43 Mother’s Day Cake Recipes to Sweeten Mom’s Day
Admit it: Your mom is the best. So making a Mother’s Day cake to show her how much you care should be a no-brainer. But which cake should you bake? Here’s a hint: Choose one packed with Mom’s favorite flavors, not your own. And remember, it doesn’t need to be an elaborate affair (although we certainly have a few many-layered options if you want to go that route). Mom will love whatever you make, as long as you try your best.
Some of the most delicious cakes in the collection below are easy: a simple strawberry cake dotted with perfect spring berries; a loaf cake flavored with citrusy Earl Grey—ideal snacking cakes to graze on that look and taste good. Just don’t forget to sprinkle in a “Happy Mother’s Day!” over the oohs and aahs. And always bring a card. Moms love cards.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou2/43Heartbeet Chocolate Cake
Red velvet cake called. It wants you to make mom this earthy-sweet chocolate-almond-beet cake instead. A shiny chocolate glaze and edible gold dust make decorating easy.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou and Natasha Pickowicz, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky3/43Tiramisù Layer Cake With Mascarpone Mousse
This coffee-and-cream layer cake from pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz is a project, but so worth the effort. The icing is an espresso-flavored Swiss meringue buttercream.
Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley5/43BA’s Best Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is so simple, but the specific ingredients and equipment matter. Watch how it’s made, here.
Photograph by Christopher Testani. Food styling by Victoria Granof. Prop styling by Alex Brannian.6/43Mini Baked Alaskas
Like little Mother’s Day gifts wrapped in toasted meringue, these miniature baked Alaskas are as foolproof as they are impressive, plus each component can be made ahead of time.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell9/43Sour Cream Coffee Cake
This elegant bundt cake is ideal for serving at a Mother’s Day brunch, and leftover slices are a great breakfast treat for the week ahead.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou and Natasha Pickowicz, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky11/43Vanilla Layer Cake With Mango Curd
This tequila-soaked cake has a tropical margarita vibe we really love. Garnish with edible flowers and freeze-dried fruit for a showstopping Mother’s Day dessert.
Alex Lau13/43White Cupcakes
Here’s a fun Mother’s Day cake idea: Make a big batch of cupcakes and hand one out to every mom you know.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown14/43No-Mixer Vanilla Cake With Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting
Extremely plush and fine-crumbed, this easy cake has an optional fruit-flavored filling made by stirring powdered fruit into a small amount of the icing. Oh, and did we mention the cake batter is mixed entirely by hand?
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou and Natasha Pickowicz, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky16/43Black Forest Layer Cake With Cherry Preserves
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk17/43Ginger-Raspberry Icebox Cake With Caramel Cream
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh20/43Chocolate-Matcha Butter Mochi Cake
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore21/43Raspberry Cake With Whipped Cream Filling
Photograph by Eva Kolenko. Food styling by Susie Theodorou. Set design by Kira Corbin. On set producer: Jennifer Thomas.22/43Rum Cake With Sticky Maple Glaze and Coconut
If a coconut layer cake is too much for you to handle, consider this party-ready bundt cake, which has a full cup of rum (half in the batter, half in the glaze) and gets a coating of toasted coconut flakes.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks23/43Super Lemony Olive Oil Cake
You could serve this simple, elegant cake just as it is. But if you did want to pair it with something, we suggest a tart lemon curd and lightly whipped cream.
Photo by Oriana Koren, food styling by Lillian Kang, prop styling by Jillian Knox24/43Cinnamon-Roll Pound Cake
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian25/43Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh26/43Preserved-Lemon Tea Cake
Preserved lemons rein in the sweetness in this plush olive oil–based loaf. And if you want DIY preserved lemons, we can help.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca27/43Saffron Milk Cake
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski30/43Swirled Sesame Tea Cake
Photo by Alex Lau32/43Olive Oil Cake
Even die-hard butter devotees admit that olive oil makes exceptionally good cakes. Just make sure you use the right olive oil for baking.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Rick Martinez34/43Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
While this Midwestern classic is often made with cake mix, our version starts from scratch and results in a fluffy crumb with a toffee-flavored pudding-like center.
Alex Lau37/43Lemon-Lavender Pound Cake
Look for culinary lavender at specialty food stores, tea and spice shops, or online.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen40/43Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Almond flour is a wonderfully sweet, nutty complement to the fresh carrots, walnuts, and raisins in this shockingly good (yes, shockingly) flourless carrot cake.
Bobbi Lin41/43Semolina Cake With Oranges
The semolina bakes into a crunchy layer on the top and bottom of this yogurt-enriched cake but stays moist and delicate within. Oranges in a bay leaf syrup make a stellar accompaniment.
Photo by Peden + Munk42/43Chocolate-Rye Crumb Cake
Rye flour pairs exceptionally well with chocolate, bringing out its tart, berrylike flavor notes, but you could swap it out for spelt, buckwheat, or another whole grain flour if you’d like.
