52 Delightful Spring Desserts

Recipe: Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

These citrus treats are too good to keep to yourself. Make an extra batch and bring to a friend for the sweetest surprise. 

Recipe: Coconut-Banana Pudding

This new take on classic Southern banana pudding offers a taste of the tropics. Make the whole recipe to feed a crowd, family-style, or halve and serve in individual bowls. Keep banana slices from turning brown by tossing with 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Recipe: Mini Strawberry Tarts

These sweet treats start with a pistachio crust. A dreamy mixture of cream cheese, lemon juice and zest, and whipped cream are folded together before filling the individual tarts. Toss the fresh strawberries in sugar, just before topping the tarts, to give them just a hint of added sweetness.

Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake

You'll fall in love with this too-good-to-be-true strawberry cake. Fluffy whipped frosting made with marscapone cheese, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla and almond extracts is the perfect finishing touch. We love the presentation of cake slices with upright strawberries between the layers. When it comes down to the details, this sweet confection takes the cake. 

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake

You can assemble this glorious cake up to two days ahead; store at room temp. Also, you can freeze cooled layers up to a month in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. The sweet-tart Strawberry-Lemonade Jam and Strawberry Frosting make for a delicious finish.

Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake

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

Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake

Layers of tangy-sweet Key lime custard and graham crackers stack up to make one quick and easy layer cake with just enough pucker to take the heat off summer. Add the lime juice once you've fully cooked the custard to let the cornstarch thicken the mixture properly.

Recipe: Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

Take a crack at this Southern spin on a traditional Passover treat. But it’s not only relegated to the holiday. In fact, you can make this sweet snack year-round using saltine crackers for a crispy, salty base that makes the chocolate and pecans pop in your mouth. So do yourself a favor and indulge!

Recpe: Coconut-Almond Roulade

If you can't find desiccated coconut, process shredded coconut in a food processor until finely ground.

Video: How to Roll a Roulade

Recipe: Mile-High Mini Strawberry Pies

We used Wilton's nonstick six-cavity Mini Pie Pan. Chill reserved crust rounds while the first batch bakes, and allow the pan to cool completely before beginning the second batch.

Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Pie with Amaretto Cream

Start with refrigerated pie crusts to make prep for this pie a breeze. Slivered almonds mixed into the batter give each sweet bite a crunch.

Recipe: Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake

Serve this decadent spring dessert at your next ladies' luncheon and wow the crowd with edible flowers.

Recipe: The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake

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

Recipe: Coconut Cream Cake

Look for packaged coconut shavings in your grocer's natural foods section.

Recipe: Lemon Bar Cheesecake

This indulgent recipe marries two delicious desserts: lemon bars and cheesecake. Using a dark springform pan ensures a golden brown crust on this tart dessert recipe without having to bake before adding the filling. Garnish with Candied Lemon Slices.

Recipe: Lemon-Lime Pound Cake

This recipe is based on a classic Southern favorite called 7UP Pound Cake, which was created in the 1950s when the soda company suggested using its soft drink instead of other liquid in pound cake recipes. The result: one of the best, and simplest, cakes you'll ever make.

Watch: Lemon-Lime Pound Cake

Recipe: Strawberry Mousse Cake

Pretty in pink, this mousse cake recipe is perfect for a shower, family get-together or party.

Recipe: Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Here the cream cheese is added after beating the butter and sugar, and the cake bakes at a slightly higher temperature than usual.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake

This sinfully sweet dessert is the perfect blend of fresh bananas, creamy cheesecake, and crunchy vanilla wafers.

Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary Coffee Cake  

Fresh Rosemary complements the lemony flavor in this moist coffee cake. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs for a showstopping presentation.

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake

Securing parchment paper with masking tape (it won’t melt at the low temp) makes it easy to spread picture-perfect layers of meringue.

Recipe: Pound Cake Cupcakes

A Thumbelina version of the tube-pan classic, these Pound Cake Cupcakes are pretty enough for a fairy-tale princess—and only a muffin tin away.

Recipe: Chocolate-Espresso Pots de Crème

It cannot get much better when chocolate and coffee are in the same dessert. Top this treat with edible flowers for the perfect touch. Take your pick at crystallizedflowerco.com or sweetfields.com.

Recipe: Easter-Egg Shortbread Cookies

Because a large batch of the dough is tricky to work with, we don't recommend doubling this recipe.

Recipe: Piña Colada Icebox Pie

Forget the rolling pin and tricked-out lattice topping—just pat the crust in the pan, add a little tropical flair (we're talking a delicious pineapple-coconut filling here), then bake and chill.

Recipe: Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake

We love the swirls of lemon curd in this cake, but it's also delicious without it.

