a few egg-cellent ideas

Just a little Good Friday Easter egg inspiration…

Graphic patterns on pastel eggs

are easy to pull off using stamps made out of

bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard..

I love this blue and white decoupage idea

that’s easy to replicate using pretty paper and Mod Podge.

Wooden eggs painted in a two-tone ombre look is fun!

Everyone loves Jelly Bellys!

what’s your favorite flavor?

I especially love Pina Colada and Root Beer.

Brass candle holders used as egg cups…

brilliant!

And now for a few adorable recipes…

Info on this wood bark cake stand can be found at the end of this post.

ORANGE CHAMOMILE CAKE

For the Cake:

2 1/2 c. whole milk

8 chamomile tea bags

Cooking spray

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

2 c. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 lb. confectioners’ sugar

3 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Plus: Bunny Sugar Cookies and chamomile flowers, for decorating

TOTAL TIME: 1:50

1. Make the cake: Place milk and tea bags in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until warm to the touch (do not let it boil), 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and cool completely; discard tea bags.

2.  Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 4 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3. Beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until incorporated. Divide batter among the prepared pans.

4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans, on wire racks, 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

5. Make the frosting: Beat butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer to low and gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in orange juice, vanilla, and salt. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

6.  Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and top with 1/2 cup frosting; repeat two more times. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting (save 1/4 cup frosting for bunny tails). Add bunny sugar cookies.

YIELDS: 16 SERVINGS

Recipe Courtesy of Country Living

Lemon Pudding Cake

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp,

      plus more for the dish

1 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole milk

1/3 c. fresh lemon juice

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease shallow 2-quart oval baking dish.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and egg yolks in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and mix to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in milk and lemon juice (batter may look curdled).

3. In second bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. Stir one-third of whites into lemon mixture, then fold in remaining whites until combined.

4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and place dish in roasting pan. Add enough boiling water to roasting pan to come one-third of the way up baking dish. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake until light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

5. If desired, place a bunny cutout on top of cake, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully lift away template and serve.

Yields 6 servings

Edible Crudité Garden Patch

Spread about 4 cups of hummus in a 9 x 13 baking dish, and then spread 1 ½ cups of ground pumpernickel crackers or pumpernickel bread to cover completely. Place your adorable garden veggies in even rows, as you would in a vegetable garden, and trim as needed. Recipe courtesy of the Food Network.

ciao! fabiana

Shop here for this fun cake stand, 

as seen above.

photo credit:

1,2,4,5  Martha Stewart

3,6,7,  Country Living

8  Good Housekeeping

9 Food Network