50 Spring-Inspired Cakes & Cupcakes To Make All Season Long
Spring has sprung, let's bake!
Spring has sprung, let’s celebrate! What better way than with layer cakes and cupcakes that salute the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies? Bake away those winter doldrums, and get inspired by our best cake and cupcake recipes to welcome in spring.
March through May is when some of our favorite fruits and veggies—like carrots, strawberries, pineapple, and rhubarb—are in season, so we’re taking full advantage and baking them in everything. Carrot cake is classic, but we think our rhubarb cake, our pineapple upside-down cake, our strawberry cheesecake, or our blueberry poke cake might just edge it out in terms of crowd favorites. Try them all and see which you and yours prefer! Tip: They ALL go great with a cream cheese frosting.
Whereas winter is for stronger flavors like peppermint and eggnog, we like to think of spring as a time to lighten things up, so you’ll find subtler flavors and textures like pistachio, meringue, ice cream, and mousse among these recipes. Check out our lemon blueberry mousse cake, our copycat Dairy Queen ice cream cake, or our pistachio cake for ideas, then get creative and make flavor swaps in and out of your favorite recipes too.
As the weather outside gets nicer, we spend a LOT more time at outdoor BBQs and potlucks. While a layer cake is impressive, nothing beats convenience more than a cupcake at an outdoor gathering. No knife for slicing? Not a problem when everyone’s got their own handheld dessert like our pavlova cupcakes, our succulent cupcakes, our coconut cream cupcakes, or our carrot cake cupcakes. Not feeling these flavors? No worries—nearly all the full size cake recipes here can be baked in a cupcake tin, so feel free to switch them up.
Want more spring inspiration? Check out our favorite spring dinners, our best spring appetizers, and our top spring cocktails too.
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb is strikingly beautiful, and this cake shows it off well. The stalks bake right into the cake, becoming soft and jammy, and surrounded by a crunchy sugary crust. It’s quick and simple–more like a snacking cake–meaning you can eat it with your hands if you so desire.
Get the Rhubarb Cake recipe.
Carrot Cake
Whether you think of it as the ideal vehicle for cream cheese frosting (we feel you!) or are in it for its moist, spiced flavor that makes it a standout against standards like vanilla and chocolate, having a quality carrot cake recipe is a must for spring—this is the one.
Get the Carrot Cake recipe.
Raspberry Cheesecake
This creamy, decadent cheesecake is swirled with a raspberry sauce to create a showstopper of an spring dessert. Our favorite part? Rather than a standard graham cracker crust, this cheesecake base is made from super-buttery shortbread.
Get the Raspberry Cheesecake recipe.
Coconut Cream Cupcakes
Inspired by the beloved coconut cream pie, these stuffed cupcakes have all the classic components of the original dessert, sans pie crust. You won't miss it though, because in its place are our soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes. 😍
Get the Coconut Cream Cupcakes recipe.
Sponge Cake
Having this cake in your recipe arsenal will have you ready for anything spring throws at you: You can cube it a trifle, crumble it over ice cream, or—our favorite—stack it with whipped cream and berries. The best part? You can have this entire cake ready in just about an hour.
Get the Sponge Cake recipe.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
It may be retro, but this classic cake is a staple easy dessert for a reason. Sweet pineapple gets an irresistible rich boost from melted butter, brown sugar, and eye-catching maraschino cherries—one slice, and you'll feel transported to the tropical vacay of your dreams this spring.
Get the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe.
Pink Lemonade Pound Cake
When you need a sweet treat that brings some sass too, this pink lemonade pound cake is just right. Shot-through with a stripe of hot pink, the cake is plenty citrusy, thanks to a whopping 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, plus juice in both the batter and glaze. It's sure to make a statement this spring.
Get the Pink Lemonade Pound Cake recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
The blueberry filling and lemon cream cheese frosting here has our heart pounding! There's no way around making the blueberry syrup, but we promise you it is 100% worth it. In fact, make extra, and put it in our blueberry G&Ts next.
Get the Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
This simple lemon cream cake was a beloved favorite at Olive Garden, until they discontinued it! Don't worry, though—our copycat recipe featuring a vanilla cake with just a hint of lemon, a tart lemon cream filling, and a crunchy vanilla crumble means you can still enjoy it any time you like.
Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cake
Don't be surprised when you see cracks in the top of this chocolate cake—this is normal with flourless cakes, since steam causes the batter to expand while baking. When the temperature cools, it'll collapse back down, creating the signature cracks. Topped with a layer of cocoa powder, the result is gorgeously artistic.
Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce
Pavlovas have a crispy exterior with a soft, marshmallow-like interior, and these mini ones made into cupcakes are ideal for serving to guests. Dollop with a little whipped cream and raspberry sauce for the perfect bite all spring long.
Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Dairy Queen’s classic ice cream cake is king in the realm of frozen desserts, but our copycat recipe is coming for the crown. Starring that signature ribbon of fudge and chocolate cookie crunchies sandwiched between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, this homemade version of this iconic treat is equally easy to make and delicious to eat.
Strawberry Crunch Cake
Celebrate spring and the return of fresh strawberries with this strawberry shortcake-inspired layer cake. Get ready for some nostalgia too: This cake tastes just like your favorite ice cream bar.
Get the Strawberry Crunch Cake recipe.
Lemon Icebox Cake
Icebox cake may be an old-school concept, but this recipe is truly spectacular. The combination of lemon curd and cream cheese frosting is intensely citrusy and refreshing, and the quick candied lemon peel makes it priceless.
Get the Lemon Icebox Cake recipe.
Pineapple Coconut Cake
This fluffy coconut cake is filled with an easy pineapple curd (like a tropical lemon curd!) and finished with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut flakes. We love the bigger, unsweetened flakes, but if you prefer sweetened coconut for the outside, it works just as well.
Get the Pineapple Coconut Cake recipe.
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
We love the strawberry shortcake-vibes here, but if you want to mix up the flavors of this recipe, you can use the same proportions to try a chocolate-pistachio version, a peanut butter-banana version, and more. Just swap out the cookies and ice cream flavors in equal proportions!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
There’s not too many desserts that can beat out our love for carrot cake. A perfect spring dessert, this classic recipe truly never disappoints with its warming, lightly spiced cake and rich and decadent cream cheese frosting. The only thing better? Shareable, bite-sized carrot cake cupcakes.
Get the Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe.
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
The layers of graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake, bright yellow lemon curd, and a big swoop of toasted meringue here will get everyone in a frenzy even before their first bite. This dessert is just as beautiful as it is wildly delicious.
Get the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe.
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Calling all chocolate dessert-lovers—this fudgy Bundt cake is really something special. We’re partial to covering it in a rich ganache and serving it after a nice spring dinner, but keep it plain and it can be the perfect indulgent brunch or midday pick-me-up too.
Get the Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Mousse Cake
When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade—make this fruity, white chocolate mousse cake instead. It's rich and SO creamy but, thanks to tart lemons and blueberries, won't weigh your palate down.
Get the Lemon Blueberry Mousse Cake recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
