12 Spring Cakes And Cupcakes You Can Try At Home

Spring is here, and it’s time to do some baking. This is the perfect chance to spend a little time with the family and enjoy creating healthy and delicious snack and dessert options. It’s also the time that most people hold BBQs and parties, so you’ll have something spectacular to take with you as a dessert or gift.

But where do you start getting recipes together that are suitable for the season? You don’t want fruit cakes, as they tend to be more fall and winter options. You need something light, fluffy, and sweet.

Here are 12 cakes and cupcakes to start with that you can easily make from home.

Make a Vanilla Ruffle Cake

Let’s start with the vanilla ruffle cake. It’s one of the easiest on the list, although admittedly isn’t the healthiest. There is a lot of sugar, but you can substitute for an alternative if you’d like. The recipe uses buttercream icing, which is available from the store.

Another option is to make your own if you’d like. There is a recipe below.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of butter stood at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 3 eggs, stood at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cups of sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups of milk (or alternative)
• Vanilla buttercream
• Red food coloring

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375F and grease two round cake pans with some butter and flour, putting the cake pans to one side
• Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and put to one side
• Beat the butter in another bowl and then gradually add in the sugar, a quarter of a cup at a time, beating together until combined
• Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until combined
• Add in the vanilla, beating it into the mixture
• Add the flour and milk alternatively, beating until just combined
• Spread the batter into your cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean
• Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans and leave until completely cooled
• Prepare your buttercream and mix with red food coloring
• Frost the top layer of one of the cakes and top with the second cake
• Spread the frosting on the top layer and around the sides, and then place in the fridge for 10 minutes
• Use the buttercream in a piping bag to create the ruffles around the sides

Try a Delicious Dark Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Butter Cream

It’s time to indulge in some chocolate. While you can buy fresh strawberry buttercream from the store, you can also make it with the buttercream recipe at the end of this article.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of water
• 3 cups of sugar
• 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups of cocoa powder
• 2 ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 eggs, beaten and stood at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups of buttermilk, at room temperature
• ¾ cup of oil of choice
• Strawberry buttercream

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two cake pans, lining with parchment paper and greasing the paper too
• Boil the water
• Whisk the sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and powder, and the salt together in a bowl
• In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and oil together and then pour into the flour mixture
• Stir the mixtures together until they’re just combined and then pour in the boiling water, again stirring until just combined
• Divide between the cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes, until baked through
• Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely
• Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour
• Frost the top of one layer of cake and then place the other layer on top, frosting the top and sides of the whole cake to serve

You can make the cake and even frost it ahead of time, leaving it in the fridge (covered) for up to three days. Leave it for an hour to soften the icing. You can also freeze the cakes without icing for up to a month but will need to ensure it’s completely defrosted.

Make Fun Flower Cupcakes as a Family

Get the kids involved with this one. They’ll love mixing the ingredients by and may even want to lick the bowls afterward! Everyone will enjoy decorating their cupcakes. While this recipe cheats with a cake mix, you can make your own from scratch if you’d like.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of cake mix, flavor of choice
• 1 can of frosting, flavor of choice
• Food coloring, color of choice
• Candy-coated milk chocolate
• Marzipan bees (recipe below)
• Green pipe cleaners

Method:

• Coat flower-shaped baking cups with some cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet, putting to one side
• Mix the cake mix as directed and fill up the baking cups about 2/3 full
• Bake according to the directions on the package and then allow to cool on a wire rack
• Tint your frosting with the food coloring if you want and then spread your frosting
• Place some of the milk chocolate pieces in the center of your cupcakes and decorate with the bees
• The pipe cleaners are the stems for the flowers (your cupcakes)

For the marzipan bees, you just need some marzipan with black and yellow food coloring. Roll the marzipan out and cut into strips, alternating with black and yellow to create your bee’s body. Use almond slices for the wings.

The kids will have so much fun making the bees. Food coloring will wash off hands, but watch out for the clothes!

Create a Strawberries and Cream Chiffon Cake

This is perfect for the end of spring, bringing a taste of the summer to your home. It’s easy to make, and the kids will love helping.

Ingredients for the Cake:

• 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups of sugar, divided
• 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ cup of oil of choice
• 7 egg yolks
• 9 egg whites
• ¾ cup of milk
• ½ tsp of tartar cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Strawberries and Cream:

• 2lb of strawberries, quartered
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• ¼ cup of icing sugar

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 325F
• Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together
• In a separate bowl, whisk the oil with the milk and egg yolk
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to combine
• Beat the egg whites in a bowl until frothy and then add the tartar and vanilla, forming soft peaks when whisking
• Add a third of the egg whites into the cake mix and whisk
• Fold in the rest of the egg whites gently
• Pour into a pan and bake until the cake springs at the top when touched (about 55 minutes)
• Allow to cool upside-down for an hour
• While baking and cooling, make the strawberries and cream by combining all the ingredients except the cream and sugar together and sit for an hour
• Mix the cream and sugar together just before the cream is used, making peaks with the cream
• Release the cake from the tin and cut into three layers
• Spread half the strawberries on top of the first layer of cake and then spread half the cream over the top
• Add a layer of cake and use up the remaining strawberries and cream on top, topping with the last layer of cake
• Place in the fridge for an hour and then sprinkle with some icing sugar

Serve with some strawberries on the side and a glass of wine to finish.

