A shower is a fun way to gather friends and loved ones together for gifts, games, and of course, tasty treats. Check out these 15 great shower desserts for your next celebration!

1. Elderflower Lemon Cupcakes

A cupcake on top of a cupcake is the ultimate wedding shower dessert! Resembling adorable mini tiered wedding cakes; these lemon-flavored cupcakes are filled with fresh raspberry crème and topped with elderflower liquor-laced frosting. Heavenly!

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Grab all your ingredients. You’ll need the usual things like cake mix, butter, eggs and water. But the real flavor comes from adding a splash of vanilla and lots of fresh lemon peel into the cake batter. The elderflower liqueur and fresh raspberries will round out the flavor in the filling and frosting.

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2. Mother’s Day Dessert Cups

Thinking of serving ice cream at your affair? Then you should definitely serve it up in these easy edible cups. It’s like double the dessert!

3. Gender Reveal Cupcakes

Gender reveal parties are all the rage right now and what sweeter way to share the exciting news than with these clever cupcakes with a special surprise inside!

4. Spring Rainbow Yogurt Tartlets

These spring tartlets are so easy, you can make one in every color of the rainbow with just some store bought crusts and Yoplait yogurt!

5. Petit Fours

Who doesn’t love petit fours? They’re itty, bitty, pretty cakes!

6. Mini Rainbow Fruit Pizzas

Mini fruit pizzas are a cute way to serve up a lighter, colorful sweet treat!

7. DIY Candy Baby Pacifier from Le Zoe Musings

Seriously, how totally adorbs are these candy pacifier cupcakes by Le Zoe Musings?!

8. Spring Flower Bouquet Popsicles from Family Fresh Cooking

Watch your guests oooh and ahhh over these unbelievably gorgeous flower popsicles by Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking!

9. Wedding marshmallow pops from Kitchen Runway

These darling marshmallow pops by Quyen and Derrick of Kitchen Runway would be the perfect dessert for a bridal shower (or wedding favors)!

10. Cupcake Topiary

A cupcake topiary is not only a creative way to display dessert, but it makes a great centerpiece!

11. Baby Rattle Cupcakes

Some gumdrops and lollipop sticks and you’ve got yourself baby rattle cupcakes!

12. Gluten Free Mini Wedding Cakes

These mini cakes are easy to make, easy to decorate for your next bridal shower, and best of all, gluten free! Everyone can have their cake and eat it too!

13. Cupcake Poppers

Colorful cupcake poppers in any shade are a bright fun way to add color to your party.

14. Spring Flower Brownies

Miniature marshmallows add a touch of spring to yummy fudgy brownies.

15. Mini Cereal Cakes

Transform your favorite Saturday morning breakfast into sweet cake shaped treats!

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The season of blooming flowers, sunny days and weekend weddings is upon us!

If youʼre hosting a bridal shower, Iʼm sure youʼre thinking of ways to add a little charm to desserts and cocktails. Well, instead of spending so much time making fondant flowers, why not try using real, fresh flowers that are completely safe to eat, add color and can spruce up any cake!

You can do research on what flowers are edible, depending on the colors you want to use. I chose lavender, rose petals, carnations and marigold, which are all safe flowers to garnish and decorate with. Below are three fun ways you can use edible flowers in desserts and cocktails!

Mini Wedding Cakes

How adorable are these Mini Wedding Cakes? You can easily make these using this cake mold. I was actually surprised how easily they came out of the mold and looked perfect! The three tiers were screaming for flowers! And what a beautiful transformation it gave that little white cake!

I think these would be such a fun dessert to place at each table setting for a bridal shower. So every guest gets their own tiny wedding cake! AND you didnʼt have to spend hours decorating them.

1. Bake the cake in the molds for 30 minutes or until fully cooked.
2. Cut across the top to remove the extra cake that baked over.
3. Frost each layer until the entire cake is covered.
4. Lastly, place pre-washed marigold flowers wherever you want to add some color!

