Easter cake ideas

This rich chocolate nest cake is ingeniously decorated with pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and a handful of Mini Eggs to make a very convincing Easter nest.

Get the recipe: Mini Eggs chocolate nest cake

Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain takes traditional Simnel cake to the next level with fresh fruit in the cake and freeze-dried berries to give the marzipan that vivid colour.

Get the recipe: Nadiya Hussain's red berry Simnel cake

Hot croissant ring cake is so easy to make with ready-to-roll pastry and warm spices in a ring tin, topped with a sweet glaze. Who needs hot cross buns when you can make this beauty instead?!

Get the recipe: Hot croissant ring cake

This mouth-watering Easter chocolate fudge cake is decorated with heaps and heaps of Mini Eggs. Mini Eggs and crumbled Flakes give this Easter chocolate fudge cake a gorgeous-looking (and tasting!) topping.

Get the recipe: Easter chocolate fudge cake

Impress your friends and family this Easter by making this amazing Creme Egg cake. It's so simple to make and tastes just as good as it looks!

Get the recipe: Creme Egg cake

Impress your whole family with this elegant lemon and blueberry drizzle cake. With a light, citrus sponge and a sweet blueberry infused drizzle, this cake is the perfect Easter Sunday treat.

Get the recipe: Lemon and blueberry drizzle cake

This amazing triple layered Simnel cake can be ready in just 50 mins! It?s the perfect showstopper for your Sunday dinner and serves up to 12 people. We?d recommend serving this sweet treat with fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries.

Get the recipe: Triple layered Simnel cake

If you're a fan of Mini Eggs you really should take Easter as an excuse to make this epic Mini Eggs cake. You can just imagine the kids? faces when you bring this out to eat!

Get the recipe: Mini Eggs cake

Top a delicious chocolate cake with seasonal decorations to turn it into a delicious dessert for Easter Sunday. This Happy Easter cake is the perfect recipe for your family celebrations.

Get the recipe: Happy Easter cake

Do you remember making these when you were a child? Make our easy Easter nests with your own kids.

Get the recipe: Easter nests

This delicious, gooey and rich Mini Egg brownie tart is one of our favourites in this collection. It is so simple to make and is a naughty Easter treat especially when served warm with ice cream or fresh pouring cream.

Get the recipe: Mini Egg brownie tart

With its layers of carrot cake sandwiched with a light vanilla mascarpone and lemon curd filling, this Easter passion cake is sure to make a great impression.

Get the recipe: Easter passion cake

It's not just sweet treats you can bake for Easter - how about some Easter bread? This tasty recipe is made with cinnamon and orange zest and topped with colourful eggs.

Get the recipe: Easter bread

Fresh blueberries, sliced pears and light sponge make this cake a real treat - you could try adding other flavours like orange and lemon zest or even hiding some marzipan in the mix.

Get the recipe: Pear and blueberry cake

If you're looking for a cake that's got the 'wow' factor, this is it! Learn how to make your own ombre cake with this simple recipe. You could also change the colour to suit your Easter theme.

Get the recipe: Lemon ombre layer cake

Take your garden egg hunt to the next level by making our Easter egg hunt cupcakes, complete with arrows and written instructions in icing to help little hunters find their eggs.

Get the recipe: Easter egg hunt cupcakes

You'll be known as baker extraordinaire when you serve up these homemade hot cross buns at Easter. Delicious straight out of the oven with a little butter and a big cup of tea.

Get the recipe: How to make hot cross buns

These crisp and gooey meringue nests are sure to put a smile on the kids? faces when served as dessert on Easter Sunday. Top with Mini Eggs or take it one step further and top with gooey Creme Eggs instead.

Get the recipe: Mini Egg chocolate meringue nests

For a really filling, comforting pud, classic bread and butter pudding is always a winner - but then along comes Essentials magazine's recipe for chocolate bread and butter pudding!

Get the recipe: Chocolate bread and butter pudding

This step-by-step recipe takes you through how to make a simnel cake with easy to follow pictures. With a sweet fruit sponge and laced marzipan topping this cake is really delicious.

Get the recipe: How to make simnel cake

You wouldn't even know these vegan hot cross buns are egg- and dairy-free. Moist and delicious, they're warmly spiced with fresh lemon and currants and are delicious fresh out of the oven.

Get the recipe: Vegan hot cross buns

Bake up some gingerbread and turn it into this Easter gingerbread cottage. Usually popular around Christmas, this little house is given a fresh spring twist.

Get the recipe: Easter gingerbread cottage

Give the kids a special treat in the lead up to Easter by making some of these brownie bars. Pop into their lunch boxes or have ready as an after school treat!

Get the recipe: Mini Egg chocolate brownie bars

Yum - these chocolate cupcakes are really easy to make and so moreish. For Easter, decorate them with Mini Creme Eggs or use Smarties if you're asking them for kids' parties at another time of the year.

