Nothing marks a special occasion quite like a cake, and for that reason, this Mother's Day is the perfect time to honor Mom in the comfort of home with a freshly baked pastry.

For all of those times she cleaned your room, cheered you on at soccer, stayed up late to make that costume for the school play or made your favorite lasagna, now it's your chance to let her know how special she is.

So dads, big brothers or sisters, grab an apron and march yourself into the kitchen. If there are little ones around too small to master a spoon, let them decorate the finished cake with candies or sprinkles.

You always can order one from a bakery or head out to your favorite local restaurant, but it's not the same. She'll appreciate a simple, straight-ahead cake made lovingly by you so much more.

When you use the proper ingredients, cakes can be simple and still sublime. A plain lemon loaf cake with a basket of her favorite teas can make a gray day sunny.

How to make the perfect cake

Here are some tips from "The Dessert Bible" by Christopher Kimball (Little, Brown and Co., $29.95) and "Maida Heatter's Cakes" (Andrews McNell, $22.95):

- Never trust baking times, as oven temperatures vary from oven to oven. Check at the minimum time to ensure your cake won't be overbaked.

- Bake on the oven's middle rack for best results.

- Use the cake pan size suggested in the recipe. A larger or smaller version may make the cake sink in the middle or have a domed center.

- Grease pans before assembling batter.

- Never let cake batter sit once prepared.

- If you're planning to transport a cake, here's a trick from the queen of desserts, Maida Heatter, who used to bake desserts at home and whose husband then transported them in his station wagon to his restaurant: Melt about 1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate and place it in the center of the cake plate. Place cake directly on the chocolate, which will act as a paste to keep it from sliding.

- Line up the ingredients in the order they are called for before you start mixing.

Mother's Day Cake

1 (18-ounce) package yellow cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup apricot nectar

3 teaspoons almond extract

1 recipe lemon icing (recipe follows)

Gumdrops

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease and lightly flour two pans: a 1-inch rimmed, 12-inch round pizza or cake pan and 11/2 quart metal or ovenproof baking bowl.

Combine all the ingredients except the icing, then beat in an electric mixer at medium speed for four minutes. Divide the batter between the pan and bowl; bake the pan for 20 to 25 minutes and the bowl for 45 to 50 minutes (both are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).

Let the cakes rest for five minutes before removing from the pans. Cool completely.

Center the bowl-shaped cake over the flat one.

Ice the cake and finish with a hat ribbon and gumdrop "flowers."

Makes 12 servings.

For the lemon icing

This buttercream frosting is flavored with lemon, but raspberry, mint and vanilla are just as delicious.

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons lemon extract, or zest and juice or 1 lemon

Pinch of salt

4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Cream the butter, then gradually beat in 1 cup of the sugar. Mix in the lemon extract and salt.

Add the remaining sugar and just enough cream to create a spreadable icing.

Makes 3 cups.

Source: "Family Fun Cookbook" (Disney, $24.95)

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