10 Easter perfect vintage dessert recipes

Though the days of collecting candy eggs in a brightly coloured straw basket might be behind many of us, that doesn't mean that we can't still indulge in the sweet, sweet side of Easter time and the return of spring alike.

There are certain foods that suit this gentle season especially well, many of which have been beloved staples for decades, if not centuries, and that speak to the shift away from winter and straight into spring that those of us north of the equator are (or will soon be, depending on whereabouts you live) experiencing.

For me personally, on the sweet front, some of the key tastes that I associate with Easter include - besides the endless classic that is chocolate - strawberry, blueberry, carrot, banana, lemon, almond, pistachio, and vanilla. I have childhood start of spring/Easter/May 1st/Victoria Day memories associated with each, so its no surprise that those particular tastes would jump out at me come the return of the Easter Bunny.

In general, with Easter and springtime fare, we often move away from some of the heavier, richer desserts and sweet treats of fall and winter and more towards things that are light, not only in terms of possibly being airy (chocolate soufflé, anyone?), but also in regards to their very flavours themselves. Heady notes of fragrant spices, mountains of dried fruit, harvest season apples and pears, thick sauces, and steamed puddings give way to everything from tulle cookies to mousses to the very first in-season fruit salads.

Though the weather may not be 100% ideal quite yet, this is a beautiful time of the year in so many ways, not the least of which happens to be what we can bring to our tables. It is my sincere hope that the following selection of ten springtime perfect vintage recipes will help to make March (as well as April, May and early June, too!) all the more fun, festive, and, quite literally, sweet for you, whether you observe Easter or not.



1. Aside from the fact that some of the bunnies here look a little sinister, this is one seriously adorable mid-century Easter cake that has the added bonus of being within the dessert decorating skill range of most of us possess (because, let's face it, pro looking cake decorating is a genuine talent that not everyone is blessed with).



2. Soooo many yums!!! I adore a creamy, sweet meets tart citrus dessert like this ultra simple to make no-bake Lemon Pudding Cheesecake from the 1950s - that would be a fabulously refreshing way to cap off any spring or summer meal.



3. Use any jam or jelly your heart desires in this lusciously silky mid-century Chiffon Pie, that's can easily be jazzed up further by the addition of some festive shaped candies or piped rosettes of whipped cream on top.



4. Cute as a button and super easy to both whip up and decorate, this colourful 1940s "Confetti Cake" is both wonderfully pretty and a great option for not only Easter, but also Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and all kinds of important events.



5. Where would any Easter weekend be without this perpetual favourite? Instead of the store bought variety, why not try your hand at preparing a batch of hot cross buns at home this year. It's surprisingly simple and scents the whole house with the most enchanting - not to mention inviting - of aromas.



6. Speedy, fun and a great way to use up any leftoever wintertime peppermint candies that you might have to hand, this highly tasty looking mid-century Chocolate Topping Pie is served cold, thus making an ideal choice for late spring and straight on into the summer, too.



7. Springtime and pastels are a natural pairing, as is spring and strawberries, so why not toss together this absolutely delicious looking 1950s pink frosting topped strawberry chiffon cake - an airy mid-century classic - and nail two seasonal favourites at the same time?



8. Should you happen to be looking for an especially elegant dessert choice come Easter time, may I suggest this sophisticated 8-layer Chocolate Torte, which you could easily top, if so desired, with candy, fresh fruit, nuts, sprinkles (jimmies), or Jordan Almonds for especially festive touch.



9 & 10. Serve up a slice of chocolate pecan pie or treat your loved ones to a few Easter Egg Peanut Clusters. Both look and sound fantastic, not to mention festive as a spring garden full of fluffy white bunny rabbits.


And for even more vintage Easter dessert goodness, be sure to check out these past Chronically Vintage recipe posts featuring just that!


-Apricot Baskets


-Easter Egg Cake


-Easter Glory Cake


-Easter Sunday Pie


{To learn more about a specific image, and in many cases to view a larger version, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Okay, I am officially hungry after gathering those all up! In particular, I'm craving pecan pie and might just have to give this delightful chocolate version a spin (come the warmer weather, you just know it would rock with a scoop of vanilla, berry, coffee, banana, orange, or cherry ice cream, too!).

Which of these ten lovely, Easter perfect treats are calling to you the most as we get ready to embrace spring's return with open arms and eager dessert plates alike?

Counteract winter's dreariness with this fabulous 1950s Rainbow Cake recipe

Before we delve into the heart of today's post, I want to thank you all for your terrific recent blog comments so far this year. Things haven't been the easiest for me on the health front lately and I've not been able to stay on top of all the comments I've received here, nor my blog feeds, as a result. I'm feeling a whisper better now though and hope to get back to my usual levels of activities on those lovely fronts from this new week onward. 


Yesterday marked the halfway point until my next birthday. That means there’s six long months still to go until the brilliant warmth and sparkling sunlight of mid-July fill our days again. You might as well tell me that it's a century away, for it feels as though such is the case, while we're stuck here in the midst of a bitingly cold January. However, as I've said before, and I'll say again here right now, chilly and dark though it may be, I don't hate winter at all.