Create Rose and Ginger Cupcakes

How about something a little different for a change? Rose and ginger cupcakes aren’t common, but they are delicious.

Ingredients for the Cupcake:

• ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup of cake flour
• 1 tbsp. ginger, ground
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup of butter, sitting at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups of sugar
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup of milk
• 2 tbsp. of chopped candied ginger

Ingredients for the Glaze:

• ½ cup of milk
• 3 cups of icing sugar
• 2 ½ tsp rose water
• Pink food color, preferably gel paste

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners
• Shift the flours with the baking powder and soda, ginger, and salt and then put to one side
• Whisk the butter and sugar until combined and pale
• Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until combined
• Alternate the flour mix and milk, beating into the flour mixture
• Stir in the candied ginger
• Divide the batter into the liners and bake for 20 minutes, allowing to cool for 15 minutes afterward
• Whisk the milk and sugar together and then add in the rosewater
• Drop some of the food coloring in and stir

The glaze needed to be added to the cupcakes and served immediately, otherwise the glaze wrinkles. Don’t wait longer than a couple of hours before serving. The cupcakes will last in an airtight container for up to two days so that you can make ahead of time.

Finish off the decorations by adding some sugared rose petals to the top.

Delicious Poppy Seed and Orange Cupcakes

How about something that brings out the flavors of the spring. Oranges help to brighten up the day instantly, and you can add them to delicious cupcakes. Poppy seeds are usually added to lemon flavored muffins or cupcakes, but it’s time to try something different.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Salt, to taste
• ¾ cup of milk
• 2 tbsp. orange zest
• ½ cup of orange juice, fresh
• 1 ½ sticks of butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line two muffin tins with liners
• Shift the flour with the baking powder and soda, and half a tsp of salt into a bowl
• Combine the milk and a quarter cup of orange juice together in another bowl
• In another bowl, beat the butter, 1 ¼ cups of the sugar, and orange zest together and then beat in the eggs one at a time
• Add in the flour and milk, alternating in batches, to the eggs and then add in the poppy seeds, beating
• Divide between the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes
• Place the rest of the orange juice and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil, set aside once the sugar dissolves
• While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the orange and sugar mixture across and then allow to finish cooling for 30 minutes
• Brush more of the orange and sugar mixture over the top again and leave again if still cooling
• Add buttercream to a piping bag and create a poppy with the frosting on each cupcake

If you’re not the greatest with artwork, you can allow your kids to create whatever they want on the top of the cupcakes. Smiley faces are always fun.

Make Your Own Lemon Pound Cake

A lemon pound cake is a popular store-bought spring cake. Well, now it’s time to make your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup of buttermilk
• 2 lemons, grated for zest and juiced
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder and baking soda
•  2 cups of sugar
• 5 eggs

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and butter and prepare your loaf pans with extra butter and flour
• Combine the buttermilk with the zest and juice of your lemons in a bowl
• In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together
• In a third bowl, combine the butter and sugar until fluffy and then beat the eggs in one at a time
• Add the flour and buttermilk to the butter, alternating between the two in portions, and beat until smooth
• Divide among your loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes
• Cool for 15 minutes in your pans and then cool completely out of the pans

Enjoy with a little cream and fresh strawberries on the side.

Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes for Some Fun

Lemon sherbet has a taste of summer for the end of the spring. It’s time to use it in your cakes creatively.

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups of sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 8oz of sour cream
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest and juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Frosting:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 3 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 pack of powdered sugar
• 8-9 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners
• Beat the butter until creamy and add in the sugar gradually, beating until fluffy
• Beat the eggs into the butter one at a time, until just blended
• In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder and soda together and pour into the butter mix, alternating with the sour cream
• Blend and then stir in the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla
• Spoon a quarter of the batter into 30 liners and bake for 20-25 minutes
• Allow cooling on a wire rack for about 20 minutes
• Beat the butter from the frosting with the lemon zest until creamy
• Add in the sugar gradually with the lemon juice, and beat until combined; adding the lemon juice one tbsp. at a time
• Add in the food coloring and beat until fluffy
• Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and frost each of your cooled cupcakes

You can switch the lemon for orange or lime if you’d like—using orange/red or green food coloring respectively.

