Easter isn’t just about foil-wrapped chocolate eggs; there are great things to bake too. We’ve raided the Irish Times recipe archive to bring you 10 wonderful seasonal bakes, special occasion cakes, and traditional Easter treats.
Lots of them are easy enough to be baked by children looking for a holiday project, and there are a couple that are just challenging enough to spark interest in more advanced bakers.
First up, this glorious sweet brioche twist with real eggs, tinted with food colouring or natural dyes, nestled in it. Its creator, Lilly Higgins, has these tips on how to colour the eggs: Simply boil your egg until it's cooked to your liking, then while it's still warm put it in a bowl with water, a splash of white vinegar and a drop of food colouring. (You could, of course, experiment with natural dyes like turmeric, red cabbage, beetroot, matcha powder and onion skins.) Leave for a few minutes, until each egg is coloured enough."
The eggs are eaten with the bread once baked. "Some recipes cook the eggs first; others place them on the dough raw. I cook mine as part of the dying process – and I like the creamy texture of a twice-cooked egg. It also ensures the eggs don't crack in a preheated oven," Higgins says. Recipe: Lilly Higgins's Italian Easter brioche bread
For a more traditional Easter bake, we have Eunice Power's family recipe for Simnel cake, a fruit cake with a double dose of home-made almond paste. "I still use my grandmother's recipe, although I have modified it slightly. It's a delicious light fruit cake with a layer of luscious almond paste baked into the middle where it melts into the body of the cake. Another layer of almond paste is laid on top and it is decorated with 11 marzipan balls that are said to represent the true disciples of Jesus." Recipe: Eunice Power's Simnel cake
Power, who runs a catering business and fish and chip shop in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, is an expert baker. Her other suggestion for a cake worth of your Easter table is this triple layer sponge cake with a Swiss meringue passion fruit butter cream icing. Decorating with cake could provide hours of fun for younger bakers.
"To decorate it, I bought a couple of blocks of coloured ready-to-roll icing. I used green fondant icing for the border of the cake, rolled out in icing sugar. You will need a couple of strips about 25inches/64cm long in total. Then, using a sharp knife, trim it to resemble grass. Using a rabbit shaped biscuit cutter (the brand of cutters I use are Kilo) cut out little rabbits and attach white tails made with white fondant icing – a toothpick will fluff them up. Use lightly beaten egg white to attach the grass, rabbits and their tails to the cake." Recipe: Eunice Power's Easter sponge cake
Good Friday is the traditional time to eat hot cross buns, and cookery tutor Vanessa Greenwood reveals that they're not at all difficult to make. "This recipe provides a step-by-step guide to making a sweet bun dough which is easy to shape into individual round buns.
"If you prefer a square shape, place the buns closer together in the baking tray, so they join up as they prove. This gives the characteristic tear-and-share effect. The buns can be glazed with apricot jam instead of golden syrup and filled with currants or raisins instead of mixed fruit." For a less traditional take, replace with dried fruit with chocolate chips and add the zest of an orange to the dough. Recipe: Vanessa Greenwood's hot cross buns
For some people, only chocolate cake will do. Eunice Power's Easter chocolate cake has the useful benefit of being gluten-free. You can decorate it appropriately with speckled candy and chocolate mini eggs. Recipe: Eunice Power's chocolate, flourless Easter cake
Trish Deseine's take on a classic is her grown up Bailey chocolate cake with coffee chocolate ganache. Recipe: Trish Deseine's Baileys chocolate cake with coffee chocolate ganache
If you have bakers in your household who like to watch a recipe being made before they attempt it, our baking columnist Aoife Noonan has a step-by-step video for a classic sponge cake that can be dressed up anyway you like. You can watch her make it here, and cook along with her. Recipe: Aoife Noonan's light and airy sponge cake
Noonan's carrot cake traybake is another really simple recipe that young bakers will enjoy tackling, and you will notice that it is a slightly healthier version than most. It avoids refined sugars, relying instead for sweetness from maple syrup, and the carrots themselves, which might be a good thing this week. Recipe: Aoife Noonan's carrot cake traybake
This cake is traditionally enjoyed at midsummer, rather than Easter, but like simnel cake it has almond paste at its heart, and as Donal Skehan says, it is the perfect challenge for accomplished bakers. "Fans of Great British Bake Off will instantly recognise the Prinsesstarta here, as it was one the technical challenges a few years ago. Be warned: It's a cake that in the wrong conditions could push you over the edge. That being said, if you like a challenge and have the time, making this cake will deliver ultimate satisfaction." Recipe: Donal Skehan's Princess cake
And finally, if you have bits of Easter egg lying around uneaten next week, you coud turn them into these stunning chocolate muffins. Vanessa Greenwood’s recipe contains an ingredient that might come as a surprise.
“Buttermilk is my first choice to use with dense and often bitter chocolate as it helps to give a deliciously moist texture. Another secret to light and fluffy muffins is only scant mixing. Keep this in mind when you stir the wet and dry ingredients together – and only combine them just before baking.”
Junior bakers can tune into the first of a series of online tutorials with Bosch next Friday and learn how to make chocolate Easter muffins. It takes place from 11am until noon and is free to attend. See @boschhomeuk on Instagram. Recipe: Vanessa Greenwood's chocolate chip muffins
Happy Easter baking.
