7 cakes to make mum on Mother’s Day

Who doesn’t love a classic carrot cake? Moist, delicious and easy to make, Nathan Outlaw takes the iconic bake and serves it as a petit four, making them just the right size for snacking on at any time of day. Served with a hot cup of tea, this moreish dish is perfect for Mothering Sunday. And because there’s so many, Mum won’t notice if a few go missing before they make their way out of the kitchen.

Chocolate cake is universally loved, and Angela Field throws in some raspberry compote for good measure, using a rose-infused Swiss meringue buttercream to sandwich the sponge layers together. The presentation looks fantastic and is surprisingly easy to achieve with nothing more than a piping bag and palette knife.

OK, it’s not technically a cake, but we couldn’t exclude this millionaire’s chocolate tart recipe from the list. Perfect for the chocoholic mums out there, this sweet bake is a real treat. With a crispy base, oozing salted caramel and an indulgent dark chocolate topping, there’s no chance of this stunning dessert going to waste.

If chocolate isn’t your mum’s cup of tea, this boozy cake might just hit the spot! With a generous serving of gin, this stunning cake tastes like a carefree summer afternoon and works well paired with the cocktail itself. It’s gluten-free too, making it perfect for mums with intolerances or allergies. Gin might be known as Mother’s Ruin, but this cake is guaranteed not to ruin Mother’s Day.

This lemon drizzle cake from Karen Burns-Booth tastes great but looks even better thanks to the beautiful springtime garnish of sweet edible flowers. Easy to make, this recipe takes just an hour of your time and is the perfect after-dinner treat. Skip the hastily-bought supermarket bouquet of flowers this year and serve up a selection of daisies, violets, violas, pansies and crystallised primroses instead.

Mum not a massive fan of traditional cakes? Not to worry – give this exotic passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake a go instead. The recipe is a little more challenging than a simple sponge (and the orange crisps need two days of advance planning), but the results are truly phenomenal. The rich, creamy cheesecake combined with the zingy passion fruit jelly and crunchy Hobnob biscuit base is better than anything you could buy in the shops.

Bring the 1970s back with this Black Forest gâteau from Andy McLeish. Perfect for the chocoholic (or anyone who grew up with the kitsch retro dish), this sumptuous flourless cake contains a kirsch-infused milk chocolate mousse and is finished with a shimmering chocolate glaze. Although moderately challenging to make, this cake is a serious showstopper that the whole family can enjoy on Mother’s Day (if Mum’s feeling generous).