cake

James Carrier
Almond-apricot Cake Recipe
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Coconut Triple-Layer Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Coconut Triple-Layer Cake Recipe
Impress your Easter guests with this low-fat, three-layer coconut cake that’s topped with a fluffy frosting made with egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.

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Easter Kugelhopf

Easter Kugelhopf Recipe
Kugelhopf is an Austrian cake (also claimed by bakers in Alsace, Germany and Poland) that’s a cross between a bread and a bundt cake. It’s typically filled with raisins and fruit, baked in a special kugelhopf pan or a bundt pan, and sprinkled with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

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