There are perks and charms - the serenity of fresh fallen snow, say, or the fact that one actually wants the oven to be on for hours so as to help warm the house further - to this first season of the year, but acknowledging, embracing and even celebrating those good points doesn't mean that we can't yearn for summer (or to take a trip south of the equator and enjoy the hottest months of the year right now with our friends on the other side of the world).

Longing, like worrying, may pass the time, but it doesn't actually achieve anything. Luckily though, we can perk up our wardrobes and menus with lively colours and dishes that celebrate the spirit of spring and summer now, if so desired.

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic signs of spring's return (which won't be for at least one to three or even four months still, depending on whereabouts on the planet you live) is a gloriously lovely rainbow. Nature's reward for surviving a downpour or full on storm and a symbol as old as time itself of hope, renewal and (quite literally) brighter tomorrows.

On a rather snowy, dreary day recently I came across the following seriously delightful vintage recipe recently on one of my favourite Flickr streams for vintage images, File Photo, and knew that there was no way I could hold off until spring or summer to share it. The punchy, sweet, beautiful pastels at work in it perked my spirits up quicker than downing ten shots of espresso, while also brimming with mid-century vintage charm that was just too good not to post on the double!





{Crisco's Rainbow Cake recipe hails 1950 and combines layers or white, yellow and spice cake all topped with pretty buttercup yellow hued frosting and, optionally, pastel hued mint wafers. If you can't track any down, why not sure pastel marshmallows, melting chocolate pieces, or jordan almonds/mlabas/confetti instead? Vintage recipe image source.}


As I almost alway say when a recipe calls for shortening, an ingredient which doesn't see a great day of play in most people's kitchens these twenty-first century days, if you're not a fan, by all means swap in butter, margarine, or your favourite vegan margarine style product instead in cake and/or frosting alike. Likewise, if you're not comfortable using raw egg yolks in the frosting, ditch them and simply use your favourite egg-free or seven-minute frosting here instead (I can’t help but think that a sweetened cream cheese frosting would be scrumptious, especially with the spice layer at the bottom).

The flavour combination at work in the three layers here is nice, and in a way it suits fall and winter well, but I'd be tempted to swap in chocolate cake for the spice layer on the bottom, or to replace the lemon extract with orange or almond, if I was going to leave the spice tier in place.

Of course, you can easily make this lovely 1950s cake with just one or two layers, if so desired, and I can't help but think how marvelous it would be as a cherry chip or strawberry cake, too. In which case I'd like tint the frosting pink, not yellow, and perhaps adorn it with chocolate buttons or walnut halves (and presto, just like that, you've got a great Valentine's Day dessert on your hands!).

Deep into the very heart of winter though we may be, unable to sway Mother Nature into giving us weather warm enough to tan in just yet, we can inject a similar sense of upbeat warmth and happiness through fun, kitschy pastel desserts like this. They serve as important reminders that spring will eventually show up again, rain puddles in tow, and with it a whole season that looks a rather good deal like this fabulous 1950s Rainbow Cake itself.

Thank goodness for that!!! :)

The perfect last minute Easter cake recipe

While it may not always entail the dizzying hecticness of Christmastime, the days leading up Easter can certainly still be a very busy period in their own right, especially if you're hosting parties and/or having out-of-town guests staying with your for the holiday weekend.

Often, as the first glorious days of spring begin to emerge like blooms poking through the last vestiges of snow, so too do we yearn to head (run at break speed) outdoors once more and suddenly spending hours in the kitchen lacks the same appeal it did just a couple of short, freezing cold months ago.

Easter however, is a beautiful, important time of the year and a celebration that is not to go unmarked by many of us. Though we might not scamper around the house collecting chocolate eggs any more, that doesn't mean we're not entitled to a sweet treat of our own this weekend, too.

Keeping in mind that you may be busier than a bunny in a carrot patch, and/or that you might not feel the need to break your back over your holiday dessert, I went digging around Flickr and unearthed a thoroughly lovely vintage recipe from 1951 for Lemon Gold Cake that would be flat out fantastic for Easter.





{Cheerful, inviting, and absolutely scrumptious looking, this wonderful Lemon Gold Cake practically has the words "Easter dessert" written all over it! Image via tikitacky on Flickr. Click here for a larger version of this lovely 1950s cake recipe.}



The invigorating, tart, endlessly fresh taste of lemon and the return of spring go hand-in-hand like bluebirds and happiness, and are a must for this time of the year in my books. This cake looks like a total snap to whip up as is, but you could make things even easier on yourself and swap in your favourite cake mix, if so desired. I make a very similar cake with Betty Crocker's Gluten-Free Yellow cake mix and olive oil, which is always a hit with gluten and non-gluten eaters alike.

Aside from perhaps decorating the top of the cake with some candied lemon peel, candied (edible) flower petals, white chocolate curls, fresh raspberries, or in the spirit of the holiday, your favourite Easter candy, there isn't much I'd want to alter here. Cakes like this are classic, elegant, beautiful, and flat out delicious - no need to mess with decades of success.

