Just Add Carrots
Published April 25, 2024
With blooming flowers, chirping birds, and the promise of new beginnings, springtime entertaining is sure to create memories that last a lifetime. Embrace the beautiful colors and fresh flavors with my delightful spring recipe collection. From delicate pistachio layers to carrot cake with pizzazz, these recipes are bursting with the season’s best ingredients. Let the sweet aroma of freshly baked treats fill your kitchen, as you indulge in the joy of springtime baking.
Flowers: Sabrina Garden Roses, Garden Roses, Expression Roses, Spray Roses, Craspedia, Scabiosa, Campanula Coordinating Chocolates: Neuhaus Basket Weave Dishes: Pillivuyt Woven Bunnies: Vivid Hue Home + Gifts Cake Stands: Frontgate
Just Add Carrots Carrot Cake
This cake takes center stage! Each bite is a perfect balance of sweetness, warm spices and toasted nuts, all layered in a decadent mascarpone cream cheese frosting. Not to mention, it’s airy jovial design, making it the ideal centerpiece for any spring gathering.
Using Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa recipe, noted here, I omitted the ginger crystals from the frosting recipe. In it’s place, I used chopped walnuts to resemble soil and added organic carrots, cleaned well and slightly coated in oil to prevent drying out. Cut carrots to desired length altering sizes and heights for a more dimensional look.
This cake can be made ahead of time, kept in a cake carrier or airtight container in the refrigerator until about 1 hour until ready to serve. Decorate with carrots shortly before serving.
Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Italian Meringue Cream Frosting
Savor the delicate flavor of pistachio and meringue , a decadent treat that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. With its subtle sweetness and irresistible aroma, this cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion, from elegant dinner parties to casual gathering with friends - a timeless favorite that will have you coming back for more.
Recipe adapted from Bonni Bakery
For the Pistachio Cake
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 cup milk
6 tablespoon pistachio paste
2 tablespoon almond extract
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pistachio flavor
⅔ cup pistachios, chopped plus more for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°F, and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray with baking spray. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add sour cream and beat until combined. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add a third of it to the batter, mix in slowly until fully incorporated. Add half the milk and mix in until fully incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour. Add the pistachio paste and extracts and stir in until fully incorporated. Fold in the chopped pistachios. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the cake pans.
For the Frosting
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1/2 cup water
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon pistachio flavoring
dash of salt
Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer on high speed. Once the egg whites start to froth, take the ⅓ cup sugar and start gradually adding it to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time, whipping for at least 30 seconds in between each addition. Meanwhile, add the 1 cup sugar to a saucepan with the water and put it over medium heat. If you have a candy thermometer, use it to track the temperature. Do not stir the sugar, just let it dissolve. Once the sugar syrup reaches 240°F it's ready. By this point, the meringue in your mixer should be at a soft peak stage. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and immediately pour into the mixer in a slow, steady stream. Try to avoid hitting the side of the bowl or the whisk as you pour. Also, it's best to turn the mixer down to low speed as you add the syrup - this will keep it moving without splashing the syrup around the bowl. Once the sugar syrup is all into the meringue, the bowl should feel hot to touch. Continue whipping on high until the bowl feels cool. When the bowl feels completely cool, you can begin adding the butter, one small chunk at a time. The butter must be at room temperature or it won't incorporate properly. Keep whisking the meringue on high speed while adding the butter. Let it mix in completely before adding the next chunk. About halfway through adding the butter, your frosting is going to look awful and you will think it is ruined. This is normal, just keep going. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the extracts, flavoring and salt, then whip for another minute. You’ll end up with silky smooth buttercream.
For the Assembly
Place one layer of the cake on an 8-inch cake board, fill an even layer of pistachio meringue. Top with the other layer, bottom side up and coat the entire cake with a thick layer of meringue. Add chopped pistachios for garnish.
Strawberry Coconut Bunny Cake
Moist coconut layers sandwiched together with luscious strawberry cream and fluffy coconut frosting; this cake is a delightful celebration of the season’s flavors. Adorned with festively flavored coconut sugar cookies, it is sure to make a statement on your dessert table. Design inspiration from Williams Sonoma’s Almond Easter Cake.
For the Coconut Cookies:
1 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined. Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape each piece of dough into a round, flat disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove one sugar cookie dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Place sugar cookie dough on a floured surface and roll to 1/4” thickness. Use a Peeps bunny shape cookie cutter and cut out the dough, placing them 1” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until cookies are slightly puffed and set around the edges. Let sit on cookie sheet 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Set aside.
For the Coconut Cake:
Baking spray with flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut extract
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
6 large egg whites
Preheat oven 325˚F. Coat 3 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray, line with circular 6-inch parchment round and spray again. Set aside. Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and coconut extracts. Beat until just combined. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add to butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined after each addition. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about one-third of beaten egg whites into cake batter. Fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake cakes on middle rack in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean - 20-30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place directly on racks to cool. About 1 hour.
For the Coconut Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup cream of coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Bubblegum pink food coloring or the like
Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combines, about 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, gradually adding the cream of coconut, vanilla and coconut extracts. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer about 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring until desired color is achieved. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and set aside while making the filling.
For the Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese:
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons strawberry puree, 4-5 strawberries food processed
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
1 cup heavy cream
Starting on medium speed in a stand mixer with whisk attachment mix cream increasing speed to high, until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Mix until blended and smooth. Gently fold the cream into the strawberry cream cheese mixture until well combined.
For the Assembly:
Level cakes if needed using a serrated cake or bread knife. Using a piping tip, pipe bunny tails on sugar cookies using pink frosting and set aside to harden. Using a 6-inch cake board, place one layer of the coconut cake in the center and pipe white frosting around the edge, filling the inside with 3/4 - 1 cup of strawberry cream. Set in fridge to set for about 10 minutes. Repeat with layer 2. Once set add third cake layer to the top, bottom side up. Crumb coat the entire surface of the cake with white frosting and set in fridge for another 10 minutes. Cover the cake with a layer of white frosting smoothing the top and sides of the cake. Pipe pink frosting around the edge of the top of the cake and adhere the coconut cookies around the base of the cake using a squeeze of pink or white frosting. Set in refrigerator covered until 1 hour before serving.
Save any remaining strawberry filling for bagels or dip.