Edible Flower Popsicles

Usually I wouldn’t say popsicles are a visual delight, but flower-filled popsicles are absolutely gorgeous! Featured are two versions – a clear and a creamy variety. The bouquet of a popsicle on the left above is amazing! Kudos to Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking! It looks too good to eat.

I also had fun with flowers and made a creamier popsicle version (right) incorporating rose and lavender petals. I used this amazing popsicle maker called a Zoku, that worked perfectly to create a Lavender Vanilla Lemon Yogurt Pop and a Lemonade Raspberry Rose Pop! Using a favorite lemonade, Yoplait yogurt and some beautiful edible flowers, I was able to make some absolutely delicious popsicles!

1. Gather your ingredients including fresh, edible flowers. Follow the instructions for whatever popsicle maker youʼre using. I used a Zoku.
2. Scoop the yogurt into a piping bag. Itʼs easier to squeeze the yogurt into the mold than scoop it. This way you will get a true half yogurt and half lemonade popsicle.
3. Once that layer is almost frozen in the maker, you can add flowers and then pour in the lemonade. You can then add more flower petals.
4. Let your pop freeze, remove and enjoy!

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

If youʼre throwing a shower for a bride, you MUST have a delicious signature cocktail to serve! Cosmopolitans are pretty girly and with the hint of pink, look fabulous with rose petals sprinkled on top. Now, they can be pretty strong, so donʼt be afraid to add in a little more cranberry juice or lime juice if you need.

 

 

For more inspiration and ideas, here are five wonderful recipes that are screaming for fresh flowers! Each would be perfect for a bridal shower!

• Berry White Sangria Pops
• Double Coconut Cupcakes
• Mini Berry Poppyseed Cake
• Pink Squirrel Cocktail
• The Payback Cocktail

But not just any cake, oh no. I’m celebrating with these cheery individual Mini Strawberry-Blackberry Poppy Seed Cakes. Aren’t they just the perfect way to ring in spring? Well, it’s cake, so — there’s no question.

Say YUM to springtime!

First, collect all the ingredients you’ll need. We make this recipe even easier and tastier with Betty Crocker lemon cake mix. Have you tried it? It’s like taking a bite of heaven, no joke. You’ll see.

Combine all the cake ingredients, as well as a handful of poppy seeds for added crunch and flavor, and pour it all into your prepared pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Once the cake has fully cooled, use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles to make the mini cakes. Use the scraps for snacking or to make yummy cake pops!

Frost a very thin “crumb coat” of vanilla frosting on the cakes, then pop ‘em in the freezer for a bit to harden and set. Because these cakes are smaller, it’s a little more tedious to decorate them, so the crumb coat eases the process. Top the chilled cakes with a little more frosting and a layer of sliced strawberries; top the strawberries with a dollop of frosting and the remaining cakes for the second layer. Return the cakes to the freezer to harden again.

We’re almost there! Frosting the tops and sides of each cake with an offset spatula.

Finally, decorate the tops of each cake with fresh strawberries, blackberries and chopped pistachios. Aren’t they just adorable? Just beautimous? Just marveloiuhalsgsdfomnomnom — sorry, I couldn’t wait any longer. I just had. to. take. a. bite.

I meaaaaan….

There’s no question. Just plain deliciousness.

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Stephanie (aka Girl Versus Dough) may or may not have eaten two cakes all by herself. Or three. Check out Stephanie’s Tablespoon member profile and keep checking back for her own personal recipes on Tablespoon!

For many years, my husband always talked about this amazing pistachio cake his mom would always make him growing up.

He said it was his most requested cake on his birthday (the Butterfinger chocolate-banana cake was second!) and that I had to get the recipe to try it. So, I did and to my surprise itʼs made from a boxed cake! I couldn’t believe it and knew I had to share the recipe on Rock Ur Party.

The cool thing about this Pistachio Bundt Cake is that itʼs super easy to make and the box mix acts as a base. There are ingredients like club soda, pistachio pudding mix, walnuts and almond extract that make this boxed cake truly unique! The cake is incredibly moist and the whipped, pistachio frosting has the perfect amount of sweetness.

