Easter Cakes & Cocktails
With Good Friday fast approaching and the warmer weather teasing us into spring, it’s time to bulk buy the Godiva and get brainstorming about what to serve guests over Easter weekend. We’re not normally ones to skip straight to dessert, but if ever there was a permissable time for a sugar rush, April is surely it.
In the culinary world, food and wine pairings are given serious consideration, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do the same for cakes and cocktails. For parties large or small, today’s blog brings you some inspiration for Easter cakes and their corresponding cocktails.
Hot cross muffins are a best-of-both-worlds fusion cake, and the kind of treat you imagine being pulled straight from a farmhouse Arga to serve with a pot of hot tea. As cosy as that sounds, this Nutella Martini gets our vote for Easter parties. It’s your favourite childhood chocolate spread combined with some very grown up shots of vodka, and it’s better than your imagination could ever dream.
Any sponge cake topped with butter icing, chocolate eggs and pretty flowers will go down a treat with guests, and as a refreshing non-alcoholic option we recommend serving elderflower spritzer with floral ice cubes. It’s a gently flavoured beverage that not only tastes like summer in a glass, but looks beautiful too. Top tip: make the ice cubes using boiled or bottled water to ensure the ice remains clear, not cloudy, and ensure use only edible flowers such as pansies and snapdragons.
Admittedly, this rich and creamy Tiramisu Martini could easily be classified as a dessert itself, but these chocolate dipping eggs and shortbread soldiers were crying out for something mildly alcoholic and strongly Italian, and thus this wonderful partnership was born. This is a combination to enjoy slowly, dipping and slurping your way messily until the last indulgent drop.
Light, textured, fluffy nests of meringue can only be paired with the sweet, creamy nectar that is a Salted Caramel White Russian. Flakes of sea salt take the edge off the sweetness, and a sprig of fragrant fresh rosemary adds a woody undertone which balances the caramel surprisingly well.
We didn’t think Creme Eggs could be improved upon, until the Scotch Creme Egg was invented and we became complete converts. While you have a house full of Cadbury’s Creme Eggs you may as well go the whole sugary nine yards and turn them into a sinfully sweet cocktail; we’re not suggesting it won’t be a sickly combo, but come on, it’s Easter.
For guests who aren’t self-confessed chocoholics, quail’s egg shooters and Frank the Rabbit cocktails are an impressive way to freshen up the menu. The quail’s eggs, stuffed with all kinds of tasty ingredients, look lavish and professional when lined up on a wooden board or slate serving platter, while the carrot base provides a healthy balance against the generous glugs of bourbon. By far the healthiest option on our Easter menu, this is also the most grown up, and the most appropriate for a brunch party.
Nothing says “Hello spring!” better than frozen lemonade gin cocktails, but as the party draws to a close and the orders for Irish coffee start to flood in, spare a thought for the lactose intolerant amongst your guests. Happily, just as the cake market is blessed with an abundance of dairy-free and vegan alternatives, so too is the alcohol market catching up. Old favourite Baileys now offers a lactose-free product called Almande; top it with vegan whipped cream and sprinkle with cacao powder as you cut one last slice.
