Made for mums

Mothers don't want fancy presents, or even flashy, treat meals (though she probably wouldn't object!). Ask most mums what they'd like on Mothering Sunday (March 26, in case it's not on your calendar) and it's likely to be 'time with the family'. So book yourself in for a bake off, make a cake and turn up in time for afternoon tea. It's guaranteed to make everyone happy.

These three spectacular bakes from blogger and baker to the stars, Georgia Green (www.georgias-cakes.co.uk), are made for mums.

GEORGIA'S OMBRE CAKE

For the cake:

250g butter

250g caster sugar

250g self raising flour

200g eggs (about 4)

1tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

500g icing sugar

150g softened butter

60ml milk

1 vanilla pod

Pink food colouring

To decorate (optional):

Fresh fruit macarons

Meringue kisses

White chocolate shards

Strawberries

Flowers

To make the cake, melt the butter then mix together with the caster sugar. Add the eggs and mix through, then the flour and vanilla until incorporated. Divide equally into two six-inch cake tins and bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes, until they are cooked through.

For the buttercream, beat together the icing sugar, butter and milk and add the seeds from the vanilla pod. Keep beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Once the cakes have cooled, cut into two layers so you have a total of four layers of cake. Put the first layer onto a cake board or plate with a little buttercream underneath so it doesn't slip. Pipe or spread some buttercream onto the layer of cake and sandwich another on top. Repeat until you get to the last cake, being sure to turn the final layer upside down, so the top is the flat part from the cake tin. Smother buttercream over the whole layered cake and scrape away the excess (this is called crumb coating). Refrigerate or freeze for 20 minutes until the buttercream has hardened.

In a separate bowl, mix a couple of heaped tablespoons of buttercream with some food colouring to get a dark colour. Spread a thin layer of the coloured buttercream around the bottom of the cake. Add some more white buttercream to the coloured one to make a lighter shade, and spread it on the cake just above the layer you just did. Repeat until you get to the top, where you want to spread white buttercream on the top layer and the top of the cake. Use a scraper or palate knife to go around the cake, smooth out the sides and you should achieve the ombre effect.

Even out the top of the cake so it's flat and decorate with fruit, flowers and sweet treats, or however you like.

CREME PATISSERIE & FRESH FRUIT TART

For the pastry:

200g flour

100g butter

50g egg (about 1)

Pinch of salt

For the jam:

100g raspberries

100g sugar

Lemon juice, if needed

For the creme patisserie:

375ml milk

Vanilla pod

60g egg yolk

90g caster sugar

30g corn flour

30g flour

To decorate:

Fresh fruit (Georgia uses blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but you can choose what you like)

Gold leaf or dust (optional)

To make the pastry, rub the flour, salt and butter together to form a sand-like consistency. Add the egg and combine until dough is formed. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes, until firm. Blind bake in your tin with baking beans for 12 minutes, until the edges have started to become crisp, then remove the beans and cook until light and golden (about 10 more minutes).

For the creme patisserie, scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the milk and heat up until steaming. Whisk together the yolk and sugar until light and creamy. Sift in the flours and combine.

Pour half the milk into the egg mix, then pour all the mix into the milk pan and stir constantly until thickened and bubbling.

Transfer onto a flat tray and cover with cling film until cool. Whisk up again until the mix is smooth, and fill a piping bag. To make the jam, mix the raspberries and sugar in a pan and bring up to 107C. Pour onto a flat tray and leave to cool. If the mixture is too thick, add lemon juice to loosen it up. To assemble your tart, spread a layer of jam on to the base of the pastry. Pipe over the creme patisserie. Pipe some larger drops of creme patisserie on the top, then scatter the fruit and finish off with some gold leaf or dust (if using).