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 April 1, 2025 SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Hugh Davison Our favorite recipes for impressive Easter desserts range from fragrant carrot cake with brown butter-cream cheese frosting to a timeless soufflé and sunny tiramisu. If you haven't finalized your menu, we have plenty of ideas from which you can choose. Want something easy? Go for icebox cake that can be made ahead. Eager to keep things bright? Citrus desserts will please a crowd. Here are 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 2021 F&W Best New 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 for this cake that tastes best after a night in the fridge. Get the Recipe Save 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, while orange zest brightens layers of mascarpone cream. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 25 Orange Blossom Almond Cake with Ricotta Whipped Cream Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman makes this dense yet tender, ultra-moist cake with almond paste, butter, and oil. It has a sugary crust; almond-forward, velvety crumb; and citrusy, floral notes from orange blossom water. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 25 Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake with Orange Zest Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Balance tart rhubarb with this vanilla- and orange-scented cakes brown sugar topping. Baking the two-hour cake in a cast-iron skillet helps the rhubarb caramelize for a beautiful, fuss-free topping. Get the Recipe Save 05 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, Italy. Amaretti cookies enhance the almond flavor of the pudding while adding a lovely crunch to the silky Italian dessert. Get the Recipe Save 06 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 Save 07 of 25 Fun and Fancy Macarons Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Drew Aichele Pastry chef Paola Velez paints festive macarons with several colors of edible shimmering luster dust. Customize your filling with this recipe for homemade dark chocolate ganache, or store-bought jam, apple butter, or firm caramel sauce. The macarons can be made in advance and frozen. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 25 Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bananas Foster Cheesecake. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley This cheesecake employs creamy bananas and spiced rum-brown sugar caramel in the filling and the topping. The buttery, nutty crust is scented with cinnamon, and the vanilla-flavored cheesecake is extra silky from sour cream. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 25 Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake Aubrie Pick This light cake is served for tea in Sicily. 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 Save 10 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," says Ann Taylor Pittman. "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 Save 11 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 Save 12 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 Hetal Vasavada flavors this tender, moist cake with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, studding with golden raisins and crunchy pistachios. Brown butter ghee enriches the cake batter, and the caramelized milk fat leftover from making it adds a nutty flavor to the cream cheese frosting. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 25 Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Extra-virgin olive oil keeps this one-bowl cake moist and imparts mild fruitiness. A keeper for Easter celebrations to come, it's flavored with lemon and honey, and layered with a fluffy and rich lemon–cream cheese frosting. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 25 Carrot and Orange Cake with Sour Cream Glaze Antonis Achilleos Nik Sharma aims to ignite the senses with dried apricots and candied orange peel in this sweet cake, with extra texture from pistachios. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 25 Lemon-Ricotta Cake Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell 2020 F&W Best New Chef Camille Cogswell adds bright lemon flavor to this super moist and tender ricotta cake that's dressed up with soft whipped cream and showered in seasonal fresh fruit. It comes together easily and is on the table in two hours. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 25 Chocolate Cardamom Cream Tart with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle Anna Stockwell Homemade nut brittle and a hint of cardamom in the custard and whipped cream make all the difference in this spinoff of chocolate cream pie. Bittersweet and milk chocolate add complexity and heavy cream makes the crunchy dessert rich. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 25 Labneh Panna Cotta with Orange Blossom Granita Tara Donne All the elements of this textural dessert can be made ahead. Youll contrast smooth and creamy panna cotta with an icy, sweet granita; a tangy, tart apricot jam; and crispy crumbled toasted baguette. Get the Recipe Save 18 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 that can be made ahead. Layer crumbly cornmeal cake and fresh and candied citrus float with barely boozy sabayon, then top with sweet, crisp peaks of toasted Italian meringue. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 25 Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea Nicole A. Taylor gives this cake a lighter, more tender crumb than a typical pound cake with Moscato, which imparts a subtle sweetness. Freeze-dried grapes bring vibrant color to the glaze. Get the Recipe Save 20 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. Top the cake with edible decorations of your choice, such as flowers, fruits, and herbs. Get the Recipe Save 21 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 tops his almond panna cotta with a thin layer of fruity jam, grated chocolate, and dukka-spiced almonds. The layers of pastel colors are perfect for Easter. Get the Recipe Save 22 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 Save 23 of 25 Rhubarb and Candied Ginger Crostata Eva Kolenko This free-form tart looks perfectly rustic with uneven folds of flaky, golden pastry and bubbling fruit juices The dessert stars fresh spring rhubarb that’s combined with rhubarb compote and studded with candied ginger. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 25 Coconut Milk Cake with Pistachios, Whipped Coconut Cream, and Strawberry Glaze Abby Hocking Chef Angela Garbacz's vegan coconut milk cake has crunchy edges and a gooey, thick crumb. It's a showstopper worthy of your Easter celebration, topped with pillowy whipped coconut cream and a vibrant bright pink strawberry glaze. Get the Recipe Save 25 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 Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Easter Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit