How to Make Recipe for Easter Cakes

I learned how to make a recipe for Easter cakes and it became a practice for me to include it among my holiday foods. I have always loved cake; it is one of my favorite desserts.  For Easter I have made so many different flavors and special designs. Not only is it the taste that I love but a pretty cake can act as a table centerpiece or a dinner conversation piece.


When I learned how to make a recipe for Easter cakes, many are centered on the Easter bonnet. Up until recent years, a woman would never go anywhere without a hat on her head. When going into a church, a lady would always wear a dress (never slacks), hat and gloves. This tradition changed during my generation.  I purchased for my mom her last hat in 1963. I still remember Mom wearing a hat when she dressed up. I followed the tradition of wearing a hat to church a few years after I married; then it all changed.

I learned how to make a recipe for Easter cakes which included various hats because Easter time is when all the ladies would unveil their new spring or summer hat styles. These were usually of lighter colors and were styles with flowers on them in some fashion.  “Easter parades” became an American cultural event in many cities in the nineteen hundreds. This became a very fashionable event for the ladies to show off their new clothes for Easter; especially the “Easter bonnets”.

HOW TO MAKE RECIPE FOR EASTER CAKES like this MARZIPAN COVERED CAKE RECIPE

How to Make Recipe for Easter CakesHow to Make Recipe for Easter Cakes like this Marzipan Covered Cakes

This marzipan covered cake recipe (almond paste) makes a beautiful presentation as a recipe for Easter cakes. The beautiful colors “say Easter” and the marzipan adds a delicious taste.

Marzipan FruitMarzipan Fruit
Checkboard CakeCheckboard Cake

Cake:

  • ½ Cup softened butter
  • 1 ¼ Cups sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup milk
  • Few drops red food coloring

Filling and decorations:

  • 1 Cup apricot jam melted and cooled
  • 2 Packages marzipan (almond paste) tinted yellow (1 package of extra marzipan for fruit)
  • Colored sugars to coat fruit

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl; add eggs beating after each.

Beat in vanilla; add flour mixture alternately with milk to cream to mixture.
Beat with electric mixer on low until blended about 1 minute.
Increase speed to high beating about 3 minutes while scraping down the sides of bowl occasionally.
Pour ½ of batter into 1 prepared pan.
Tint remaining batter pink with a few drops of red food coloring; stir until blended.
Pour pink batter into second prepared pan; smooth tops of both pans.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
Cool in pans 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
To make checkered effect, cut a 4 inch circle from the center of each cake; remove 4 inch circles.
Spread cut sides of cake circles with apricot jam.
Place plain ring on a serving plate; place pink center in plain ring.
Place plain center in a pink ring.
Spread bottom layer with apricot jam; top with remaining layer.
Spread top and sides of cake with apricot jam.
COLOR MARZIPAN for recipe for Easter cakes by kneading about 8 drops of yellow food coloring into the marzipan until soft, pliable and color blended.

Place ½ of marzipan between 2 sheets of wax paper; roll out to 24 X 3 inch rectangle.
Place around the sides of the cake extending the marzipan about ½ inch above top edge of cake.
Roll out remaining marzipan to a 9 inch circle; place on top of cake turning edge up and pinch together.
Flute marzipan edge of cake to make a decorative border.
If you place marzipan fruit on cake, brush area with apricot jam.

Cover fruit with apricot jam to make colored sugar stick.

NOTE: After shaping the little fruits for recipe for Easter cakes, cover them with colored sugar; yellow for bananas, red for apples or cherries, orange for oranges and green for pears. Use whole cloves for stems.    

A Piece of Marzipan Covered CakeA Piece of Marzipan Covered Cake

CONFETTI CAKE RECIPE

Confetti Cake Shaped in an Easter BonnetConfetti Cake Shaped in an Easter Bonnet

This confetti cake recipe is made with a large recipe of one of my basic white cake recipes. This can be used for any recipe for Easter cakes for a crowd. 

  • 1 ½ Cups solid white shortening
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 3 Cups + 6 Tablespoons sifted flour
  • 1 ½ Cups milk (set to room temperature)
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ Teaspoon lemon extract
  • 4 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 Egg whites
  • ¼ Teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup multi color confetti decorating candies (OPTIONAL)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Grease one 8 inch round cake pan and one 12inch round cake pan.
Line bottoms of pans with wax paper; grease and dust with flour.
Sift and measure flour; add baking powder and sift three more times.
Blend decorator candies into flour mixture; set aside.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside.
Cream together shortening and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat flour mixture alternately with milk into creamed mixture; beat until well blended.
Carefully fold egg whites into batter only until almost blended.
Spoon about 3 cups of the batter into the 8 inch prepared pan.
Spoon remaining batter into 12 inch prepared pan.
Bake cakes until pick comes out clean; small about 20 minutes large about 30 minutes.

