Nonetheless want a gift for Mom’s Day? Go bake her a cake. And for you mothers on the market—do you watched your family members are operating a little bit behind this 12 months? Save them: Request a cake.

A few of my happiest, most profitable mom-oriented days concerned baking my mom’s favourite chocolate cake with a cream cheese ribbon—generally along with her assist, generally stumbling alongside by myself. I believe she preferred it simply as a lot because the awkward poems and framed photographs, although I doubt she’d ever inform.

That will help you discover the proper dessert, I’ve rounded up among the greatest Mom’s Day truffles from the Genius Recipes column, plus a number of different favorites from round Food52. Whether or not you are baking for a mother, grandma, or your self, there is a genius cake right here for everybody. However what I actually wish to know is: What genius cake will you bake to your mom?

1. Chocolate Dump-It Cake From Amanda Hesser

“My mom has many specialties, however her Chocolate Dump-It Cake is most beloved in my household,” Food52 founder Amanda Hesser writes. “She stored this cake within the fridge, and it’s chic even when chilly. I wrote about this Mom’s Day cake in my second e-book, Cooking for Mr. Latte, however needed to rejoice it right here on Food52, as nicely.”

2. Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake

Olive oil cake at its greatest has a crackling crust and an fragrant, oil-rich center, which, if it held any extra moisture, can be pudding. Pulling this off ought to be simple—there aren’t even egg whites to whip and fold, nor butter to cream—but it surely is not all the time. This one, nonetheless, is ideal, and can spoil you for all others.

3. Coconut Tres Leches Cake

“I began making tres leches as a result of it’s my neighbor’s favourite factor, and I like her,” says Food52 contributor aargersi. “I began with Martha Stewart’s recipe, which is a superb jumping-off level—however it’s not as juicy as a standard tres leches, which you’ll find resting in a shallow lake of candy milk. So I adjusted up for that, and right here I’ve swapped in some coconut and a few lime (as a result of it’s one in every of coconut’s BFFs), and I used Tahitian vanilla, which is a little more floral than Mexican (however if you cannot discover it, go along with whatcha received). It is wealthy and milky and coconutty and good. Ask the neighbors.”

4. Amazon Cake

Meet your new go-to Mom’s Day cake, bake sale cake, ceremonial dinner cake, late-night snack cake—for when the fridge is at its barest and also you want chocolate cake now. (It is also vegan and parve and dust low cost, however you would not know except we advised you.) This is not the richest, most chocolatey cake—in case you like, you possibly can amp up the chocolate by swapping in espresso for the water, or including extra cocoa. However you needn’t. It is a totally different animal: gentle, delicately strung along with cocoa, and never terribly candy.

5. Banana Cake With Penuche Frosting From Lindsay-Jean Laborious

“I consider this as my grandmother’s recipe,” Lindsay-Jean writes, “but it surely’s truly her mom’s or her mother-in-law’s…both method, it was a particular cake that she would make for my father’s birthday, because it’s his favourite cake (and mine, too). It is a easy seeming cake (no vanilla?! not a spice to be discovered?!), but it surely’s like your favourite banana bread, solely lighter and fluffier, and the frosting actually makes this cake.”

6. Roberta’s Parsley Cake

If we will put rosemary in our frozen yogurt and thyme in our cookies, there’s nothing stopping parsley from treading over the road. It is festive and herb-forward, but additionally a shiny spot on the finish of a dense, salty Mom’s Day meal.

7. Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake From Nigella Lawson

On creating this cake, Nigella Lawson explains, “I bear in mind very strongly desirous to create what we name a loaf cake—and what’s usually referred to as a pound cake Stateside—that had a richness and squidginess of texture that this type of cake usually does not main in.” And he or she did.

8. Rhubarb Buckle With Ginger Crumb

There is a secret ingredient in right here: ginger (occasions two). Fiery candied ginger is minced up within the crumb topping, and floor ginger within the cake, too—simply sufficient to offer it a heat, flirty “je ne sais quoi” that does not attempt to shout over the rhubarb.

