German Easter Lamb Cake -Recipe and Lamb Molds

German Easter Lamb Cake is the centerpiece and dessert on many tables at Easter. The sweet lamb,is baked into a lamb shaped mold… then decorated with either a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar, or in some homes, white frosting. In general, the cake is a pound cake, sometimes flavored with ground nuts.

Why a Lamb? Lambs have long been seen as a symbol of rebirth, and to Christians, a lamb represents Jesus, the Lamb of God. This sweet cake is made with sugar and butter… things that were forbidden during Lent, but can now be enjoyed at Easter. (You can dig deeper into they symbolism, and consider that a cake in the shape of an animal is a substitute for an animal sacrifice…. but really… sometimes a cute cake is just a cake)

Easter Lamb cakes hit their peak of “popularity” in mid-Century US, when shaped molds became easier and cheaper to produce. (Not everyone’s Oma carried their heavy cast iron lamb mold with them from Germany.) Today, the Easter Lamb cake seems to be making a nostalgic comeback. Decorated or plain, baked in a fancy mold or a simple one. You can bake your own Easter Lamb Cake… all you need is a recipe, a mold, and a few little tips that will insure success. Or, you can simply buy one if you aren’t a baker.

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Surround the Easter Lamb Cake with colored eggs or Easter Chocolates for a sweet centerpiece.

Easter Lamb 1 Easter lamb sponge cake with glaze, 235gSchmidt LebkuchenEaster lamb package Delicious Easter specialties in a large packageSchmidt Lebkuchen

Easter Lamb Cake Mold Recipes

Molds for German Easter Lamb Cakes can be found below.

Small Recipe Easter Lamb Cake

(Recipe translated from Dr Oetker... for Lamb form 500 ml.)

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Servings 6 people

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 Tablespoon Butter 50 gram
• 1/4 cup Sugar 50 gram
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 5 drops Lemon Essence
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 2/3 cup Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• Powdered Sugar for Sprinkling

Instructions

 

• Beat the butter until light and creamy. Add Sugar, Vanilla Sugar, Salt, and Lemon essence. Beat until it comes together. Add egg and beat on high 30 seconds.Combine Baking Powder with Flour... add to other ingredients, alternating with milk on low, until just mixed.
• Grease the lamb form VERY WELL... dust with flour.
• Fill the face side with batter.Top with the other side of the formPlace the form on a baking sheet.
• Bake 45 minutes at 350

  Let Baked lamb sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove. Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

Tips to insure Easter Lamb Cake Success

1. Reinforce the structure of the lamb by laying a few toothpicks or a wooden skewer up its neck before baking. This will help the head stay on. Toothpicks going across the head to the ears will help too.
2. Attach the top of the mold to the bottom with a clamp or band before baking. This will insure that the batter rises up to fill the top pan, and doesn't just knock it aside.
3. Don't take the cake out Early!
4. Loosen the edges completely before trying to remove it from the pan
5. Smooth the bottom of the lamb, so you have a good base (just trim off any bits)

Keyword Easter, Easter Lamb Cake

Tips to insure Easter Lamb Cake Success

1. Reinforce the structure of the lamb by laying a few toothpicks or a wooden skewer up its neck before baking. This will help the head stay on. Toothpicks going across the head to the ears will help too.
2. Attach the top of the mold to the bottom with a clamp or band before baking. This will insure that the batter rises up to fill the top pan, and doesn’t just knock it aside.
3. Don’t take the cake out Early!
4. Loosen the edges completely before trying to remove it from the pan
5. Smooth the bottom of the lamb, so you have a good base (just trim off any bits)

Marmorkuchen Lambs?

Thanks to Laura (friend of the site)! She told me she used the Marmorkuchen / Marble Cake Recipe to make Easter Lambs! According to her…”The recipe filled a Zenker lamb, rabbit and a small mini loaf pan and unmolded beautifully”. I love the idea of a marbled lamb! Find the recipe here–> Marmorkuchen Recipe

Easter Lamb Cake Molds

There are a few different sizes and qualities of Easter Lamb Cake Molds. Some are heavier, and will last for generations, others are simple (less expensive), and good for using for a few years.

Nordic Ware Spring Lamb 3-D Cake MoldWilton 3D Lamb Cake Pan Set, 2-Piece

Kaiser ‘Osterbäckerei’ (Easter Bakery) 658902 Lamb-Shaped Cake Mould 0.7 L

Vintage Lamb Cake Molds

Some of these old pans will last another 100 years…

Hammered Cast Aluminum 2 Piece Lamb – Lammele Cake – Candy – Rice Mold – VintageOld lamb baking mold Easter lamb with old cardboard metal mold tinplate Easter baking mold shabby old vintageVintage lamb shaped cake mold. Cast aluminum.Antique Griswold Cast Iron Lamb Cake Mould 866

Lamb and Rabbit shaped cake molds – vintage pressed aluminum forms perfect for Easter or Animal craft projects 2 sided forms make 3D animalsVintage Cake Pan – Vintage Chocolate Mold – Vintage Cake Mold – Vintage Easter Cake – Vintage Lamb Cake Mold – Vintage Easter Decoration