15 Cakes That Will Show Mom Just How Much You Care

There’s no better way to thank Mom for all that she does than with a homemade treat. From classics like carrot cake and hummingbird cake to swirled pound cake and Bundts drizzled with icing, these recipes are sure to make her day extra special.

April 04, 2023

By: Kristie Collado

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Made with Love

When it comes to Mother’s Day we’re all about grand gestures, like special dinner or a handmade dessert. That’s why we love the idea of baking Mom a cake for her big day. Sure, it will take a little bit of planning and yes, you’ll have to spend some time decorating it and making it look pretty—but it's one dessert that’s guaranteed to show Mom just how much you care. Luckily, we’ve got lots of great ideas to help you find something that’s just right for the mom in your life, starting with Molly’s foolproof carrot cake. She makes it special by using hawaij, a cardamom-forward Yemeni spice blend in both the cake and the frosting. If you can’t find it at your grocery store this recipe will walk you through the steps to make your own at home, using spices from the pantry.

Get the Recipe: Molly's Carrot Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Victorian Rose Geranium Cake

Anne’s recipe calls for a specialty ingredient (rose geranium leaves) because they’re perfect for infusing flavor into sugar and baked goods. If you can’t find them at your farmer’s market or specialty store you can add a few drops of rosewater to your cake batter instead. Or, omit the floral flavor altogether — the cake will still be delicious.

Get the Recipe: Victorian Rose Geranium Cake

Strawberries and Wine Flower Cheesecake

Put this beautiful, no-bake cheesecake out and Mom might just think you're a professional baker! We used sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges to create the flower on top, but you can use other fruit to create your own design. Just make sure to avoid pineapple, kiwi, papaya, mango and guava, which all contain an enzyme that will prevent the gelatin from setting properly.

Get the Recipe: Strawberries and Wine Flower Cheesecake

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This classic Southern cake is really simple to make. Damaris reserves a little bit of the pineapple juice to use in the cake itself, which really brings out the flavor.

Get the Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Tea Cake

Just like a mug cake (but prettier) this tea-infused treat comes together easily with the help of a microwave-safe teacup. After the cake cools, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon will make it look just like a tea latte from Mom’s favorite cafe!

Get the Recipe: Tea Cake

Chocolate Chevron Cake

Ina’s chocolatey cake is both elegant and rich. To spend more time with Mom on the holiday, bake the cake in advance, then wrap and refrigerate it until Mother’s Day. Once the cake is frosted, it can be left at room temperature for up to eight hours.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chevron Cake

Hummingbird Cake

If Mom loves banana bread, she’ll adore Kardea’s take on Hummingbird Cake. Mashed banana is combined with crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, toasted pecans and warm baking spices for a tender, sweet cake reminiscent of her favorite quick bread. Finish with a rich buttermilk frosting and dried fruit for a presentation worthy of Mom's special day.

Get the Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

Flowerpot Cake

Believe it or not, you can make this show-stopping cake for Mom in just 2 hours, thanks to boxed cake mix, store-bought frosting and real flowers. Just be sure the ones you purchase are clearly labeled ‘edible’ so that they’re safe to include on top of your cake.

Get the Recipe: Flowerpot Cake

Raspberry-Swirl Pound Cake

An eye-catching treat that's easy to prepare, this raspberry-swirl pound cake yields 8-10 slices — enough to feed everyone and have a few slices left over for the next day.

Get the Recipe: Raspberry-Swirl Pound Cake

Almond Honeycomb Cake

This melt-in-your-mouth cake is soaked with the flavors of wildflower honey, citrus and cardamom before getting a finishing touch of glossy honey glaze — just like a real honeycomb!

Get the Recipe: Almond Honeycomb Cake

Sprinkles Cake

Make a bright, cheerful dessert with Molly’s easy recipe. All you need are a few baking staples and some colorful sprinkles. Best of all, this recipe can be used to make a 3-layer cake or cupcakes — whichever mom likes more!

Get the Recipe: Sprinkles Cake

Double Chocolate Red Wine Bundt

Red wine does double duty in Giada’s decadent dessert. The wine gets mixed into the cake batter for flavor and whisked with powdered sugar to make a pretty-in-pink glaze.

Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Red Wine Bundt Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This is not your average mall-bought giant cookie cake. Molly uses a mix of almond and hazelnut flours as the base — a touch of almond extract really makes the nutty flavors shine. Top it all of with gorgeous buttercream frosting for a dessert that Mom will love.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Marmalade Cake

This ultra-moist cake is spiked with double orange flavor — the batter is made with orange marmalade and the warm cake is drizzled with orange syrup.

Get the Recipe: Marmalade Cake

Spice Cake with Lemon Sauce

Trisha’s tender Bundt cake is perfect when you need a make-ahead dessert. She says, “This is absolutely something you can make a day ahead and it will be great the next day.”

Get the Recipe: Spice Cake with Lemon Sauce