Simple but special cake inspiration needed!

[Oblongogo]

I’m going away for my mums birthday in a few weeks, I’d like to make a cake but haven’t baked in a while as busy with kids, and totally uninspired by all the recipe books I have! can anyone recommend something that fits following:

• not too reliant on fancy icing for the wow factor
• would keep for a few days / easily transported
• minimal amount of specialty ingredients that will be bought once and sit in the cupboard for eternity (I’m looking at you, orange blossom water)

Lotus biscoff cake

Lotus jar 400g melted

• 2 eggs +1.5 TSP baking powder

Can double recipe to make it bigger

Decorate with melted biscoff and biscuits

I made Nigella’s Chocolate & Guinness cake for my husband’s birthday recently and he loved it. It keeps really well for a couple of days.
www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake

I used to make this cake a lot! Delicious

This is my fave

White choc & raspberry cake

Are you in the UK op?
Tbh I think a birthday cake is pretty special.as in sponge butter cream and I'm with fondant icing.

A lemon and orange drizzle gets better with a wait time so it's get super moist.

If you wait a parkin is also gorgeous.the wait of a few days will render it yummy.

There a lemon mirangue pie.

Or a pavlova. The mirangue can be done well in advance and put together just before.one fruit,one choc and caramel themed I tiers looked spectacular wheb we did it.

Raspberry and white choc cake.
Cupcakes.
Any other details you can give to help us advice?

For absolutely minimal effort but wow factor I'd probably buy a cake mix from a specialist baking shop. I'm sure I'll get banned from MN forever for suggesting it but most of the high end cake mixes are incredible, and are used regularly by professional bakers.

For the icing I'd do a plain buttercream, once made I'd slowly add in some slightly cooled melted white chocolate. This gives the icing a beautiful consistency and is slightly firmer once set.

I'd transport the cake like that and immediately before serving I'd top with chopped strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, and liberally sprinkled with dried edible flowers. Then a cake topper made of wood or wire perhaps with your mum's age on it.

Incredibly easy and would look stunning (in my opinion) with no wasted ingredients.

What sort of cakes does your mum like? Citrus? Chocolate? Loads of buttercream? Fruit?

Thanks for the ideas, I want to avoid buttercream and fondant really, from a time perspective and she’s not really into super sweet stuff. I’ve seen an apple cake in an ottolenghi book that might fit the bill

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/very-best-chocolate-fudge-cake/

If your mum likes chocolate cake I made this one recently. It was very rich but easy and delicious.

Ottolenghi's lemon and blueberry cake is fabulous.

Norwegian Apple cake is fabulous