Get the recipe: Creme egg cupcakes

We just love this classic recipe with a chocolaty twist by celeb chef Lisa Faulker. Learn how to make your own delicious hot cross buns with this easy recipe. Give these buns an fun twist by dotting with Mini Eggs.

Get the recipe: Lisa Faulkners choc chip hot cross buns

Take your cupcake decorating skills to the next level with these creative Easter basket cupcakes. Fill with colourful chocolate eggs and watch your child's face light up with delight!

Get the recipe: Easter basket cupcakes

Easy Easter baking with the kids! Whip up a batch of these Easter egg biscuits and let them go crazy with the icing.

Get the recipe: Easter egg biscuits

Get creative with those biscuit cutters and make Easter bunnies with the kids these holidays. You can make these into egg shape or even chick shapes if you're feeling creative.

Get the recipe: Bunny butter biscuits

Got the cupcake bug? You don't have to make a whole Simnel cake this Easter. Make these bite-sized Simnel cakes complete with the traditional marzipan topping for a more modern take.

Get the recipe: Simnel cakes

We know you love rocky road but how about trying our special recipe for Easter rocky road? Made with Mini Eggs, sultanas and marshmallows, this sweet treat is a great way to use up any leftover chocolate after Easter, too (if you've not eaten it all, of course!).

Get the recipe: Easter rocky road

Once you've mastered the art of basic hot cross buns you can play with the flavours. These blueberry hot cross buns will make a lovely breakfast treat on Easter Sunday.

Get the recipe: Blueberry hot cross buns

Made with ground almonds, breadcrumbs, marzipan, double cream and chocolate, and decorated wth foil-wrapped mini eggs, this Easter chocolate torte looks really special

Get the recipe: Easter chocolate torte

Top ready-made pastry with a thick caramel sauce and a layer of thick chocolate sauce to make this chocolate and caramel tart.

Get the recipe: Chocolate and caramel tart

Our lemon and poppy seed cupcakes will be a big hit with the kids thanks to the little birds' nests and chicks on top.

Get the recipe: Lemon and poppy seed cupcakes

Roll up those sleeves and get create with your Mini Eggs. These delicious, buttery cookies can be made in minutes and eaten as soon as they come out of the oven ? if you like your cookie warm of course!

Get the recipe: Chunky Mini Egg cookies

Chocolate and marshmallows together? Go on, it's Easter! These chocolate marshmallow cupcakes are the ultimate sweet treat.

Get the recipe: Chocolate marshmallow cupcakes

You can't have an Easter spread without some cute bunnies. These Easter bunny biscuits mare made with mixed spice, cinnamon and raisins for lots of flavour.

Get the recipe: Easter bunny biscuits

Striking but simple, these vanilla Easter cupcakes make the perfect base for whatever seasonal decorations you wish to try out on top.

Get the recipe: Easter vanilla cupcakes

If you really want to go all out, try making your own macaroons. These pretty pastel macaroons will impress the family!

Get the recipe: Pretty pastel macaroons

Why just have Easter nests when you can have an Easter nest cake? Take a regular sponge cake, cover it with melted chocolate and press Easter nest mix along the edges then fill with as many mini eggs as you can fit on.

Get the recipe: Easter nest cake

Shape your cake into an Easter egg and cover with chocolate to make this delicious Easter egg cake.

Get the recipe: Easter egg cake

The lovely spring toppers on these daffodil cupcakes will be a welcome treat on the Easter weekend - everyone will love them! 

Get the recipe: Daffodil cupcakes

Full of lovely spring flavour, this lemon cake with lemon curd buttercream will be the perfect treat on Easter Sunday. Decorate with mini eggs and flowers to give it a fun Easter twist.

Get the recipe: Lemon cake with lemon curd buttercream

We think this rainbow layer cake is perfect for any occasion. For Easter, cover it in melted white chocolate and decorate with pastel coloured mini eggs.

Get the recipe: Rainbow layer cake

A touch of floral essence will bring a lovely spring taste to your bakes, this orange and elderflower cupcakes recipe is the perfect base for a Easter-themed topper.

Get the recipe: Orange and elderflower cupcakes

How cute are these little fellas? Our Easter chick cupcakes are topped with a cute fondant topper that is really easy to make - the kids will love assembling their little faces.

Get the recipe: Easter chick cupcakes

It's all about the sweet things and Easter so why not relieve your favourite childhood sweets in cake form? These rhubarb and custard cupcakes are tangy and creamy all at the same time.

Get the recipe: Rhubarb and custard cupcakes

With all the fatty foods at Easter, it can be handy to have a lower-fat cake recipe to hand. This lemon drizzle cake from Rosemary Conley cuts the calories so you can have more chocolate!

Get the recipe: Lemon drizzle cake

Brightly coloured toppers, tangy filling - these lemon cupcakes were made for this time of year. Plus, they're beautifully decorated with a delicious lemon icing!