Enjoy a Strawberry and Lemonade Layer Cake

It’s time to get the layers with this homemade strawberry and lemonade layer cake. Don’t worry; it isn’t as hard as it initially sounds. You may need to make your jam if you can’t find something in the stores.

Method:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest and juice
• Shortening
• Strawberry and Lemonade jam
• Strawberry frosting

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and grease four cake pans
• Beat the butter until creamy and then add in the sugar gradually, beating until fluffy
• Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until each is blended
• Stir the flour with the baking powder and salt together and then add to the butter, alternating with the milk
• Stir in the lemon zest and juice
• Beat the egg whites together until peaks form and add a third of the mixture to the batter gently
• Fold in the rest of the eggs whites into the batter and then spoon into your cake pans, baking for about 20 minutes until fully cooked
• Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans and then remove and place on a wire rack until completely cooled
• Spread some of the strawberry and lemonade jam and pipe frosting on top of your first cake and then top with the second cake, repeating until you have a top layer
• Finish off with the strawberry frosting

If you want to make your strawberry frosting, the recipe is below. You just need to replace the vanilla with strawberries.

Make Pound Cupcakes Instead

If you don’t fancy a pound cake, make some cupcakes instead. These are delicious vanilla flavored cupcakes, giving you something simple to decorate for fun with the kids.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups of sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 8oz mascarpone cheese softened
• 3 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 9 vanilla candy-coated squares, chopped
• ½ cup of whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• Blue food coloring

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line muffin tins with 30 liners
• Beat a cup of butter until smooth and gradually add in the sugar, beating until fluffy
• Beat the eggs in one at a time until blended
• Mix the flour and the baking powder together and alternatively add the butter with the cheese
• Stir in 2 tsp of the vanilla and spoon the batter into the liners
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked and allow to cool on a wire rack
• Microwave the vanilla candy coating and cream together for 90 seconds, mix, and microwave for another minute until the candy coating has melted
• Whisk until smooth and add in the rest of the vanilla and butter, tinting with the food coloring

Let your kids dip the cupcakes into the frosting one at a time or put in a piping bag and let them create all types of smiley faces and patterns on the top.

Make Your Own Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is one of the most heavenly cakes in existence. It’s time to create your own with this extremely simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups of sugar
• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ½ cups of egg whites
• 1 tsp of tartar cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice
• Vanilla buttercream frosting
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnishing

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a pan with aluminum foil, extending 2-3 inches over the sides
• Sift the sugar, flour, and salt together in a bowl
• Beat the eggs and tartar together, forming stiff peaks
• Add the sugar mixture to the egg whites gradually, a third at a time, folding until blended
• Fold in the lemon juice and vanilla
• Pour into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is fully cooked in the middle
• Tip the cake and allow it to cool on a rack upside down for around an hour
• Remove from the pan and remove the foil, placing the cake on a platter
• Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and garnish with the mint leaves

Alternatively, you can put the frosting into a piping bag and let the kids have some fun with it. Don’t grease the foil, as you don’t want the extra butter or oil mixing with the cake ingredients. If you don’t have foil, you can use parchment paper, but foil is better.

Make Your Basic Cupcakes for Your Designs

How about some simple cupcakes that you can make with the kids? There are no fancy flavors or garnishing tricks to do. You just make the cakes and let the kids decorate however they want. The buttercream frosting below is the perfect, tasty addition to the top.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of white cake mix with pudding
• 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk
• ¼ cup of butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 350F and line your muffin tin with paper liners, coating them with some cooking spray
• Beat all the ingredients together in a bowl, until the batter is combined and smooth
• Pour the batter into the liners and bake for 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are fully cooked
• Allow to cook for about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove the liners from the pan and cool for another hour or so

If you want to add flavors, coconut and lemon are popular. You can mix desiccated coconut with the cupcake mixture or some lemon zest. Sprinkle the coconut over the top with the buttercream too!

Make Your Own Vanilla Butter Cream

If you want to make your vanilla buttercream, you can do with this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of butter, cut into inch pieces
• 16 oz of marshmallow crème
• ½ cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Mix the butter in a bowl until softened and fluffy
• Add in the marshmallow crème and beat until smooth
• Add the sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy
• Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to three days

You can store this in the freezer for up to a month. You’ll need to get the cream to room temperature to use.

Instead of vanilla extract, you can use other crushed fruits or extract for a different flavoring to the buttercream.

Which Cakes or Cupcakes Will You Make First?

It’s time to have some fun with the kids this spring. They’ll love making cakes and cupcakes with you, especially the decorating part at the very end. Don’t worry about the mess. There’s fun in making a mess on the table or countertop when making cakes and cupcakes.

If you want to go all out with the decoration, get some sprinkles, chocolate pieces, and candy pieces to add to the top. You can also get sugared roses and other items and even edible glitter to finish off your special spring cakes and cupcakes that you can make at home.