Holidays & Occasions Mother's Day Mother's Day Cakes That Are Almost as Sweet as Mama By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox There's no one quite like a Southern Mama. She gives the best (often quote-worthy) advice, harbors generations worth of beauty secrets, and can whip up an elaborate three-course meal at the drop of a hat. Most of the year, Mama's everyday efforts may go unnoticed or under-appreciated. But come May, it's time to celebrate number one ladies in our lives, the ones who've always been there for us: our mothers. Treat Mama to a sweet slice of one of these stunning springtime cakes this Mother's Day. Start by picking your mother's favorite flavor. Moms that love cheesecake are going to flip over our Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake. For the mom who loves chocolate, nothing can compete with our Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Make this Mother's Day one for the books with our Coconut Cream Cake—it is an absolute stunner. These treats are worthy of the Mama who does it all; they're the perfect gift for the woman who taught you that the secret to stiff peaks is all in the wrist. 01 of 49 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake The combination of two fresh flavors, lemonade and strawberry, make this pastel cake taste like spring. 02 of 49 Chocolate Bundt Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Chocolate Bundt Cake Boxed cake mix and brownie mix are the secret to this beautiful cake. 03 of 49 Chocolate Strawberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Chocolate Strawberry Cake A chocolate-covered strawberry in cake form? Sign us up. 04 of 49 Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake If Mama has an dietary restrictions, this showstopping cake is dairy-free, gluten-free, and flourless. 05 of 49 German Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: German Chocolate Cake Three chocolate cake layers and Coconut-Pecan Frosting come together to create one of the most classic and decadent Southern cakes. 06 of 49 Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake Light, fluffy, and pretty in pink, this rosé snack cake can be enjoyed all day long. 07 of 49 Hummingbird Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hummingbird Cake Moist layers packed with pineapple, pecans, cinnamon, and bananas make this our most popular cake of all time. 08 of 49 Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Recipe: Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake A cross between a glazed donut and a Bundt, this wow-worthy cake will be the star of your Mother's Day brunch spread. 09 of 49 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Sheet cakes are easy to bake, transport, and ice, yet still deliver plenty of flavor. 10 of 49 Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cake If Mama likes mint chocolate chip ice cream, she'll love this pretty pastel cake that takes on the same flavor. 11 of 49 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Recipe: 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting This layer cake comes together with pantry staples you probably already have on hand, so it's even easier to pull together than running to the store for a boxed mix. 12 of 49 White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Styling: Kay Clarke, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake If you're looking for a brunch dessert that's not too sweet, this loaf is the perfect recipe for serving with post-meal coffee or tea. 13 of 49 Chocolate Zucchini Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cake Mama will never guess that this decadent chocolate cake is really packed full of veggies. 14 of 49 7UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: 7UP Bundt Cake This Bundt cake is oh-so-easy and absolutely delicious. It's based on a classic recipe that uses lemon-lime soft drink. 15 of 49 Pecan Pie Cake Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Pecan Pie Cake We turned everyone's favorite pie recipe into a decadent layer cake that's sure to please Mama. 16 of 49 Lemon Loaf Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Lemon Loaf Cake This easy loaf can be prepared in advance and shared with Mama on her special day. 17 of 49 Strawberry Vanilla Cake Sarah Epperson Recipe: Strawberry Vanilla Cake If you can't decide between a vanilla and a strawberry cake, this recipe gives you the best flavors of both. 18 of 49 Coconut Cream Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Coconut Cream Cake Between our Fluffy Coconut Frosting and the mounds of toasted coconut, this cake is an absolute showstopper. 19 of 49 Angel Food Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Angel Food Cake Angel food cake for the original angel in your life. 20 of 49 Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Southern Living Recipe: Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Think of this masterpiece as a combination of the flavors of a layer cake and a cheesecake in one. 21 of 49 Peach Shortcake Trifle Pam Lolley; Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Peach Shortcake Trifle No icing skills are required to make this showstopping trifle. It can be assembled up to 24 hours before serving. 22 of 49 Chocolate Éclair Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Chocolate Éclair Cake We made a cake that's just as worthy of celebration as the eclair. 23 of 49 Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake If mom prefers cookies to cake, this is the perfect solution. 24 of 49 Classic Chocolate Pound Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Classic Chocolate Pound Cake This one's for all the chocolate-loving mamas out there. 25 of 49 Strawberry Dream Cake GREG DuPREE Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake This cake is pretty on the outside but, just like Mom, what's on the inside is even more lovely. 26 of 49 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake Bring a taste of the tropics to your Mother's Day celebration. 27 of 49 Mini Confetti Cakes Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Mini Confetti Cakes You'll be surprised how few ingredients you need for these mini cakes. 28 of 49 Mary's Mango Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Mary's Mango Cake The cake is made with fresh oranges, limes, and mangos. 29 of 49 Wacky Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Wacky Cake If you want to make a delectable baked good but you're short on time, this Wacky Cake is the perfect, extra-fudgy solution. 30 of 49 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: The Lane Cake If you're really looking to impress, the Lane Cake is a timeless classic. 31 of 49 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake This cake is three layers of pure, chocolatey goodness. The secret ingredient? Mayonnaise. 32 of 49 Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake The secret to a crack-free cheesecake is cooking it gently in a water bath. 33 of 49 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Top each piece of this cake with a thin lemon slice. 34 of 49 Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake Place cut strawberries in the center of this pound cake for a sweet surprise. 35 of 49 Luscious Lemon Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Luscious Lemon Cake Frosting just the top and between the layers saves you time and is perfect for a casual occasion. 36 of 49 Mama's Rum Cake Peter Frank Edwards Recipe: Mama's Rum Cake We took a page out of Mama's book with this classic Rum Cake. 37 of 49 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Southern Living Recipe: Heavenly Angel Food Cake For the sweetest Mama, nothing but this Heavenly Angel Food Cake will do. 38 of 49 Cream Cheese Pound Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Cream Cheese Pound Cake Cream cheese ensures that this pound cake stays fluffy and moist the whole way through. 39 of 49 Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Mama is worth the extra effort required to make this decadent cake. 40 of 49 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake This tropical cake is the perfect way to celebrate spring—and, of course, to honor Mama! 41 of 49 Best Carrot Cake Ever Alison Miksch Recipe: Best Carrot Cake Ever Celebrities and home bakers alike have sung the praises of our classic Carrot Cake—if it can impress Chrissy Teigen, it can certainly impress Mama. 42 of 49 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake This layer cake masterfully balances salty and sweet. Mama will be coming back for a second slice. 43 of 49 Caramel Apple Coffee Cake Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake Upgrade your breakfast in bed spread with a cake well-suited for morning or night. 44 of 49 Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake Edible flowers take this cake to the next level—Mom is going to love them. 45 of 49 Blueberry Cornmeal Cake Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Blueberry Cornmeal Cake This unique cake makes the most of fresh berries, resulting in a sweet treat that can be enjoyed at any time of day. 46 of 49 Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes Achieve the look by frosting with a large, round pastry bag tip. 47 of 49 Cinnamon Coffee Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee Cake A special day to celebrate Mama? That warrants cake for breakfast. 48 of 49 Pineapple-Coconut Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pineapple-Coconut Cake This cake, bursting with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut, will be a new warm-weather staple. 49 of 49 Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Two contrasting icings instantly upgrade this classic pound cake. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit