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If you're looking to spoil the mom, grandmother, aunt, wife, or special person in your life, look no further than this collection of special Mother's Day desserts. There's something here for every personality and taste, with one underlying theme: they're all fit for a queen.
Some desserts are bursting with that spring feeling, incorporating in-season rhubarb or strawberries. There are also cakes, cupcakes, and cookies with a floral theme. Bright, fresh citrus is on display, too; lemon lovers will find loads of options. And if your Mom loves chocolate? We have some decadent recipes here.
Along with a bouquet of Mom's favorite flower and a heartfelt card, any of these treats is sure to make her day.
Daffodil Cake
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Jacob Fox
This gorgeous two-layer cake is for all the moms who love citrus—or daffodils, or other flowers. It's half light-and-airy angel food cake and half rich, eggy, and citrus-flavored sponge, so each slice is a two-tone treat—topped with a bold citrus glaze and decorated with edible flowers.
Pull-Apart Vanilla-Wafer Cupcake Cake With Berries
Here's a clever dessert that looks like a sheet cake on top, but is actually a gaggle of vanilla-coconut cupcakes topped with fresh berries and fluffy whipped-cream frosting. It's easy to make and even easier to serve—no slicing required.
Martha's Peach Buckle
Try this one-skillet dessert for Mother's Day. It doesn't take long to prepare and the result is one that is sure to warm Mom's heart.
Strawberries With Crème Fraîche and Sugar
Indulge Mom with one of the world's greatest finger foods. The elements are crème fraîche, confectioners' sugar, and the most fragrant, perfectly ripe strawberries you can find. Let her dip, sprinkle, and eat to her heart's content.
Cherry-Cheesecake Celebration Bombe
If your Mom likes cheesecake and you like a project, then this spectacular make-ahead bombe is a must for Mother's Day. This cake of cakes has four components; a no-bake cheesecake batter, a blend of freeze-dried cherries and cookie crumbs, ice cream spiked with cherry syrup, and a tender sponge cake.
Peach-and-Raspberry Oat Cobbler
Celebrate the bounty of vibrant, warm-weather fruit with this berry and peach cobbler that's a breeze to make.
Strawberry-Swirl Bundt Cake
Instead of a strawberry shortcake, try this creative Bundt. To make it, you'll first tint a portion of the batter pink with ground freeze-dried strawberries; once it's poured into the pan alongside the non-tinted batter, you swoosh a knife through to create a swirl. Cue the oohs and aahs.
Flower Wreath Cookies
If your mom is Team Cookie over Team Cake, consider making these beautiful treats for Mother's Day. Sugared rose petals and violets adorn iced sugar cookies. The cookie dough is easy to put together, and the toppings are fun and beautiful to add.
Flourless Chocolate-Date Cake With Salted Caramel Glaze
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Sweet, chewy dates are a terrific addition to a dense, rich chocolate cake. A salted caramel glaze takes this decadent dessert to the next level.
Vanilla Heart-Shaped Cake With Raspberry and Custard-Filling
Show Mom your love by baking her this magnificent heart-shaped layer cake that's filled with vanilla pastry cream and fresh raspberries (you can also use strawberries if that's what she prefers). It's topped with more whipped cream, more berries, and plenty of coconut.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
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5second / Getty Images
It's a simple sweet—but chocolate-covered strawberries are one of the most impressive desserts to make. All you need is melted chocolate and strawberries, though you can add more flavor and texture with crushed pistachios, sprinkles, and other toppings.
Strawberries-and-Cream Stack Cake
This no-bake, make-ahead treat makes a spectacular finale to a Mother's Day dinner—and you can whip it up in short order. Simply whisk mascarpone and heavy cream into glossy peaks, soak store-bought ladyfingers in a quick caramel, and layer both with sliced fresh strawberries. Let the flavors meld in the refrigerator where they'll achieve the texture of a traditional sponge cake without any baking.
Raspberry and Chocolate-Hazelnut Crepe Cake
A stack of homemade crepes layered with two different whipped-cream fillings—white chocolate with raspberry and dark chocolate hazelnut—create a stunner of a dessert. No oven, no problem.
