65+ Best Easter Baking Recipes
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65+ Best Easter Baking Recipes
Easter means hot cross buns, family lunches and delicious legs of lamb. But it also means Easter cakes and desserts fit for the spring season.
Here are our all-time favourites to bake this Easter...
Traditionally enjoyed on Good Friday due to the religious connotations depicted by the piped on cross. Make sure your yeast is within date and that your milk is only just warm (rather than hot), otherwise you will kill the yeast and your buns won't rise. This will result in a dense and chewy hot cross bun, and no one wants that!
It's important to knead the dough for at least 5min. This helps develop the gluten, which in turn creates a smooth and elastic dough, resulting in a better finished bun texture. To check whether the gluten in your kneaded dough has developed sufficiently, pull the dough taut, lightly press the surface with your finger, and it should bounce back.
If you enjoy the taste of hot cross buns but want to try something a little different this year, give our Hot Cross Bun Loaf a go.
Traditionally enjoyed on Mothering Sunday, the Simnel cake soon became a way to celebrate the end of lent due to its luxurious qualities; being crammed full of dried fruit and topped with decadent marzipan. A lighter fruit cake than Christmas cake, a Simnel cake is now the epitome of Easter since it's topped with 11 marzipan balls said to represent the 11 disciples of Jesus (minus Judus).
For an easier – but no less delicious – option, why not try our Simnel traybake?
Easter eggs are a symbol of new life and Spring and so have become the perfect way to celebrate Easter with. Rather than buying your Easter eggs this year, why not try making your own. This will require you to temper your own chocolate (meaning to make your chocolate have a glossy sheen) which can seem like a daunting task. However, if you follow our foolproof guide to tempering, you'll achieve perfect eggs every time.
Looking for a twist on traditional Easter treats?
Easter undoubtedly means indulging in plenty of chocolate. From rocky road to Malteser cakes and indulgent treats that celebrate the much loved Creme Egg, there's something to satisfy every sweet craving.
Good Housekeeping - 2/69
Double Chocolate Shortbreads - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These chocolatey shortbread biscuits are sandwiched with a rich white chocolate ganache, though you could always use a shop-bought chocolate hazelnut spread if you’re short on time.
Recipe: Double Chocolate Shortbreads
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 3/69
Simnel Cupcakes - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
We’ve turned the traditional Easter cake into cute and colourful cupcakes.
Recipe: Simnel Cupcakes
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 4/69
Orange Blossom Baklava Cheesecake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Delicate floral notes and warm sweet spices perfume this silky cheesecake and crunchy topping.
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 5/69
Apricot and Cardamom Hot Cross Buns - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Nothing beats a homemade hot cross bun! These are scented with cardamom and studded with dried apricots for a new twist. Divine served warm, split and slathered with salted butter.
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 6/69
Easter Egg Tiffin - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
A guaranteed hit with little ones, tiffins are good way of using up leftover dried fruit, nuts and biscuits so try experimenting with different combinations.
Recipe: Easter Egg Tiffin
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 7/69
Double Decker Rocky Road - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Kids and adults will love this fun twist on classic rocky road. Swap the biscuit balls and Mini Eggs for any Easter treats you have left over.
Recipe: Double Decker Rocky Road
Alex Luck - Hearst Owned - 8/69
Crème Egg Traybake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Crème Egg Traybake: Celebrate Easter in all its glory with this colourful traybake. If you’re not a fan of Crème Eggs then top with your favourite chocolate instead.
Recipe: Crème Egg Traybake
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 9/69
Fried Egg and Bacon Biscuits - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Who wouldn’t want breakfast at teatime?! Amuse your guests with these sweet egg and bacon biscuits.
Recipe: Fried Egg and Bacon Biscuits
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 10/69
Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares: These layered cheesecake squares are the perfect Easter teatime treat. If making for children you may like to swap the orange zest for 1tsp vanilla extract.
