Signs of Spring

Cupcakes With Marshmallow Bunny Ears

When spring arrives, gather up all that creative energy and get baking! In honor of Easter and hopeful new beginnings, we’ve assembled a collection of beautiful spring-themed cake and cupcake recipes to help you usher in the festivities or simply brighten someone’s day.

Get all of our best tips and tricks for creative baking, and have fun making these wonderful goodies with those you love.

Classic Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake topped with Carrot Curls

Our Swans Down Classic Carrot Cake is a true vintage recipe, featured in Swans Down cookbooks over decades and passed down in American families for generations. It’s the essential Easter cake, and you can make it as a layer cake, a sheet cake or cupcakes (baking times will vary) and garnish any way you like.

Easter Swiss Roll Cake

Colorful Swiss Roll Cake On Cake Plate

A few drops of bright food coloring make this Swiss roll a festive Easter favorite or a cheerful dessert for any spring occasion. Customize the colors based on your preferences, and as you slice each piece, enjoy the rainbow!

Bunny Cupcakes

Bunny Cupcakes With Pink And Yellow Sprinkles

Our Basic Butter Cupcakes recipe provides the perfect base for making these cuties. Super easy to bake and fun to decorate with the kids, they’re a great way to celebrate spring. American buttercream frosting, sweetened shredded coconut, marshmallows, and sprinkles are all you need to get the look.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot cake takes on a whole new level of goodness when turned into individual cupcakes topped with your favorite cream cheese (or any) frosting. Your honey bunnies are sure to eat them up.

"7Up Cake" Cupcakes

7-up cupcakes in muffin tin

A fresh, citrusy twist on a Southern classic, these are made with real lemon and lime zest and finished with a smooth, tangy lemon-lime frosting. Fluffy with a tender crumb, they’re bright, nostalgic, and perfect for spring gatherings, showers, or anytime you want a dessert that feels both refreshing and indulgent.

Lamb & Bunny-Shaped Cakes

3-D Lamb and Rabbit Cakes

Our 1-2-3-4 Pound Cake batter and your favorite cake molds are just what you need to create these show-stopping bunny and lamb-shaped cakes. They make adorable edible centerpieces for a festive springtime or Easter meal.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

A Whipping Cream Pound Cake with white icing drizzles sits on a marble cake stand, surrounded by scattered raspberries, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

This pound cake with drizzled glaze is a family favorite in springtime or anytime. Says one happy Swans Down baker, “This is the only cake I bake for my family, and they think I’m some kind of magician! It always comes out perfect every time.” Be sure to add your choice of extract or flavoring to the glaze for an extra special touch.