I frosted the cake like a normal bundt cake, but my husband told me that itʼs supposed to be fully frosted! You can decide how you want to serve yours

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cake mix and 1 box pistachio pudding into a mixing bowl. Add in the eggs, vegetable oil, club soda and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Mix until combined.

Pour cake batter into a well-greased bundt pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let it cool for 10 minutes before flipping it over onto a cake stand.

Frost the entire cake or just the top!

[recipe]

Here are more pistachio pleasers!

• Cran-Pistachio Cookies
• Pistachio Creams
• Pistachio Cheesecake
• Pistachio Cupcakes
• Pistachio Mousse Brownie Torte

Sugar and Charm shares her love for entertaining, baking and design on her own blog, sugarandcharm. Check her Tablespoon member profile for great new recipes!

Imagine coming home from a crummy day and being able to whip up a personal lil’ comfort cake in less than 10 minutes time – heck, even quicker than that!  Cake WHENEVER you want it… yeah, now I’ve got your attention! This Coffee Mug Chocolate Cake will start your journey into the world of cake in a mug.

I made a Betty Crocker chocolate cake, but you can make any cake flavor you like. Another bonus – you can top it with whatever you like. I went with good ol’ chocolate ice cream, a little whipped cream and chocolate chips, but you could certainly slather on some icing and send your mug cake over the top.

To make the cake follow these simple steps:

Using a 10-16 ounce microwave safe coffee mug, spray the insides with non-stick baking spray and add 7 tablespoons of cake mix.

Add the butter, yolk and milk and mix thoroughly.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Place in microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes (microwave strengths vary and so your time might need to vary as well). The cake will probably rise above the top (depending on size of mug), but don’t worry, it will sink back down.

Let cool for about 5 minutes. Top with your favorite ice cream or whatever you would like.

Now you know the easiest way to have cake on demand. No need to thank me… well okay, you’re welcome.

[recipe]

Peabody loves ice hockey (she plays!) and all things baking! Check out her great stuff at her blog site Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and her Tablespoon profile.

Somethings are best shared – cake is one of them.

Now that you have your own personal cake recipe, here are some easy recipes for full-size cakes for when you need quantity.

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Cake recipes for simple desserts. Find an easy cake recipe for your next party or potluck.

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The name is really not the most appealing (let’s be honest) but the end result – so good! I was shocked to discover that it takes about 5 minutes to put together. You literally dump the ingredients into a pan, give it a quick mix with a fork, and sprinkle it with cake mix and melted butter.

Uh, I can totally do that.

And so can you!

I take mine to the next level with my own spiced whipped cream. My mom reminded me a few months ago how easy it is to whip cream by hand. She “reminded” me by telling me that my sister always whips her cream by hand and that maybe I should try it that way too.

I took that as a challenge. Wouldn’t you?

Sometimes, it is easier and less of a mess to just use a cold bowl and a whisk. Yes, it takes some work, but just think of it as exercise. Which you just might need after you eat a whole pan of dump cake!

Not that I have ever done that or anything.

You can make dump cake with any pie filling that you like, but I really like apple.

Spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray. Add the apple pie filling, caramel sauce, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Give it a quick mix with a fork.

Open the cake mix and spread it all over the top of the cake.

Pour the melted butter over.

Add the pecans. Bake in a 350F degree oven for about 35 minutes. Let it cool.

While the cake is cooling, put a large metal bowl and a whisk in the freezer until both are very cold. Add the cream and whisk until soft peaks form. It takes about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until combined.

Serve the caramel apple dump cake with a dollop of spiced whipped cream, an extra drizzle of caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of pecans. Enjoy!

More Dump Desserts

• Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe
• Salted Caramel-Chocolate Dump Cake
• Easy Fruit Crisp “Dump” Dessert Recipe

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Party Rainbow Chip has always been my favorite box cake. I remember asking my mom to make it for several birthdays.  They are really cute as cupcakes. To match the adorable dots inside, I pipe rainbow polka dots on the top. I have to say, these little dots add a lot of charm to the cupcakes! Polka Dot Rainbow Cupcakes are adorable and the bright colors are a dose of happiness.