9. Extraordinarily Moist Chocolate Beet Cake From Nigel Slater

Step apart, purple velvet. It simply so occurs that the deep pink earthiness of a beet is surprisingly nicely suited to bittersweet chocolate. Crushed beets are additionally a reasonable technique to make a cake achingly moist, practically molten. You do not want all that purple meals coloring in spite of everything to make one of the best Mom’s Day cake.

10. Louisa’s Cake From Jennifer Wagner

“Louisa is a household pal, gardener, and chef from Castellina in Chianti, Italy, the place we collect a number of occasions a 12 months,” recipe writer Jennifer Wagner writes. “She cooks all the pieces from reminiscence and threw this collectively one evening final spring. After we pressed her for the recipe she unexpectedly rattled some components off and we scrambled to write down all of it down on a serviette. Together with my husband and youngsters, we have examined this cake about six occasions, and pals are continually asking for the recipe.”

11. Chocolate Cloud Cake From Richard Sax

Flourless chocolate cake meets dreamy soufflé on this chocolate cloud cake that almost all definitely lives as much as its identify. A couple of sensible tips—like whipping among the egg whites with sugar to make a fluffy meringue that will get folded in—assist give this cake crackly edges and a moussey middle any mom would love.

12. Lemon Buttermilk Cake From Maida Heatter

With a near-perfect 5 star score (over 50 opinions and counting!), this Genius buttermilk cake makes a stunning vacation deal with—particularly in case your mother’s a fan of puckery sweets. The recipe requires extra lemon and lemon zest than you’d usually discover, plus the entire thing will get soaked in a lemony sugar syrup, so you will not have the ability to miss that citrusy kick if you take a chunk.  

13. Olive (Oil) Cake From Charlotte Druckman

If including precise olives feels like a not-so-great thought, simply belief us on this one—it is the salty-tangy addition you did not know your olive oil cake was lacking. For followers of savory-sweet combos, it is just about assured to be a success.

14. Our Finest Carrot Cake From Coral Lee 

Whereas it might not technically be a Genius recipe, the carrot cake recipe from former Food52er Coral Lee is by far our absolute best. Moist, spongy cake with simply the correct amount of warming spices? Test. Extremely-fluffy cream cheese frosting that is not too candy? Test. This Mom’s Day cake ticks all the appropriate packing containers.

15. Strawberry Not-So-Quick Cake From Erin McDowell 

For an actual Mom’s Day showstopper (that the entire household can dig in to), look no additional than this towering strawberry not-so-short cake from star baker Erin McDowell. 

16. Fudgy Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake From Susan Miglore

This birthday cake goes again three generations in my household (take a look at the complete story right here), and I believe it will make very scrumptious Mom’s Day cake for any chocolate-loving mother. 

17. Entire Orange Cake From Sundown Journal & Stephanie Spencer

Meet the spunky citrus cake that is excellent at brightening up somebody’s day (like, ahem, your mother). Shock her with a slice or two and a freshly brewed pot of espresso within the morning for the sweetest-ever wake-up name. 

18. Contemporary Ginger Cake From Sylvia Thompson

This hot-off-the-press Genius ginger cake is not like others you’ve got met earlier than—as in, it does not style prefer it got here from the stale nook of a pastry store or a candle retailer. The important thing: extra freshly grated ginger than you most likely assume is critical (you possibly can even go away the pores and skin on).

19. Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake From Dorie Greenspan

This apple cake has been getting a stellar response: “I made this pretty cake final evening, received rave opinions from friends,” one neighborhood member wrote. Our guess? Your mother will like it, too. 

20. Chocolate Quinoa Cake From Paula Shoyer

This flourless chocolate cake achieves a not-too-rich, birthday-cake-like crumb all because of a shock ingredient: quinoa! Mix the batter to characteristic the quinoa a little bit or lots—both method, you will love the feel it brings to this fudgy cake.  

21. Darkish Chocolate Malt Cake From Samantha Seneviratne

Malted milk powder brings this cake its deep, darkish chocolate energy, bolstered by robust brewed espresso and enhanced by the addition of bitter cream. Better of all, there is a trick to getting the sprinkles on the cake’s perimeter simply (however we cannot give away the key!).