Recipe: Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 11/69
Baileys Chocolate Loaf Cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
With a boozy Baileys twist and a delicious rich chocolate flavour, this fabulous bake with novelty bunny decoration is a celebration of all things Easter.
Recipe: Baileys Chocolate Loaf Cake
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 12/69
Hot Cross Bun Loaf - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Tear-and share this rich hot cross bun loaf for an indulgent Easter breakfast.
Recipe: Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Toby Scott - Hearst Owned - 13/69
Coconut Rum Cupcakes - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Coconut, rum and lime are a recipe for success. If you’re making these for children, omit the Malibu and simmer the syrup for less time.
Recipe: Coconut Rum Cupcakes
Dan Jones - Hearst Owned - 14/69
Easy Chocolate Easter Bark - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This chocolatey, tasty treat is SO easy to make
Recipe: Easy Chocolate Easter Bark
Tom Regester - Hearst Owned - 15/69
Easter rainbow cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This stunning Easter cake is made with Simnel-inspired flavours. The icing is easier than it looks.
Recipe: Easter rainbow cake
Good Housekeeping - 16/69
Bacon and creme egg chocolate brownies - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Brunch brownies?! The saltiness of the bacon and the sugary sweet Creme Egg makes for the perfect chocolate brownie combination.
Oscar Hather - 17/69
Cherry bakewell cookie cups - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Oh how we love cherry bakewell tarts, and we've stuffed these cookie cups with the flavours for the perfect treat.
Recipe: Cherry bakewell cookie cups
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 18/69
Easy Simnel traybake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
If you're not in the mood to create a full simnel cake, this easy traybake is ideal.
Recipe: Simnel traybake
Oscar Hather - 19/69
Carrot cake cupcakes - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
You need to try our gorgeous carrot cake cupcakes, topped with cream cheese frosting and Malteser bunnies - delicious!
Recipe: Carrot cake cupcakesOscar Hather/Good Housekeeping - 20/69
Battenberg bundt cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
We love this take on a traditional Battenberg, complete with marzipan icing.
Recipe: Battenberg bundt cake
Oscar Hather - 21/69
Hot cross bun blondies - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Blondies are a great thing to bake, and these Easter versions are packed with the fabulous spied and dried fruits of the humble hot cross bun.
Recipe: Hot cross bun blondiesOscar Hather - 22/69
Vegan carrot cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
You wouldn’t know this carrot cake recipe is vegan, it’s so light and moist.
Recipe: Vegan carrot cake
Good Housekeeping UK - Hearst Owned - 23/69
Giant chocolate cornflake nest - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
A delicious alternative to an Easter cake, this cornflake nest is a chocoholic's dream!
Recipe: Giant chocolate cornflake nest
Good Housekeeping - 24/69
The easiest chocolate cake in the world - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Perfect for birthdays, this foolproof chocolate cake is indulgent and impressive.
Good Housekeeping - 25/69
The ultimate no-bake chocolate cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
You'll be shocked at how delicious this 10-minute no-bake cake is!
Good Housekeeping - 26/69
Vegan lemon drizzle cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This amazingly soft and delectable vegan cake is dairy free and egg free, but you’d never know.
Recipe: Vegan lemon drizzle cake
GH UK - 27/69
Cheats chocolate cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This delicious chocolate cake is simple to make, using only four ingredients.
Recipe: Cheat's chocolate cake
Good Housekeeping - 28/69
Chocolate cornflake and mini egg cookies - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
We love Easter cookies and these biscuits are a twist on classic cornflake cakes. Adding the breakfast cereal gives a nice crunch to these cookies, and they're super fun to make with the kids.
Oscar Hather - 29/69
Rhubarb meringue pie - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
The biscuits in the pastry add subtle gingery warmth and help keep the pie case crisp.
Recipe: Rhubarb meringue pie
Myles New - 30/69
White chocolate, raspberry and passionfruit trifle - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This failsafe pudding is sure to please both adults and children.
