18 Stunning Easter Cakes That Make Impressive Centerpieces

There is no shortage of sweet treats to enjoy on Easter day: jelly beans, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Marshmallow Peeps, and plenty of chocolate bunnies. While candy is rife amid baskets and tucked away in egg hunt bounties, there’s still room on the table for a more impressive dessert. Easter dinner simply wouldn’t be complete without a delicious cake to leave everyone satisfied.

Of course, there are virtually endless Easter cake options, all of them guaranteed to satisfy any kind of sweet tooth—even those that might have dietary restrictions. From uncomplicated carrot cakes to decadently chocolate concoctions, there’s something here for everyone, whether you’re planning dessert for a family of picky-eaters or you want to bake something your dairy-free friend will love.

These recipes yield truly showstopping Easter cakes that are sure to please in both looks and tastes. When all eyes are on the cake, you don’t even have to worry about getting a centerpiece.

Easter Egg Cake

The robin’s egg blue of this three-layer vanilla cake by Preppy Kitchen couldn’t feel more ideal for spring. Buttercream frosting makes a sweet pairing for a perfectly simple cake, while the speckled effect exterior looks far more advanced than it really is.

Chocolate Malt Cake

If you simply can’t get enough malt ball Easter eggs, go the extra mile with a chocolate malt cake by Glorious Treats. Malted milk powder gives this chocolate frosting a subtle twist.

Carrot Cake Loaf

The Gourmet Gourmand proves that even the humble loaf cake can be a showstopper, with this delicately decorated carrot cake. A mix of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg lend it the proper balance of spice.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

With a little bit of food coloring, a few assorted pastry tips, and plenty of patience, Cloudy Kitchen makes a carrot cake that is sure to be the star of many an Instagram.

Rose Rose Cake

Forget all of your assumptions about sheet cakes: My Name Is Yeh’s rose-flavored, rose-decorated cake is here to prove that they’re more than just a grocery store staple. Pro tip: Pipe your decorative flowers on to parchment paper first before placing them on the cake.

Coconut Eton Mess Cake With Whipped Ricotta Cream

Maximalists, you’ve found your match. Half-Baked Harvest’s Eton mess cake is covered with a smattering of berries, meringue, passion fruit, and oranges. A drizzle of honey makes a particularly sweet finishing touch.

Chocolate Easter Nest Cornflake Cake

Just five ingredients are required for Taming Twins’ delightfully crispy cornflake cake. It’s a no-mess assembly process, too—a bundt pan helps craft a simple nest for your favorite variety of candy eggs.

Paleo Crepe Cake With Lemon Strawberry Coconut Cream

Want to enjoy the festivities while maintaining a Paleo diet? You’re in luck: Food Faith Fitness’s impressively stacked crepe cake makes a delightful dessert, even for your friends and family members who might not necessarily be gluten-free. Lemony coconut cream brightens up the impressive dish.

Almond Coconut Cake

There’s beauty in simplicity, and that holds especially true for The Wood and Spoon’s almond coconut cake. A cream cheese–buttercream hybrid makes such a delectable frosting that you’ll want to prepare an extra batch to eat straight from the bowl.

One-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

Leave it to Minimalist Baker to create an easy (vegan and gluten-free) vanilla cake that pairs beautifully with a cascade of fresh berries. A secret ingredient that holds it all together while keeping it perfectly moist? Applesauce

Lemon Rosemary Bundt Cake

A bundt cake always looks beautiful, especially when it’s drizzled with lemon icing. The White Ramekins’ recipe yields a fluffy, not-too-sweet cake with the help of Greek yogurt and olive oil. Some freshly chopped rosemary brings in a fragrant touch.

Chocolate Easter Eggs Cake With Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Want the delight of a chocolate Easter bunny and a marshmallow Peep all in one? Try your hand baking Also the Crumbs Please’s chocolate-y confection. Uncomplicated chocolate cake is a universal crowd-pleaser, and marshmallow frosting brings it to the next level. Made using marshmallow cream (like your favorite Marshmallow Fluff), it’s easy to whip up.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Liv for Cake’s carrot cake recipe is relatively traditional, but its three layers and decoration of edible flowers transform it into a serious spectacle. Here’s proof that a thin layer of frosting can look utterly charming.

German Chocolate Cake

Yes, it is absolutely worth your time to chop up a dark chocolate bar from Quinn’s Place’s ultra-rich German chocolate cake recipe. A coconut-pecan frosting made with evaporated milk only sweetens the deal.

Vegan Coconut Cake

Three forms of coconut—milk, oil, and shreds—join forces in The Almond Eater’s cake to create a moist, fluffy dessert vegans and non-vegans alike will love. The coconut oil–based icing has an eerie resemblance in texture to decidedly non-vegan buttercream frosting.

Hot Cross Bun Frozen Cheesecake

Hot cross buns are an Easter tradition for many, and Sugar Et Al takes them to the next level with this dessert. You don’t have to stress about extra work, though: Store-bought buns are perfectly fine to use here, so you can make Easter dessert without even turning on your oven.

Elderflower Cake With Lemon Curd and White Chocolate Frosting

You wouldn’t guess it by appearance or taste, but Wallflower Kitchen’s springtime-ready cake comes with an especially unexpected ingredient: mashed potato. The starch makes this vegan option as springy as a traditional sponge cake, using wholesome ingredients.

Berry Pavlova Recipe

A massive meringue always proves impressive in the form of an airy pavlova. A Beautiful Plate’s recipe adds a lemon-berry filling for the optimal balance of sweetness, and then, go all-out piling fresh berries on top.

See more Easter ideas: 10 Non-Cliche Easter Decorating Ideas That’ll Carry You Through Spring On the Hunt for the Perfect Easter Gift? Here Are 11 Foolproof Ideas The Cool Girl’s Guide to Decorating Easter Eggs