Recipe: Vanilla-Buttermilk Tarts

Garnish with fresh fruit and basil sprigs for a darling dessert.

Recipe: Heavenly Angel Food Cake

The rich, moist texture of this divine angel food cake is unlike any other. Made from scratch in minutes, it's baked in a 13- x 9-inch pan and spread with frosting that's a lemon lover's dream.

Recipe: 35th Anniversary Hummingbird Cake

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.

Recipe: Basic White Cupcakes

Who can resist a handheld cake swathed in creamy frosting? This cupcake recipe is made from box mixes enriched with buttermilk, so the batter bakes up melt-in-your-mouth moist everytime.

Recipe: Easter Cookies

Try this Easter dessert with a simple five-ingredient dough that can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the fridge.

Recipe: Nutter Butter-Banana Pudding Trifle

This homemade pudding is divine, economical, and uses on-hand ingredients. Tip: The pudding has thickened enough when a distinct trail is left in the mixture when you stir with a spoon. The cookies will soften the longer the dessert chills.

Recipe: Lemon Velvet Tart

Dazzle your taste buds with the vibrant flavor of lemon. Drizzle Raspberry Sauce over your slice, if you wish.

Recipe: Green Tea-Honeysuckle Cake

Spring-green ribbons of matcha-flavored batter and a homemade honeysuckle glaze elevate a basic vanilla butter cake to gourmet status. Bonus: It tumbles from the pan perfectly fluted and party ready.

Recipe: Classic Strawberry Shortcake

With juicy strawberries spooned over sweet and tender biscuits, old-fashioned strawberry shortcakes are the perfect dessert. If the berries are very sweet, decrease the sugar to suit your taste. Drop the dough easily by using a lightly greased 1/3-cup dry measure.

Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

Spiked with a triple hit of chocolate (we're talking intensely rich sour cream-fudge frosting here), these are definitely not your garden-variety zucchini cakes.

Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake

Dress up traditional pound cake with a little lime zest and a homemade Key lime glaze for a deliciously tropical dessert.

Recipe: Double Citrus Tart

Double Citrus Tart captures the bright, fresh flavors of lemon and orange in a crisp gingersnap crust. Dollop whipping cream around edges of tart and finish with fresh mint leaves and orange slices.

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars

Classic lemon squares are always a popular dessert at teas, luncheons, and  showers.  As an added bonus, you can make them ahead and freeze for up to one month.

Recipe: Strawberries and Cream Cake 

We used 6 (8-inch) disposable aluminum foil cake pans, so we could fill all the pans at once. This way, if you bake the layers in batches, the second batch is ready to go in the oven as soon as the first is done.

Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Truly our best-ever carrot cake recipe, make this classic favorite for a crowd and you might not have any leftovers to bring home.

Step-by-Step Video: Best Carrot Cake Ever

Recipe: Strawberry-Orange Trifle

Welcome Spring with this doable yet impressive dessert. Our Strawberry-Orange Trifle starts with a no-cook custard enriched with store-bought lemon curd.

Recipe: Lemon Soufflés

Yes, these feather-light soufflés do look too good to eat. But don't let that stop you! Prep the lemon curd up to 2 weeks ahead and you can serve these in just 30 minutes.

Recipe: Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake

This pound cake recipe starts from scratch and is as good as it looks. Pair it with a sparkling wine, like a Prosecco, to complete your dessert.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets

We used a 2 1/2- x 3-inch fluted rectangular cookie cutter to cut the dough for these adorable tarts. You can also cut them by hand or use a round cutter. Serve for breakfast, dessert, or as a sweet snack.

Recipe: Hazelnut Truffles

Serve these hazelnut truffles in a handmade candy box and you not only have a tempting dessert, but also a fabulous table decoration.

Recipe: Small Tiered Cluster Cakes

These small, tiered treats with 3-inch-round bases lend elegance to an intimate Spring party, tea, or dinner.

Recipe: Bridesmaid Baby Cakes

For a more personalized gathering, decorate each baby cake with your guests' initials. This specialized touch is a great creative replacement for table cards.

Recipe: Coconut Cream Tarts with Macadamia Nut Crusts

The crisp, sturdy crust perfectly complements the creamy custard in these stellar tarts.

Recipe: Hat Cookies

Our hats are off to this adorable idea! These cookies are perfect when served for a Spring luncheon or to celebrate Easter.

Recipe: Little Bitty Cakes

It has been said that all good things come in small packages, and when it comes to these cakes that saying is all too true. Pipe a dollop of frosting on each cake, and decorate with Candied Flowers and Raspberries.

Recipe: Hot Cross Buns

Bake the traditional English nutmeg-and-cinnamon-spiced Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday or for Easter breakfast. Lemon icing is easily piped through a zip-top bag to form the traditional cross on top.