Myles New - Hearst Owned - 31/69
Lemon drizzle cheesecake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This zesty lemon cheesecake recipe has a lemon drizzle cake base, combining two of our favourite desserts.
Recipe: Lemon drizzle cheesecake
Good Housekeeping UK - 32/69
Creme Egg Chocolate Fondants - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Over a million people have watched these melt-in-the-middle pudding be made. And you don’t have to be nervous about getting the timings spot on, as the Creme Eggs give them their gooey interior.
Recipe: Creme Egg chocolate fondants
Good Housekeeping - 33/69
Malteser piñata cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This Easter showstopper takes time to assemble, but is well worth the effort. You can use as many of the Malteser bunnys around outside of the cake as you like, or leave them off all together.
Recipe: Malteser bunny cake
Good Housekeeping - 34/69
Carrot cake cheesecake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Why have cake or cheesecake when you can have both? This combination is heavenly and surprisingly light.
Recipe: Carrot cake cheesecake
Good Housekeeping - 35/69
The ultimate chocolate cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This impressive looking chocolate cake is very easy to make.
Recipe: The ultimate chocolate cake
Good Housekeeping - 36/69
Home-made Easter Egg - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This year why not try and make your very own Easter egg!
Recipe: Home-made Easter Egg
Good Housekeeping - 37/69
Mix and match chocolate lollipops - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Pick your chocolate, flavouring and topping and let your imagination run wild.
Good Housekeeping - 38/69
Ice cream eggs - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These ice cream-filled eggs are a quirky end to an Easter feast, and guaranteed to raise a laugh! Make some shortbread soldiers to go with it.
Recipe: Ice cream eggs
Good Housekeeping - 39/69
White chocolate popcorn - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Next time, try adding Smarties, popping candy or chocolate chips.
Recipe: White chocolate popcorn
Good Housekeeping - 40/69
Iced Easter biscuits - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Condensed milk gives these biscuits extra crunch and helps them hold their shape.
Recipe: Iced Easter biscuits
Good Housekeeping - 41/69
Lemon and almond meringue roulade - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
If you don’t want to make lemon curd, use 150g (5oz) bought curd.
Good Housekeeping - 42/69
White chocolate and hazelnut egg truffles - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
A delicious Easter treat that all the family will love.
Recipe: White chocolate and hazelnut egg truffles and Salty chocolate egg truffles
Good Housekeeping - 43/69
Spiced carrot and walnut pudding - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Serve this deliciously moist bake topped with mascarpone icing - the perfect finale for a dinner party.
Recipe: Spiced carrot and walnut pudding
Good Housekeeping - 44/69
Simnel cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
The light and fruity cake was originally a Mothering Sunday tradition, but over the years has become synonymous with Easter baking.
Recipe: Simnel cake
Good Housekeeping - 45/69
Chocolate bark - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
If you aren’t fond of marzipan, you can make this bark without it – just let the white chocolate set before spreading over the dark chocolate layer.
Recipe: Chocolate bark
Good Housekeeping - 46/69
Hot cross pudding - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This Easter pudding couldn’t be simpler to make or more delicious to eat.
Recipe: Hot cross pudding
Good Housekeeping - 47/69
White chocolate and pistachio profiteroles - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These white chocolate and pistachio profiteroles are oozing with sweet goodness in the middle and are encased in soft pasty. A drizzle of melted white chocolate tops them off perfectly.
Good Housekeeping - 48/69
Easter basket cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Cakes don't always have to look like cakes - how about a basket? This gorgeous cake design is well worth the effort.
Recipe: Easter basket cake
Good Housekeeping - 49/69
Meringue nests - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These sweet, little meringue nests are lemon and lavender flavour. Topped with a couple of Easter eggs, they look fantastic in the centre of any table.
Good Housekeeping - 50/69
Creme egg cheesecake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This all-out Easter pud makes no apologies for being decadent!
Recipe: Creme egg cheesecake
Good Housekeeping - 51/69
Hot cross bun layer cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This centrepiece pudding is full of spice and ideal to prepare ahead.
