This month, we're going big on flavor. The markets may not explode yet, but we can still count on the roasters to pack a punch. These include a pastry with a hidden filling of live guavas; a pound cake full of tangy lime flavor thanks to a unique ingredient; and a chocolate focaccia in not one but two forms. There's also Guinness for St. Patrick's Day, berries and bars that have one quadruple ginger kick. I hope you are ready for a very delicious month.
(And of course, there's a lot to celebrate this time of year, so here they are 20 spring holiday bakes for Easter, Passover, Ramadan and beyond.)
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Basbousa (oatmeal cake)
This syrup-soaked oatmeal cake from recipe developer Zaynab Issa is sweet, gooey, and super soft. Because it stays soft and delicious for days, basbousa is the perfect make-ahead dessert; enjoy it for Ramadan this month, or keep it on the counter for an afternoon break throughout the week. If you have a bag of oatmeal lying around from making pizza, this is a great way to use it up.
Get the recipe: Basbousa (oatmeal cake)
Buy the recipe: Oatmeal flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
2) Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Poke cakes are usually made by pouring instant Jell-O or boxed pudding mix into a perforated sheet cake; for our version, we chose the most indulgent (and homey) combination of chocolate and peanut butter. In addition to the rich peanut butter ganache filling, there is also a peanut butter frosting on top of the cake.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Buy the recipe: Valrhona milk chocolate AND Triple Cocoa Blend
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
3) Dry Lime Cake with Saffron Glaze
For intense and concentrated citrus flavor, this cake uses dried lime powder, an ingredient often used in Persian cuisine to flavor soups and stews. Here, it adds a nice, slightly bitter note to a rich butter and cream cheese base cake that would be perfect to celebrate Nowruz (Persian New Year). A bright saffron glaze adds color and flavor.
Get the recipe: Dried Lemon Tart with Saffron Glaze
Buy the recipe: Almond flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
4) Guava Cream Cheese Cake
These Cuban pastries are made with buttery, flaky dough and are filled with delicious tropical guava paste and delicious cream cheese. If this recipe seems like a daunting baking project, just break it down: Make the puff pastry dough up to two days in advance, then assemble and bake the pastelitos when you're ready to enjoy them.
Get the recipe: Guava Cream Cheese Cake
Buy the recipe: Carbonated sugar
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5) Sticky Bun Banana Muffins
If you take the sweet and gooey topping of a sticky bun and combine it with a banana muffin, you've got this decadent breakfast concoction. Each muffin is baked on a bed of brown sugar maple syrup, then flipped out of the pan to reveal the crispy, caramel top.
Get the recipe: Banana Muffins with Sticky Buns
Buy the recipe: Vermont Maple Syrup
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
6) Double Chocolate Focaccia
This chewy and crunchy focaccia proves that chocolate and bread belong together. With ripples of chopped semi-sweet chocolate and a deep hint of dark cocoa, this bread doubles down on chocolate. After all, it can be served for breakfast OR dessert – or both.
Get the recipe: Double Chocolate Focaccia
Buy the recipe: Black cocoa AND Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Wafers
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
7) Dark and stormy gingerbread
These frosted bar cookies are flavored with ginger, lime and rum, evoking the cocktail from which they are named. Spicy ginger comes in four ways—fresh, ground, candied, and in syrup form (buy ginger syrup or make your own)—while cream cheese frosting brings lime and rum.
Get the recipe: Dark and stormy gingerbread bars
Buy the recipe: Ginger People Organic Ginger Syrup
8) Neapolitan style pizza
With a crispy, chewy crust that puffs up beautifully, this classic pizza is destined to be your new favorite pizza night recipe. The key is our '00' pizza flour, which is ground to exacting standards to give the best crust (which is also easy to shape).
Get the recipe: Neapolitan style pizza crust
Buy the recipe: '00' Pizza Flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
9) Hard chocolate cake
The aromas of malted chocolate and strong coffee combine well Dutch process cocoa, adding an incredible depth of flavor to this deep, dark cake. If you're feeling the St. Patrick's Day vibe, a Guinness would be the perfect match in this recipe.
Get the recipe: Hard chocolate cake
Buy the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
10) Mile-High Meringue Pie
At the end of the citrus season and the beginning of spring, the sharp taste of lemon is especially welcome. One of the best ways to showcase lemons is in this classic meringue pie, which features a large cloud of meringue atop a tart citrus filling.
Get the recipe:Mile-High Meringue Pie
Buy the recipe: Instant Clear Gel AND Meringue Powder
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
11) Jammin' Raspberry Buns
A fruity spin on cinnamon rolls, these super soft raspberry buns are bursting with color and flavor. The secret is freeze-dried raspberries, which are stuffed into the batter and cream along with a raspberry jam spread inside each roll that takes the place of the cinnamon or chocolate filling.
Get the recipe: Jammin' Raspberry Buns
Buy the recipe: Bread flour AND Baker's Special Milk Powder
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
12) Lighter Sour Toss Crackers
The easiest way to use sourdough tossing? Turn into crackers. This recipe lives up to its name: crackers are made with only sourdough, butter, spices of your choice and salt. Mix all four ingredients, spread on a baking sheet and bake until crispy. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.
Get the recipe: Lighter Sour Toss Crackers
Buy the recipe: Small Offset Spatula
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
13) Cylindrinas
Looking to bake something colorful this spring? Try these Chilindrina, a soft and sweet bread dough hiding under a sweet, crunchy and brightly colored cookie-like topping. They get their sunny yellow color from a sprig of turmeric, as well as extra sparkle and texture from a garnish of fizzy sugar.
Get the recipe: Cylindrinas
Buy the recipe: Unbleached bread flour AND Carbonated sugar
Additional contributions by Laura Scaduto
Cover photo and food styling by Liz Neily.
