Here is a recipe for Easter lamb that vegetarians will also love. This traditional German Easter lamb cake (Osterlamm kuchen) recipe will create an eye-catching centrepiece for your breakfast table.
I don’t know how old my easter lamb cake form is. I recently brought it up from my parent’s cellar, where it lives between Easters. We have had it as long as I can remember, and I was born in the 80s, so it must be pretty old.
It is one of my childhood memories, decorating the easter lamb each year. Once with chocolate and smarties, the other time with lemon icing, but the possibilities are endless.
The tradition behind the easter lamb symbol
Germany is a Christian country, and for Christians, the lamb symbolises the sacrifice and death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is also called the Lamb of God “Agnes Dei”.
In old times real lambs were killed and brought to the altar on Easter Saturday. On Easter Sunday the lamb was eaten as a celebration.
When the Easter lamb cake tradition was introduced nobody knows – but in Germany is it a popular tradition. The Recipe for these lamb shaped cake vary but in essence, it is a simple pound cake.
How to make Easter lamb cake
The German Easter Lamb Cake Recipes vary. In general, it is simply a pound cake recipe. However you will find some plain, some using eggnog and others with marzipan and dried fruit. This Easter lamb recipe is with hazelnuts. (my favourite - also try my hazelnut cake recipe).
Ingredients:
- 3 medium eggs
- 180 g (6.3 oz) butter
- 170 g (5.9) icing/ confectioners sugar
- 3 teaspoon vanilla sugar (1 sachet or see recipe for homemade vanilla sugar) (alternatively use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link))
- 1 pinch of salt
- 150 g (5.2 oz) flour (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US pastry flour)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder (affiliate link)
- 90 g ground hazelnuts (affiliate link) (or use ground almonds (affiliate link))
- Some butter and breadcrumbs for the easter lamb baking form.
Easter Lamb Cake Recipe - step by step
- Grease the Easter lamb form on both sides with butter. Sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat - 160 °C for a fan assisted oven.
- Separate the eggs. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white with half of the sugar until you achieve soft peaks.
- Now mix the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar or extract, butter and salt until you achieve a creamy mixture. Carefully add to the dough the flour, baking powder (affiliate link) and ground hazelnuts (affiliate link).
- Gently fold in the egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the cake form. Bake for 30-45 minutes on the lowest shelf
- Once you remove the cake form from the oven, wrap it in a moist tea towel and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Then you can proceed to carefully remove the lamb from its form. Leave to cool completely before decorating.
- You can decorate it by dusting it with icing powder, or use a simple shop-bought chocolate glaze.
Ideas on how to decorate your Easter lamb.
There are several ways you can decorate your Easter lamb. I have added some links to bloggers who used creative ways. Some of them are in German- so I will summarise their techniques for you here and you can click through to see the picture.
- Easter lamb cake dusted with icing confectioners sugar. ( as pictures)
- Lamb cake with a chocolate glaze
- Easter lamb cake with coconut fur.
- Easter lamb cake with crème cheese frosting
How to store your Easter lamb cake
This sheep cake can be made up to two days in advance. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. This type of cake also freezes very well. Defrost at room temperature.
More German Easter Recipes
Recipe
Easter Lamb Cake Recipe with Hazelnuts
Equipment
- Easter Lamb Baking Form
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggs
- 180 g soft butter (6.3 oz)
- 170 g icing/ confectioners sugar
- 3 teaspoon vanilla sugar 1 sachet /
homemade vanilla sugar recipe / or use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link) - 1 pinch salt
- 150 g flour (5.2 oz) (Germany 405, UK plain flour, US pastry flour)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 90 g ground hazelnuts (affiliate link) (3 oz) - alterantivley use ground almonds (affiliate link)
For the baking form
- some butter and breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Grease the Easter lamb form on both sides with butter. Sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°Fop and bottom heat – 160 °C or 320°F for a fan assisted oven.
- Separate the eggs. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white with half of the icing/ confectioners sugar until you achieve soft peaks.
- Now mix the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar or extract, butter and salt until you achieve a creamy mixture. Carefully add in the flour, baking powder (affiliate link) and ground hazelnuts (affiliate link).
- Gently fold in the egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the cake form. Bake for 30-45 minutes on the lowest shelf
- Once you remove the cake form from the oven, wrap it in a moist tea towel and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Then you can proceed to carefully remove the lamb from its form. Leave to cool completely before decorating.
- You can decorate it by dusting it with icing powder, or use a simple shop-bought chocolate glaze.
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