Mix the cake mix with the eggs, water and oil until combined. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Then let them cool completely.

Divide (no need in measuring) one container of frosting into six mini bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring in a mini bowl. Use one color for each bowl to make separate frosting bowls of the colors of the rainbow. I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

With the other container of frosting, frost a layer of white onto each cupcake.

Fill small zipper storage bags with the individual colored frosting. Quick Tip: When filling the bags with frosting, place the plastic bag into a tall glass and fold the edges of the bag over the sides of the glass. It allows a nice opening to spoon the frosting in without it getting all over your hands.

Cut a tiny (really tiny!) hole in the corner of the bag to pipe on the dots.

Now pipe mini dots onto the top of the cupcakes. The colors look so beautiful together!

[recipe]

Double Rainbow Recipes1 of 8

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What does it mean? Double Rainbow Recipes will for sure make you stand in amazement!

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I look forward to the Fourth of July every year because there are a bunch of creative party dishes that I’m always dying to try. The colors red, white, and blue just go so well together and they’re so versatile in dishes! Finger foods are always popular when going to a friend’s house to cook-out or even if you’re having people over. Who doesn’t love miniaturized snacks? I know I’m all about them!

These cute little Mini Flag Cakes are something you should DEFINITELY think about bringing to a party or having at your party. They’re so easy to make and they take virtually no time to prep once the cake part of it is out of the oven and cooled.

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make the base of this cake (red velvet! Yum!):

Let’s start by pouring all the contents of the Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake Mix into a bowl along with the eggs, cocoa powder, water, and oil.

Then pour in an entire 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring to get that gorgeous deep red for the cake!

Now, let’s mix it all up!

Then pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You’ll want to cool your cake until it comes to room temperature.

In the meantime, let’s make the whipped cream!

Pour about 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Whip it up!

Whip until it’s fluffy and firm at the same time.

Once your cake has cooled, flip it over onto a cutting board.

Then take a serrated knife and slice the cake long ways every 1 to 1 ½ inch or so.

You’ll get something that looks like this!

Then slice it the other way to get cubes!

Now you’re ready to pipe the whipped cream. Take a spatula and a sandwich bag and put the whipped cream in the sandwich bag.

Cut the corner tip of the sandwich bag. Not too big of a hole!

Start piping the stripes on the cake squares!

You should end up with something like this. Add a little bit of extra whipped cream to where the stars will be.

Then add the blueberries!

Repeat until all your squares are done! Aren’t these adorable?!

I absolutely love them and they’re SO delicious and too easy to eat up!  I hope your party guests, or your party host and friends, LOVE them and gush about them!

More Great Fourth of July Recipes

• Fruit Flag Pizza
• Firecracker Cake
• Sugar Cookie Cups
• Sparkling Fourth of July Cake
• Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

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Everyone knows that frosting is the best part of a cake, so let’s not even beat around the bush, people. It’s sugar with some butter and flavoring thrown in, making it pretty much one of the best edibles around.

Better yet, it comes in many varieties to suit your mood, whether you’re feeling like a light glaze or a rich chocolate buttercream.

A basic icing

To whip up the simplest kind of frosting, you need nothing more than 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of whole milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Just mix these three ingredients together, adding milk or sugar to get the desired consistency, and spread it on anything from cookies to Angel Food Cake.

Butter makes it better

Want something a little richer? Well, 6 tablespoons of butter oughta do it, right? Just double the amounts of confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla listed below, and cream the room-temperature butter in with half of the sugar before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Got chocolate on the brain? Just melt two squares of baker’s chocolate in the microwave, let it cool and add to your buttercream. You could even go cray-cray and spread it on this Banana-Nut Cake.