Frost 12 inch cake with favorite buttercream frosting recipe. Center small cake on top of large; frost top and sides. decorate with ribbons and flowers.

A Piece of Confetti CakeA Piece of Confetti Cake

PECAN CAKE RECIPE  (This is a food processor or blender cake)

Pecan Cake Recipe Decorated as a Bonnet for EasterPecan Cake Recipe Decorated as a Bonnet for Easter

I have chosen this pecan cake recipe with tangerine filling and whip cream frosting as a recipe for Easter cakes.  The blend of the flavors plus the Easter bonnet design is a great addition to Easter dinner.

Cake:

  • 2 ½ Cups toasted pecan pieces (Coarsely chopped)
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 4 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1 Cup sugar

Filling:

  • 1 Package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
  • ¼ Cup butter
  • ½ Cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon finely shredded tangerine peel
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • Tangerine whip cream frosting; 3 cups whipping cream, 3 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of finely grated tangerine peel

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Grease one 6 inch round pan and one 9 inch round pan.
Line pans with wax paper; grease again and dust with flour.
Combine pecans, flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Place eggs and granulated sugar in blender or food processor bowl; cover and process until smooth.
Add nut mixture and process until smooth stopping to scrape sides as needed to mix evenly.
Spread into prepared pans filling about same depth in each pan.
NOTE: Mixture may be foamy.
Bake until light brown and tops spring back when lightly touched; centers may dip slightly.
Small cake may take 20 to 25 minutes and large cake about 35 minutes.
Cool cakes in pans about 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on rack.

For Tangerine Filling for recipe for Easter cakes;
Beat cream cheese and butter in a small mixing bowl with mixer on high until fluffy.
Gradually add brown sugar beating until smooth; stir in tangerine peel and vanilla.
With serrated knife, slice cakes in half horizontally.
Place 1 piece of large cake cut side up on a platter; cover with a little more than ½ of the filling.
Place other piece of large cake on the top with cut side down.
Place 1 piece of small cake on parchment paper.
Spread top small cake with remaining filling; top with other piece of small cake,

NOTE: Leave small cake on parchment paper for now and mix frosting.

To Make Frosting:
Combine whipping cream in small mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add 1 teaspoon finely ground tangerine peel; beat until stiff peaks form.  Cover top and sides of large cake with frosting. Place small cake to side of large cake forming a wide hat brim in the front. Frost complete cake with remaining frosting. Decorate hat for Easter.

Piece of Pecan Cake from the Easter BonnetPiece of Pecan Cake from the Easter Bonnet

CARAMEL CAKE RECIPE made like Easter basket

Caramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter BasketCaramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter Basket

This Easter basket is a nice addition to my recipe for Easter cakes. This delicious caramel cake is flavored with rum and of course I love the texture which the sour cream adds.

  • 1 Cup sour cream
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • 1 Cup softened butter
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 ¾ Cups sifted flour
  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Teaspoon rum extract
  • Caramel frosting

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease and flour two 9 inch square (round) cake pans.
Combine sour cream and milk; set aside.
Cream butter gradually adding the sugar; beat well at medium speed.
Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Combine and sift  flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture to creamed mixture; mix after each addition.
Stir in flavorings; divide batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
Frost between layers, top and sides with caramel frosting (Below).
Make a basket weave on sides by drawing inch long horizontal and vertical lines with tines of a fork.
Top cake with green coconut or green frosting to make appear as grass.
A basket handled can be fashioned with pipe cleaners, wire, Styrofoam etc.
Wrap handle with pretty ribbon to cover material.
Decorate cake with candies, ribbons or flowers for the holiday.

CARAMEL FROSTING RECIPE

This frosting can also be used for any recipe for Easter cakes; it is delicious on chocolate, peanut butter etc.

  • 3 Cups sugar divided
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 1 Cup milk
  • ¾ Cup butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla

Sprinkle ½ cup of the sugar in a shallow heavy 3 ½ quart Dutch oven.
Place over medium heat; cook stirring constantly until sugar melts; set aside.
NOTE: Sugar will clump and then the syrup becomes a light golden brown; remove from the heat.
Combine remaining 2 ½ cups of sugar and flour in a large saucepan stirring well. Add the milk to the sugar and flour mixture; bring just to a boil stirring constantly.
Gradually pour one fourth of hot milk mixture into the caramelized sugar stirring constantly.
Add remaining hot mixture; it will lump but continuing stirring until smooth.
Return to the heat; cover and cook over low for 2 minutes.
Uncover mixture and cook without stirring over medium heat until thermometer registers 238F degrees.
Add butter and stir to blend; remove from heat and cool without stirring until mixture drops to 110F degrees about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Add vanilla and beat mixture with a wooden spoon until frosting reaches spreading consistency.
NOTE: Can also beat with mixer on medium speed.

Caramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter BasketCaramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter Basket
Caramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter BasketCaramel Cake Recipe Shaped like an Easter Basket