Recipe: Hot cross bun layer cake
Good Housekeeping - 52/69
Chocolate Babka - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Rippled with thick, rich dark chocolate, this Eastern European sweet bread is delicious served for brunch.
Recipe: Chocolate Babka
Good Housekeeping - 53/69
Rhubarb and custard profiteroles - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Use a star nozzle to pipe filling into the buns to prevent the rhubarb clogging the nozzle.
Recipe: Rhubarb and custard profiteroles
Good Housekeeping - 54/69
Salted caramel chocolate tart - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
A chocolate lover’s dream, this one is sure to impress!
Recipe: Chocolate salted caramel tart
Good Housekeeping - 55/69
Hidden bunny Nutella loaf cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Slice into this decadent chocolate cake with Nutella icing to find a little surprise inside…
Recipe: Hidden bunny loaf cake
Good Housekeeping - 56/69
Coconut and lime shortbread biscuits - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Decorating Easter biscuits is a great way to spend the holidays with the kids or just to brush up on your own skills. Simply stock up on piping bags and get messy!
Recipe: Coconut and lime short bread
Good Housekeeping - 57/69
Earl grey celebration cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
We’ve given the classic lemon and poppy seed cake a subtle, Earl Grey twist. Covered with decadent lemon curd buttercream, it’s the perfect teatime celebration cake. If you’re not a fan of Earl Grey, simply leave the tea out.
Recipe: Earl grey celebration cake
Good Housekeeping - Hearst Owned - 58/69
Easter rocky road - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Kids will love this fun twist on the classic teatime treat set on a crispy, chewy base.
Recipe: Easter rocky road
Good Housekeeping - 59/69
Simnel cookies - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These American-style cookies are inspired by simnel cake, with almonds, raisins and spice. We’ve added white chocolate for extra indulgence.
Good Housekeeping - 60/69
Marmalade Treacle Tart - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Served with chai custard, warming chai and zesty marmalade updates this traditional family fave.
Recipe: Marmalade treacle tart
Good Housekeeping - 61/69
Carrot cake Swiss roll - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Our carrot cake recipe gets a new twist - making a light and zesty Swiss roll.
Recipe: Carrot cake Swiss roll
Good Housekeeping UK - 62/69
Chocolate Bundt - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This impressive showstopper of a cake is the perfect centrepiece for an Easter dinner table. A light and fluffy sponge is covered in a rich chocolate ganache and decorated with our chocolate coffee truffles. A luxurious bundt to kick off any Easter celebration!
Recipe: Chocolate Bundt
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 63/69
Classic Easter Biscuits - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Just keep it simple this Easter with our currant and lemon biscuits!
Recipe: Classic Easter Biscuits
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 64/69
Carrot cake traybake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
This fail-safe carrot cake is delightfully soft and fluffy and perfect when you have lots of guests to feed.
Recipe: Carrot cake traybake
Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned - 65/69
Simnel Loaf Cake - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Simnel Loaf Cake: With a central layer of hazelnut marzipan, this is one elevated classic!
Recipe: Simnel Loaf Cake
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 66/69
Marmalade and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
Sticky-sweet buns with a hidden gooey centre. You can of course leave out the ganache chocolate balls if you fancy a chocolate-free version.
Mike English - Hearst Owned - 67/69
Chocolate no-bake Easter wreath - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
A delicious chocolate rocky road in a pretty wreath shape.
Recipe: Chocolate no-bake Easter wreath
Sam Stowell - Hearst Owned - 68/69
Egg and spoon biscuit bunting - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These sweet biscuits look so pretty iced and hung up like bunting.
Recipe: Egg and spoon biscuit bunting
Good Housekeeping - 69/69
Mini simnel cakes - Easter cake and dessert recipes 2023
These dainty little spiced fruit cakes are enriched with home-made almond paste. Wrap them up to make pretty gifts for Mothering Sunday.
Recipe: Mini simnel cakes
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