Glazed over

If you’re making a dense, flavorful cake (like this Double Apple Spice Cake), you might not need a thick layer of frosting, but rather a light glaze to enhance its moist goodness. In which case, all you need to do is add another tablespoon of milk to the recipe for simple frosting, and you’re good to go!

It doesn’t have to stop here

A bowl of rich vanilla frosting is kind of like a blank canvas. Just think, you could add any type of extract – like mint, lemon, almond or cinnamon – to make a flavored version. You may also want to toss in some citrus zest, sliced almonds, grated coconut, cocoa powder, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips or other small candies to bring your icing to the next level.

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Lucky for you, I have a few ideas. From bunny-themed cakes to traditional tarts, here’s my top 10 list of treats for this year’s Easter celebration. (Don’t take the order too seriously—these could all be number ones!)

1. Bunny Cakes

An adorable bunny cake will be a gorgeous centerpiece for any party. This elegant Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake is so much simpler than it looks. Dark chocolate cake, complete with chocolate bunnies, to stun your guests. Too much chocolate for your tastes? Try this fun, coconut Easter Bunny Cake. Equally adorable. Check out more bunny cake ideas…

2. Classic Pecan Pie

What’s a classic dessert that no one can say no to? Pie, of course. I love pie. I crave it. Cherry pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie. Any and all with a cup of coffee or espresso and I’m giddy. But my favorite pie for any season, and Easter in particular, has to be Decadent Pecan Pie. Crunchy, sweet, gooey perfection. Mmm.

3. Fresh Fruit Tart

Just like pie, you can’t go wrong with a classic tart for Easter. This Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Tart is so beautiful, layered elegantly with fresh strawberries—perfect for your spring holiday feast. Or try this Italian Fresh Fruit Tart recipe. It’s easy and customizable—use any fresh fruit you want!

4. Handmade Chocolates

Nothing is more “Easter” than a chocolate egg. This year, try your hand at making your own! These Fudgy Truffle Eggs are much easier than you’d think and melt in your mouth. Or, if you’re in a hurry, pick up these delightful Easter chocolates by Lake Champlain Chocolates in Vermont. Their gourmet chocolate gifts are great for grown-up parties!

5. Edible Baskets

Why not make a treat with a basket you can eat!? The kid in me loves these Easter Basket Cookies. Not only can you eat the sugar cookie baskets, but everything inside of them as well. Fill them with jelly beans, mini chocolate eggs, or bunny candies! I also adore these Easter Basket Cupcakes that you can decorate with bunnies, flowers, or whatever you like!

6. Chicks Cupcakes

These crazy cute little yellow Easter Chicks Cupcakes are perhaps the sweetest treats (tweets!) you could make without spending hours in the kitchen. Make a dozen or two of these cuties and place them in birds nests on the table! For something unusual, try this creative cake idea—make a cake IN an egg shell!

7. Jelly Beans

These Jelly Bean Chicks are both crafty and yummy! Get the kids to help with these and you’ll have a fun pre-Easter project. Or try this Spring Cookie Pizza—with a sugar cookie crust, marshmallow “sauce,” and jelly beans for toppings, you can’t get much more Easter-y.

8. Carrot Cake

A simple carrot cake is always a hit for Easter. Betty’s Ultimate Carrot Cake takes it to the next level with pineapple juice. I like to add a little something special to my carrot cakes, too—among my favorites for mixing it up are this Ginger Carrot Cake, a gooey Caramel-Carrot Cake, and an oh-so-yummy Coconut-Carrot Cake.

9. Profiteroles

Who says you can’t serve up Profiteroles for Easter? I can’t get enough of these delicate little puffs with light and creamy custard. Chocolatey, vanilla-y, heavenly!

10. Scones

Before (or after!) a big Easter brunch, serve up some fruity scones with coffee or mimosas! Try these Strawberry Mascarpone Scones, Cranberry Scones, or Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze.

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Easter Dessert Recipes1 of 9

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Easter is here, but dessert doesn't have to be in the basket. Here are some fun Easter dessert recipes that are quick as a bunny.

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