22. Kabocha, Olive Oil & Bittersweet Chocolate Cake From Nicole Rucker & Gjelina

Should you’re a fan of cozy, squishy pumpkin bread, this kicked-up model that includes wealthy, candy kabocha squash and a silky olive-oil-infused glaze dotted with crisp pepitas could also be your new go-to seasonal fave. 

 

23. Strawberry & Butterscotch Whipped Cream Cake From Jami Curl

This Genius cake from pastry chef Jami Curl wants no stand mixer—merely stir it collectively utilizing the contemporary or frozen fruit of your alternative (Jami likes utilizing frozen blueberries) and revel in in below an hour. A vanilla and bitter cream batter welcomes any and all customizations. 

24. Ian Knauer’s Chocolate Eggplant Truffles

A glut of summer season eggplant impressed this chocolate eggplant cake (which was, in flip, impressed by applesauce cake). Sweetened with wildflower honey and dolloped with whipped cream—spiked with maple syrup and salt if you would like—this cake makes essentially the most of prolific summer season produce. 

25. Danielle Noce’s Brazilian Carrot Cake

This carrot cake, common in kitchens throughout Brazil, is harking back to a pound cake with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze that provides sweetness and complexity to acquainted flavors. Get away the Bundt pan and put together to find the magic.

26. Molly Yeh’s Darkish Chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf

It is a loaf, it is a scone, it is a chocolate marzipan cake! Because of the boundless creativity of Molly Yeh, this Mom’s Day–pleasant dessert is all that and extra. Dive in to this scrumptious hybrid confection, and uncover its hidden perks.

27. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte

This flourless chocolate torte is a greater and purer automobile for chocolate than chocolate itself (scientifically talking). Should you’re craving the type of oblivion solely a healthy dose of wealthy darkish chocolate can present, that is the recipe for you. 

Extra Nice Truffles for Mother, Beneficial By the Food52 Editors

28. Best Chocolate Mousse Cake

Mother deserves the sweetest, most indulgent dessert for Mom’s Day and this wealthy chocolate cake studded with contemporary raspberries matches the invoice. The bottom, which is a chewy chocolate brownie, is topped with the airiest chocolate mousse adopted by a thick layer of vanilla whipped cream.

29. Candy Potato Hummingbird Cake

Every thing that you simply’ve come to know and love a few hummingbird cake—contemporary bananas, diced pineapple, and naturally an epic layer of cream cheese frosting—is on this cake. However Mother ought to have a little bit one thing additional for Mom’s Day, which is why we’ve added inexperienced peanuts and grated candy potatoes for additional moisture and sweetness.

30. Martha Stewart’s Pineapple-Banana Upside-Down Cake

Depart it to Martha to develop the recipe for our new favourite Mom’s Day cake. It’s fruitier, sweeter, and dare we are saying higher model of the old style dessert. Thick pineapple slices are organized in concentric circles to type a flower-like look. 

31. Lemon-Raspberry Skillet Pudding Cake

Raspberries are simply beginning to attain their peak season round Mom’s Day, which makes this shiny cake good Mom’s Day. It’s greatest served heat, straight from the cast-iron skillet (ideally with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream as a result of mother deserves it).

32. Toasted Almond Chocolate Bundt Cake

Should you grew up having fun with a toasted almond ice cream bar on the seashore throughout summer season, you’ll love this cake. It’s made with a mixture of almond flour and all-purpose flour, a duo of almond and vanilla extract, and melted chocolate.

33. Cream Cake

Mother will love this tremendous simple cake, which is gentle like an angel meals cake however has the physique of a pound cake. Like a black gown, it’s simplicity is greatest with just some rigorously chosen equipment. On this case, meaning whipped cream and contemporary berries.

34. Strawberry-Rhubarb Tres Leches Cake 

A springy twist on a beloved traditional, soaked in three sorts of milk and topped with whipped cream and jammy fruit.

35. Lemon Velvet Sheet Cake

 Extremely-tender, shiny with lemon, and made for feeding a crowd (or only one very fortunate mother).

Observe: This story was up to date by the Editors in April 2025 to incorporate extra Mom’s Day cake recipes.