Stone-Fruit Galette
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Carson Downing
We love the galette, a rustic, low-maintenance dessert that offers everything you love about a traditional tart. Here, you fill the crust with slices of sweet stone fruit, such as peaches or apricots.
Instant Pot Cheesecake
If you want to maximize your time with Mom while also giving her an extra-special dessert, make this cheesecake recipe that uses the versatile multicooker.
Nectarine Clafoutis
Maybe you can't take Mom to the French countryside for Mother's Day, but you can give her a taste of a classic European dessert with this fruity, custardy cake accented with nectarine slices.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
These beauties hold a sweet surprise: chopped strawberries. Topped with fluffy whipped cream and a strawberry slice, these cupcakes embody everything we love about berries and cream.
Bourbon and Brown Sugar Cake With Berries
Looking for a Mother's Day dessert that will wow but is not hard to make? You've come to the right place. With notes of caramel, plenty of tart, colorful berries, and a few shots of bourbon, this hits the mark.
Chocolate-Chip Oat-Coconut Skillet Cookie
If your mom has a serious sweet tooth, she will adore this skillet cookie. It's loaded with chopped chocolate, coconut flakes, and rolled oats.
Lemon Curd Soufflé Tart
One of Martha's favorite desserts is lemon meringue pie, so we made a tart recipe inspired by that bright and light dessert. The lemon-yellow filling balances richness with an airy texture.
Chocolate-Mousse Parfaits
Keeping your Mother's Day celebration small? This indulgent dessert serves two and we guarantee there won't be a scoop left.
Vanilla Sponge Cake With Strawberry-Meringue Buttercream
For the mom who loves strawberries and tall cakes, make this light-as-air sponge cake with strawberries sandwiched between its layers. There's also an ethereal whipped frosting with more strawberry flavor and berries piled on top for decoration.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Rolled Pavlova
Impressive yet easy to make, this tubular take on a traditional pavlova is a dessert Mom will adore. A voluminous meringue gets spread thinly and baked at a high temperature to render it golden and a little crisp on top. Once cooled, it is rolled up with a homemade rhubarb-raspberry jam, sliced strawberries, and whipped cream.
Brown-Sugar Peach Pavlova
A pavlova is a celebratory dessert and just right for Mother's Day. Poached peaches on top of the brown-sugar meringue base is a fabulous combination.
Peach and Blueberry Tart With Cream Cheese Filling
This beautiful dessert is worthy of a mom who's sweet as a peach. The fruit-filled tart is better than any gift you could buy in a store.
Coconut Water Granita
This four-ingredient Mother's Day dessert is an easy, make-ahead option. It's also pretty in pink and just right for any mom who prefers a cool treat to a baked cake.
Orange-Cardamom Bundt Cake
The subtle spice from ground cardamom in this cake is a fabulous contrast to the fresh, punchy orange zest mixed in the batter.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
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Cakes made with olive oil are flavorful and moist. Depending on the olive oil you use, they can be wonderfully rich, too. This one, accented with lemon, is lovely on its own but even better with mascarpone and berries.
Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo
This make-ahead dessert for Mother's Day is simply delicious. Elderflower liqueur adds lovely floral notes to the frozen treat.
Hummingbird Carrot Cake
Packed with canned pineapple, shredded carrots, and sweetened shredded coconut, this layer cake is moist and delicious. It's sandwiched and covered with a cream cheese frosting that's simply irresistible and decorated with chopped pecans and more shredded carrots.
Naked Fruit Chiffon Cake
The secret to a cloud-like yellow cake like this one is the use of cake flour and whipped egg whites, which give it a texture similar to angel food cake. Each layer is filled with homemade whipped cream and the cake is topped with macerated fruit.
Rice Pudding With Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce
Our modern twist on this old-fashioned dessert is topped with a homemade salted caramel sauce and chopped chocolate, plus a scattering of mixed berries for a pop of color.
Raspberry-Almond Crisp
Bursting beneath a crumbly mixture of rolled oats, sliced raw almonds, and light brown sugar are six cups of fresh raspberries. Pure vanilla extract and more light brown sugar add sweetness to this Mother's Day dessert recipe.