Get the recipe: Lemon cupcakes

Thinking of making cupcakes? Why not make a giant cupcake? All you need is a mould (you can get them from Lakeland) and some fondant to cover it and voila!

Get the recipe: Giant cupcake

Delicious chocolate brownies with more chocolate - yes please! These Easter egg brownies smoosh Creme Eggs and mini eggs into slightly under-cooked brownies and sticks them back in the oven for them all to melt together.

Get the recipe: Easter egg brownies

Melt some chocolate, pour in some Rice Krispies and shape into eggs - these Rice Krispie chocolate eggs are that simple to make.

Get the recipe: Rice Krispie chocolate eggs

Hello there! These cute Easter bunny cupcakes are easy to make at home. Our step-by-step recipe shows you how to make the toppers with just a few pieces of fondant.

Get the recipe: Easter bunny cupcakes

There'll be lots of chocolate and lots of hot cross around the house so why not combine the two to make this chocolate hot cross bread and butter pudding - it's the perfect dessert for Easter Sunday lunch.

Get the recipe: Chocolate hot cross bread and butter pudding

If you don't want to hand out tons of Easter eggs this year, make a few batches of our millionaire's shortbread. These caramel and dark chocolate treats will be a guaranteed hit.

Get the recipe: Millionaire's shortbread

As everyone is eating plenty of chocolate, no one will judge you for trying these salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes - it's a taste combination you just have to try.

Get the recipe: Salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes

Melted chocolate and cereal is such a simple but wonderful combination. These tasty chocolate cornflake nests are the perfect base for some mini eggs.

Get the recipe: Chocolate cornflake nests

For a unique Easter treat, make these cupcakes which are packed with fruit and look just like the real deal hot cross buns. Don't tell the traditionalists but we think they're better than the real deal.

Get the recipe: Hot cross bun cupcakes

Lambs are just one of the animals associated with Easter so we think these super cute sheep cake pops are perfect for Easter - just make them nice and small so they look like baby sheep!

Get the recipe: Sheep cake pops

Eggs on biscuits - why not, it's Easter! These fried egg biscuits are topped with a circle of white fondant and a circle of yellow.

Get the recipe: Fried egg biscuits

This pretty carrot cake is much easier to make than you might think. Packed with sweet carrots, crunchy walnuts and covered in cream cheese frosting it makes a delightful afternoon treat.

Get the recipe: Carrot and walnut cake

Traditional Simnel cake is usually decorated with 11 marzipan balls to represent the Apostles, but this Mini Eggs Simnel cake recipe uses chocolate Mini Eggs instead!

Get the recipe: Mini Eggs Simnel cake

This chocolate cupcake-muffin crossover is a brilliant alternative to hot cross buns at Easter. Just decorate these cupcakes with colourful Mini Eggs.

Get the recipe: Mini Egg cupcakes

If you've got a breadmaker, use it to make this hot cross bun loaf - it's a tasty twist on the Good Friday tradition of hot cross buns and equally delicious with a cuppa.

Get the recipe: Hot cross bun loaf

Chocolate and orange are a match made in heaven and this chocolate orange Easter cake recipe tops it with extra chocolate and a chocolaty nest - beautiful!

Get the recipe: Chocolate orange Easter cake

Planning on decorating a cake for Easter? This marmalade cake recipe is the perfect base. The tangy marmalade sandwiching the sponges together is a fresh burst of flavour.

Get the recipe: Marmalade cake

Chocolate cake, covered in chocolate and topped with more chocolate - what's not to love about this chocolate truffle cake?

Get the recipe: Chocolate truffle cake

This fresh, zesty Easter orange cake with lemon icing is just the thing for your Easter dessert. It's also a brilliant recipe for getting the kids involved in baking as it's so easy.

Get the recipe: Easter orange cake with lemon icing

This lemon shortbread recipe is perfect for decorating. This recipe shows you how to make cute bunny faces and Easter egg cookies.

Get the recipe: Lemon shortbread

Bursts of fresh fruit and a tangy lemon flavour, this raspberry lemon cheesecake will finish off an Easter meal nicely.

Get the recipe: Raspberry lemon cheesecake

Instead of giving Easter eggs this year, bake these spiced Easter cookies. They're cheap to make, using standard baking ingredients so you just need cookie cutters and coloured icing to decorate.

Get the recipe: Spiced Easter cookies

Get the kids to help you decorate these fun mini chocolate nests for Easter. They also double up as individual birthday cakes by sticking a candle in the middle of each one.

Get the recipe: Mini chocolate nests

These pretty little biscuits make the perfect project to do with the kids in the Easter holidays. Decorate them in any colour combination you fancy.

Get the recipe: Spring meadow biscuits

A fun one to make with the kids, Kirstie Allsopp's Easter biscuits couldn't be more simple. Follow along with her step-by-step video as she shows you how.

Get the recipe: Kirstie Allsopp's Easter biscuits