Pretty Easter bonnet cake with strawberry jam frosting from 1958 is a simple show stopper

Easter bonnet cake with jam frosting is one of those recipes where the technique is almost as fun as the result. This pink stunner from a 1958 Woman’s Day advertisement was built around Ann Page Strawberry Preserves — and the jam frosting itself is the whole point. Just three ingredients go into it: egg whites, strawberry preserves and a little lemon juice and rind. The preserves get heated until bubbly, then poured slowly into stiffly beaten egg whites, creating a billowy, pink meringue-style frosting that holds its peaks.

The cake underneath is a straightforward white layer cake — two 8″ or 9″ rounds, split into layers. Strawberry preserves go between the center layers as filling, with the frosting spread between the remaining layers and over the top and sides. The whole thing comes together quickly, which is probably why the original ad called it “April foolproof.” The look is festive and the flavor is all strawberry, without a drop of artificial coloring needed to get that rosy pink.

As a nod to the era’s love of themed holiday entertaining, the Easter bonnet cake leaned into the season’s fashion in a literal way — the pink, “high-style” frosting was meant to evoke a spring hat. Whether you’re recreating it for nostalgia or just looking for an easy holiday showstopper, this one has held up surprisingly well for nearly 70 years.