It's spring! Let's bake hot cross muffins, flourless chocolate cake, blueberry scones

Springtime means it's time to clean out the closets. As sweaters hibernate for the summer months, so do the comfort foods and confections that got us through the winter. 

We're grilling instead of roasting, serving salads rather than slow-cooked sides and making not-so-sweet scones instead of sugar cookies. Sure, the chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs might make an appearance or two in coming weeks, but in general, you may be craving lighter desserts, so we've gathered four springtime baking recipes for you to try now that the temperature is warmer and the sunset later.

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The hot cross muffins are a quickbread version of the popular British buns that people have been eating around Easter for more than 600 years. Soaking the raisins (or currants) in rum infuses the whole muffins with a hint of boozy fragrance, so use water if you're not a fan of rum in baked goods. 

The lime-on-lime pound cake is a great dessert to serve at a spring brunch, or you could save it for sometime this summer, when you're craving a margarita, but in cake form. The low-sugar blueberry scones, which are partially sweetened by pears, call for fresh blueberries, which will hold up better while baking than frozen. 

All of these, except maybe the chocolate cake, would make a fine breakfast in addition to dessert — but no judgement if that flourless chocolate cake paired with a cup of coffee sounds like a dreamy way to start the day. 

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Tangy Lime Cake with Lime Whipped Cream Topping 

This tangy lime cake is irresistible for any lime lover. I can guarantee you rave reviews from anyone who enjoys the tart tanginess of fresh limes. The recipe makes a small cake, perfect for dessert for just a few people. If you’d like dessert for more people, or want to have a few extra slices, double the recipe and use a standard-size Bundt pan. The lime whipped cream can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep nicely for 3 to 4 days. This recipe may be doubled to fill a standard 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Increase the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes for the larger cake pan.

— Mary Younkin

For the cake: 

6 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for pan 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 

1 1/4 cups white sugar 

1/4 cup lime zest (from approximately 4 medium limes) 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (squeezed from the zested limes) 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

For the lime whipped cream:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

1 cup powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon very finely minced lime zest 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

Fresh berries, for serving (optional) 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean or with crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then invert on a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the whipped cream, combine the cream cheese and the lime juice in a medium bowl. Beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar and lime zest. Beat until smooth. Slowly add the cream while beating constantly with an electric mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, and then continue beating for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy. 

Scoop the whipped cream into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Top each slice of cake with whipped cream before serving. Serve with fresh berries, if desired. Serves 4 to 5.

— From "The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook: 80 Irresistible Recipes with Only 5 to 15 Minutes of Prep" by Mary Younkin ($21.99, Page Street Publishing)

Blueberry Scones

These homemade scones have just a fraction of the added sugar found in most coffee shop-style scones, thanks to the help of pear puree and plenty of fresh blueberries. To cut down on the amount of saturated fat in each of these breakfast treats, whole milk yogurt stands in for heavy cream. A touch of lemon zest adds brightness.

Our recipe for blueberry scones only uses 3/4 teaspoon sugar, which is half of what most recipes call for. In lieu of blueberries and lemon zest, try 1 1/2 cups diced peaches with a teaspoon ground ginger and/or almond extract, 1 1/2 cups blackberries with 1 tablespoon lime zest or 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries with 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (with or without the lemon zest). Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for the pear and proceed as directed. 

The scones will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For the best flavor, warm in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

— Jennifer Tyler Lee

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 ripe d’Anjou pear, cored and coarsely chopped (about 4 ounces)

1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries  

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, about 20 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. 

Place the pear and yogurt in the now-empty food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and pulse to combine, about 10 pulses.

Pour the yogurt mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Carefully fold in the blueberries, using your hands if needed to help incorporate the berries into the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and dust the top lightly with 2 tablespoons of flour. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 even wedges. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.

Bake until the scones are golden brown on the top and bottom, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Let the scones cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 scones. 

— From "Half the Sugar, All the Love: 100 Easy, Low-Sugar Recipes for Every Meal of the Day" by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel (Workman Publishing, $22)

Hot Cross Muffins

These muffins offer the distinctive taste of hot cross buns in a quarter of the time it would take to make a sweetened yeast bread. Everybody wins.

— King Arthur Flour Baking Company

For the muffins:

2 tablespoons rum or water

1 cup golden raisins

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup candied citron or mixed candied fruit (optional)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the frosting:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk or cream

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, pour the rum or water over the raisins; set aside while you assemble all of the other ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices. Make a well in the center. Add the soaked raisins and candied peel or citron (if using). Beat together the eggs and milk; add the melted butter; and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly combined. Scoop into greased muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack while you combine the frosting ingredients. When the muffins are cool, frost with a cross over the tops. Makes 12 muffins.

— From "The King Arthur Baking Company's All-Purpose Baker's Companion (Revised and Updated)" by King Arthur Baking Company (Countryman Press, $40)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This flourless cake, featuring both chocolate and cocoa, is rich! A thick icing of chocolate ganache glaze takes it over the top. Depending on how you observe Passover, this cake can make a great addition to your Seder since it contains neither flour nor leavening; and of course, it's also ideal for those following a gluten-free diet.

For the cake:

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

3 large eggs

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa

For the glaze:

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a metal 8-inch round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. 

To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.

Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it's not quite at a simmer, but showing fine bubbles around the edge. Pour the cream over the chocolate, stir very briefly to combine, and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir again — at first slowly, then more vigorously — until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. If any bits of chocolate remain, reheat briefly in the microwave or over a burner, then stir until smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.

— From "The King Arthur Baking Company's All-Purpose Baker's Companion (Revised and Updated)" by King Arthur Baking Company (Countryman Press, $40)