Seriously Delicious Desserts To Make This Spring
The days are slowly getting longer and warmer, and we're finally shaking off some of that harsh winter chill. It's springtime, and it couldn't have come a moment too soon for many of us. With the change of seasons comes the spring holidays, including Easter, Passover, Mother's Day, and Father's Day, among others. All of those baking tools that have been resting quietly in your cabinets since the winter holidays ended are ready to be used again to help celebrate.
Pastel yellows, robin's egg blues, pink berries, and the orangey-hues of fresh carrots are here to replace the warm hues of winter baking. Fresh fruits and vegetables bring these springtime recipes to life, in no small way breathing new life into our baking routines. It's time to revisit your favorite carrot cakes, recruit the kids for some festive robin's egg cookie treats on Easter, and taste the sunshine with fresh lemon curd.
Whether you're looking for a stunning but straightforward strawberry cake to take to the first outdoor gathering of the season or an indulgent lemon meringue pie to share with your family—we've got you covered with some seriously delicious desserts to make this spring.
Bird's nest cookies that are perfect for spring
These festive and crunchy bird's nest cookies couldn't be easier to stir together for Easter dessert. Toasted coconut, Rice Krispies, and oats are combined with peanut butter and white chocolate to create adorable little nests. Each nest is filled with speckled chocolate eggs or any of your favorite Easter candies. They take just a few minutes to prepare, following by a quick chill in the freezer. This recipe is simple enough to make with the kids around, or while the Easter ham is in the oven.
The carrot cake you'll make again and again
Believe it or not, carrots have a season that begins like so much produce does, in springtime. Perhaps that's why it's been a long-standing tradition to make carrot cake for the spring holidays, although we're big fans of carrot cake any time of year. This spring, take advantage of those fresh bunches of carrots at the farmer's market and make a carrot cake that's worth the work to bring it all together from scratch. This carrot cake recipe by dietician and wellness coach Kristen Carli will easily be your go-to recipe all season long.
The lemon curd you'll want to put on everything
Lemon lovers will tell you that nothing is quite as satisfying as a puckeringly-sweet and creamy lemon curd. This versatile custard can be used on cakes, biscuits, to fill muffins, on toast, as a topping for countless desserts, and even enjoyed as-is. But chef Tara Rylie points out that a classic lemon curd can be a little more work than some home cooks would like to dedicate. In lieu of the traditional technique, Rylie has perfected this microwave-style lemon curd recipe that makes cooking a luscious bowl of lemon curd as simple as microwaving and stirring. After it's chilled, enjoy your lemon curd over breakfast on the patio this spring, or anywhere else that delights you.
The best strawberry cake you've ever made
With the arrival of warmer weather comes more opportunities for outdoor gatherings and picnics. If you're typically the one that volunteers to bring dessert, this strawberry cake is perfect for just such occasions and is as easy to transport as it is to make. Fresh strawberries are mixed into the cake batter, as well as the glaze that gets drizzled on top for delicate bursts of berry goodness. To keep it simple with a little flair, food writer Molly Allen bakes this strawberry cake in a bundt pan, but says you can use any similarly-sized pan that you have on-hand. As the weather keeps getting warmer, the strawberries will just keep getting better, so be ready to make this cake straight through summertime!
This lemon meringue pie is perfect for spring
Once you've mastered the lemon curd recipe above, it's time to step your pastry game up a notch and whip up one of these lemon meringue pies. Fresh lemon meringue pie is truly a taste of sunshine on a warm spring day (or even a rainy one for that matter). The crust, curd, and meringue are all made separately, which is great—you can take this recipe one step at a time without worrying about the other elements.
The crust is made of graham crackers and almonds that complement the tangy lemon so well. The lemon curd is made on the stovetop while the crust cools, and the meringue is whipped last. Once the pie has been baked to toast the meringue, it will spend a little time chilling in the refrigerator. Once cool, a fluffy slice of this pie will have you floating on meringue clouds.
The best lemon cake you've ever tasted
If you're the kind of person that can't walk by the pastry case at the coffee shop without ordering a slice of lemon pound cake, then this lemon cake recipe is for you. Created by food writer Molly Allen, this lemon cake is packed with all lemony goodness you crave. The concentrated lemon flavor doesn't come from extract, but from fresh lemon zest that provides a stronger lemon flavor than juice alone, with a hint of florals in tow. Baked in a bundt pan for a decorative touch, the cake is finished with a thick lemon glaze—which we all know is just as important as the cake itself. If you're feeling especially festive, feel free to decorate this cake with a few fresh spring flowers like violets, mini daffodils, and pansies.
The carrot cake recipe you'll make over and over
It's time to shake off the winter blues and celebrate the arrival of spring. Whether you're celebrating a specific holiday, a birthday, or you're just enjoying the weekend, this three-layer carrot cake will impress anyone in attendance. But where did carrot cake even come from? "Because sugars and sweeteners were hard to come by [in medieval times], people used carrots as a sugar substitute in their cakes," writes recipe developer Mark Beahm. So we're just going to assume that including carrots in our cake makes them healthier from now on. If a three-layer cake feels a little too daunting, don't worry—Beahm says you can also bake this recipe in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.