Lime Pudding Cups
With a third of a cup of fresh lime juice, as well as zest, there's plenty of deliciously tart citrus flavor in these pudding cups.
Vanilla-Rhubarb Tart
If your mom loves rhubarb as much as we do, bake her this bright pink dessert for Mother's Day.
Vanilla Pudding Pie
Vanilla and chocolate is a classic, hard-to-beat pairing, as this decadent pie proves.
French Fruit Tart
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This is a rich and creamy dessert with a French-style filling made with sour cream. Lots of mixed berries mixed with warmed apricot jam are all the decoration it needs.
Pistachio-Rhubarb Yogurt Cake
Emblazoned with thick pieces of rhubarb, this next-level dessert is guaranteed to please. Roasting the rhubarb with sugar before baking mellows it, and adding ground pistachios to the batter brings a sweet nuttiness.
Crème Caramel
Just four ingredients—milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla—are all you need to make these rich, creamy individual Mother's Day desserts.
Martha's Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Molten lava cakes are surely one of the most indulgent, irresistible chocolate desserts around. They're just the thing to serve for a Mother's Day dessert.
Rhubarb-Raspberry Cheesecake Squares
A ruby-red gelée of rhubarb and raspberries tops the creamy filling and graham-cracker crust in this easy cheesecake. Serve it for dessert at your Mother's Day brunch.
Pavlova Wreath With Berries and Crème Fraîche
An extra special dessert for Mother's Day, this pavlova is piped into a wreath (rather than the usual dome) and filled with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Vanilla-Raspberry Baked Alaska
Go all out for Mother's Day with this showstopping ice cream treat covered in torched meringue.
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
A double hit of fudgy flavor in this easy skillet cookie will surely please any chocolate-loving mom.
Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie
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Christopher Testani
Tart cherries combine with a creamy filling in this decadent dessert. The buttery puff pastry creation is equally good for a Mother's Day brunch.
Chocolate-Flecked Layer Cake With Milk Chocolate Frosting
Sophisticated yet simple to make, this tall, tender beauty is one of our favorite go-to special-occasion cakes. What saves the lush milk chocolate frosting from being too sweet is the addition of tangy sour cream.
Classic Cream Puffs
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Carson Downing
These ethereal pastries are sure to impress. Follow our step-by-step instructions, and you'll be a cream puff pro.
Walnut and Honey Baklava
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Mike Krautter
Here's a dessert that's as sweet as Mom. The filling for these phyllo treats is made with walnuts, cinnamon, and honey for plenty of texture and nutty flavor.
Confetti Cake With Vanilla Frosting
This festive sheet cake features delicious homemade sprinkles (which are less complicated to make than you'd think!) atop an old-fashioned cooked milk frosting, which offers the perfect balance of not-too-sweet creaminess.
Coffee Meringue-Ice Cream Cake
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A cappuccino lover's dream, this dessert ramps up store-bought ice cream with almonds, ground coffee, and a little flaky salt. Then, the ice cream is sandwiched between coffee-swirled meringues to form this bold and crunchy coffee dessert.
Coconut-Sugar Hummingbird Cake
Mom will be delighted and impressed when you serve this magnificent cake. It's moist and sweet, thanks to fresh banana and pineapple but not as over-the-top sweet as some versions of this Southern classic.
Orange and Poppy Seed Sheet Cake
Full of citrus flavor, this cake includes orange zest, sour cream, poppy seeds, and vanilla paste in the batter and orange juice in the heavenly (but easy to make) icing. For slicing, anything goes; small or large planks, slices on the bias, and even triangles. Plus, it's perfect for a picnic because it's a breeze to transport and, depending on how you cut it, can be eaten without utensils.
Lemon Snack Cake With Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting
This single-layer confection is perfect for any time of day and stars lemon juice and zest, which brighten the batter.
Rhubarb Crisp
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Jacob Fox
This easy spring dessert is a combination of tart rhubarb and buttery oats. Top it with vanilla ice cream for a creamy finish.
Chocolate Angel Food Cake With Double-Chocolate Frosting
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Brie Goldman
Chocolate-loving moms will appreciate this chocolate angel food cake. Its light texture and rich frosting make it a perfect celebration cake. Don't forget to top it with chocolate shavings.
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