Lemon is a crowd pleasing favourite that becomes all the more delectable and festively perfect when brought to the table in the form of an appealingly pretty yellow cake that echoes the sunlight we're finally starting to get blessed with again this fine Good Friday.

If you're not celebrating Easter of if you already have another dessert (or two!) in the works, fear not, this vintage recipe will serve you well all throughout the spring (wouldn't it be lovely for a Mother's Day tea or bridal shower?) and well on into the sizzingly hot summer days.

Have a blast baking and a truly wonderful Easter long weekend, my dears!

A fabulously easy, festively fun 1950s Easter Cake recipe

With such a hectic whirlwind of activity going on recently due to the move/unpacking/sudden return to having more of a social life, it feels like Easter really snuck up on me this year (or perhaps, more aptly, silently hopped into town like a darling little bunny).

Fortunately however, I didn't forget about it entirely, and have a small but rather enjoyable collection of vintage Easter recipes I've collected (be it in real life online) over the years to turn from, no matter how last minute a meal, dessert, or sweet snack I might need to whip up just happens to be.

Though I don't have the slightest bit of talent (at all!) when it comes to cake decorating, one does not have to a TV reality show in which they run a cake shop to be able to put together today's thoroughly adorable 1950s Easter themed dessert. So long as you can find your way to the shredded coconut and jelly bean aisles at the grocery store, you'll likely come out in top form.

Hailing originally from the April 1953 edition of Household magazine, this festively charming Easter Glory Cake is made all the more simple and quick by the use of a cake mix. Though of course you can always create a white or golden cake from scratch as well, if you like (and for an extra fun Eastertime idea, you could also try making this recipe with carrot cake - something Peter Cottontail would no doubt thoroughly approve of!).

{Colourful jelly beans mimic the look of candy eggs in this cheerful double layer Easter cake from the 1950s, while the shredded coconut calls to mind the ultra soft fur of an April born baby rabbit. Vintage recipe image via saltycotton on Flickr.}

There's nothing stopping you either from tinting the coconut, frosting and/or cake itself any number of pastel hues. I think that a pale pink or robin's egg blue, either inside or out, would look so sweetly pretty and also really help drive home the 1950s vibe of this terrific dessert.

While tried-and-true treats like hot cross buns and chocolate eggs are springtime classics that will never go out of style, I think a springy, lightheartedly cute cake - like today's vintage example - is every bit as much a Easter staple, too - and one that all of your holiday guests are bound to be thrilled with.

Though time may be winding down, luckily I have a box of Betty Crocker's gluten-free yellow cake mix in the cupboard (the mister and I both agree that it's the best GF cake mix we've tried yet here in Canada - by far!), as well as plenty of coconut on hand. All I need then is some jelly beans and come this weekend, we'll be tucking into sweet, smile-inducingly fun slices of this wonderful vintage Easter cake.

This adorable vintage Easter Egg Cake recipe is sure to please everybunny! :)

✯ Day 110 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Without a doubt, I think it's safe to say that one of the best parts of nearly any major holiday is the food! Indeed, there's a reason why these special celebrations were so often called fest days in years gone by, for it was through an abundance of food that one shared with their family and friends in the merriment of a certain date.

While in some households Easter might not quite produce quite as huge an array of meals, baked goods, and sweet treats as Christmas, for many it does (or at least comes immensely close). An Easter menu may call to mind roast meats (ham, lamb, turkey, duck, etc), oodles of fresh vegetable dishes (made all the more spectacular if they were cultivated from one's own budding spring garden), warm, yeasty breads piping hot from the oven, and plenty of candy in every nook and cranny of the house, however I can't imagine letting Easter come and go without one especially lovely standout dessert, too.

Each year I like to change things up, always seeking something festive, cheerful, and - whenever possible - vintage in origin. Today recipe, which harkens back to 1953, fits absolutely all of those points to a tee!

Dubbed, rather appropriately (given its appearance), the Easter Egg Cake, this marvelous dessert marries yellow cake (in this instance from a cake mix, but you could just as easily use homemade) - that is cut into the shape of half an egg - with layers of rich Baker's Chocolate frosting. This Peter Cottontail approved cake is then given a further boost of sugar care of piped decretive white frosting and jelly beans, to help complete the final Easter egg look.

{Click here for a larger version of this scrumptiously festive vintage Easter Egg Cake recipe.}

One of things that appeals to be about this great Easter dessert (which comes via saltycotton’s terrific Flickr stream) is that's a shaped cake that doesn't require a specialty pan. The egg form comes to life thanks to a little trimming and creative stacking, which is held in place with chocolate frosting (the most natural of icing flavours for this time of year).

If you like, you could easily play around with recipe to your heart's content. Varying the type of cake and/or frosting colours to match your Easter menu, table decor, household decorations, or even your mood.

If you’re feeling creative, why not reverse the colours and create a chocolate cake with white frosting (white looking even more like an eggshell!), or create a white chocolate cake with buttercream frosting that you tinted pastel pink, purple, yellow, green, or blue - just like a real home-dyed Easter egg.

Whichever direction you take this cheerful vintage cake in, it's bound to be a hit with all the bunnies (aka, guests) at your Easter table this year!