Images of rebirth and renewal are everywhere at Easter: hatching chicks, hordes of bunnies and emerging flower buds. Also returning, prompted by the occasion and a crowd to feed, are the seasonal bakers, rested from the holidays and re-energized for spring.

Easter is an opportunity to bake for loved ones, and these two recipes, charming Easter nest “cakes” and a resplendent princess cake, are opportunities for beginning and advanced bakers alike. The first is as simple as it gets — barely requiring a recipe — and perfect for baking with the whole family. The second may surprise you. Though it looks like a grand affair, a princess cake is much easier to pull off than you might expect, thanks to a streamlined method and technical shortcuts that don’t compromise on flavor or presentation.

Recipe: Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

Let’s start with the humble nest cakes. Britain’s favorite Easter dessert, they’re a no-bake medley of chocolate, butter and crunchy cereal, filled with candy, preferably chocolate eggs (they are nests, after all). A mainstay of school bake sales and family get-togethers, they’re one of the first things young British cooks learn to make, and couldn’t be easier: just melt, stir, portion, and then chill until firm. It’s a wonder we even call them cakes at all.

The origins of the Easter nest can be traced back to World War II. A recipe for “Chocolate Crisplets” appeared in the 1941 “Mixed Grill of War Time Recipes” booklet, calling for “some unrationed chocolate spread” to be melted and mixed with “enough cereal” until “stiff,” then left to set. The vague instructions — no measurements or specific cereal named — remain typical today.

The exact makeup of an Easter nest varies from family to family, and debates continue over the “right” cereal to use — shredded wheat (for the most realistic-looking nest), Rice Krispies (undoubtedly delightful) or cornflakes (my pick) — as well as the addition of golden syrup and butter. But when it comes to decoration, there’s one universally respected rule: Keep it kitsch. The more miniature Easter paraphernalia, from chocolate eggs to tiny plastic chicks, you can pile on, the better.