9 Last-Minute Desserts To Make For Mother’s Day
Photo, Erik Putz.
It's Mother's Day weekend, and you still don't have a game plan? Don't worry: you still have plenty of time to pull together something sweet for Mom. Here are nine high-impact, low-effort desserts that come together in a snap: some are no-bake, while others are ready in less than 90 minutes. As Mom might say, let's get crackin'!
Strawberry Chocolate Cake
Strawberries and chocolate are a match made in heaven, so why not marry the flavours in this decadent, delicious cake? Baking it in sheet-cake format makes for a quick and easy assembly. Get this strawberry chocolate cake recipe.
Stained Glass Jelly Cake
Also known as gelatina mosaico in Mexico and Brazil, this no-bake dessert is made from sweetened condensed and evaporated milks, and cubed Jell-O. You can set it in eight to 10 cups for individual desserts, or in a Bundt pan for an easy weekend stunner. Get this stained glass jelly cake recipe.
No-Bake Rhubarb Charlotte
This quick, no-bake dessert announces that spring is finally here. Beautiful and bright, rhubarb’s signature acidity is tempered by creamy mascarpone. Get this rhubarb charlotte recipe.
Christine Flynn’s Wacky Cake
First popularized in the ’40s and revived in the 90s for its efficient use of cocoa and oil, this easy, eggless cake comes together in under an hour and is deeply chocolatey. Get this wacky cake recipe.
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
What's not to love about this retro dessert? An upside-down cake is deceptively easy to make, and the inverted fruit means you can skip frosting. We've simplified the process in this recipe for quick, impressive results. Get this rhubarb upside-down cake recipe.
Quick Pear and Plum Tartlets
Want to surprise Mom with a café-quality breakfast in bed? These puff pastry tarts come together quickly and can use almost any seasonal fruit: swap in strawberries or stewed rhubarb for a spring touch. Get this pear and plum tartlet recipe.
Raspberry-Rhubarb Mini Pavlovas
These cloud-like mini pavlovas make a light and elegant dessert. Get this rhubarb pavlova recipe.
Coconut Flan
When cookbook author Diala Canelo was growing up in Santo Domingo, every celebration, birthday and Sunday lunch would end with a delicious flan. This one is made with coconut milk, which creates a velvety-smooth custard and adds a rich tropical flavour. Get this coconut flan recipe.
Milk Punch Marble Cake
This twist on tres leches cake can be shaken up in no time with store-bought pound cake. Get this milk punch cake recipe.
Still need a gift for Mom? We have some inspiration for you—including pretty picks at every price point and from our favourite Canadian brands.
And yes, there's still time to plan a delicious brunch. Here are nine simple ideas, from piña colada sheet-pan pancakes to perfect scrambled eggs.
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