Easter Lamb Cake I Recipes

Steps:

• First, prepare your mold. Coat with vegetable oil, let sit for a few minutes then wipe clean with a paper towel. Then grease and flour your mold, making sure to get all the little areas.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift the cake flour, then sift again with the baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Stir the batter until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla.
• In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then quickly fold in the remaining whites.
• Fill the face side of the mold with batter. Move a wooden spoon through the batter GENTLY, to remove any air pockets. Make sure not to disturb the greased and floured surface of the mold. Put the lid on the mold, making sure it locks or ties together securely so that the steam and rising batter do not force the two sections apart.
• Put the mold on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or wooden toothpick through a steam vent. Put the cake, still in the mold, on a rack for about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY, remove the top of the mold. Before you separate the cake from the bottom let it cool for about 5 more minutes so that all the steam can escape and the cake can firm up some more. After removing the rest of the mold, let the cake cool on the rack completely. DO NOT sit the cake upright until completely cooled. Frost with Seven Minute Icing or any other white icing of your choice and decorate to look like a lamb.

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar; add water. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; fold into creamed mixture. Mix well; stir in vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.
• Spread batter evenly in a greased and floured lamb mold (cast iron if you have one or tin). Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes.

Steps:

• For the moist vanilla cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans with the butter. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, dry milk and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix well with a whisk until the dry ingredients are combined. While mixing on low with an electric mixer, add the oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and eggs. Lastly, add the instant pudding while simultaneously adding the warm water. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature before moving on. For the buttercream frosting: Beat the butter for a few minutes on medium speed, preferably using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. On slow speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar 1 to 2 cups at a time, allowing each batch of sugar to incorporate with the butter before adding the next. (Use less confectioners' sugar for a slightly more buttery, looser frosting, or more confectioners' sugar for a slightly sweeter, stiffer frosting.) Increase the speed to medium and add the vanilla extract, cream and salt. Beat for an additional 3 minutes. To decorate: Before you start, fill a plastic piping bag with frosting. If you have a multi-opening decorating tip, insert that into the end of the piping bag before adding the frosting. If not, just cut a very small hole at the end of the bag to allow the air to escape as you fill it. Tie the bag with a rubber band to close. Add the leftover frosting to a bowl. Since you will need only 2 of your 3 cakes to start, set 1 cake aside for later. Step 1: Cut 2 of the cakes in half from top to bottom to make 4 half-circles. Leave 2 of the half-circle pieces as is and carve the rounded top off the other 2 pieces using a serrated knife to make them level. Step 2: Set the pieces together on a cake plate cut-sides down with the 2 level pieces in the center and the rounded pieces at each end with the rounded sides facing outward. With a spatula, add a light layer of frosting in between each piece. Step 3: Next, frost the entire cake. Don't worry about frosting it perfectly, as this layer will be covered up with more frosting later. Place the cake in the fridge to allow the frosting to set for at least 15 minutes. Step 4: While your cake is setting, use a serrated knife to carve off the darker thin exterior layer from the reserved third cake so that the cake is an even lighter color all around. Put the cake in a bowl and mix with a fork until it turns into fine crumbs. Add 2 to 3 large spoonfuls of frosting to the crumbs and continue to mix. Make sure you add enough frosting so that the mixture is pliable and able to be molded without crumbling. To test this, form a ball with the mixture in your hands. If it cracks, you need to add more frosting. Step 5: With your hands, mold the following: 1 large, rounded oval shape (the head), 2 small, pointed oval pieces (the ears) and 4 small oval pieces (the legs). Step 6: Attach the leg pieces to the body of the lamb, 2 at the front and 1 at each side. Use a small dab of frosting to secure the pieces in place.
• Next, add a dollop of frosting to the back of the head and place it atop the cake, positioning the head at an angle. Add 2 toothpicks to the head piece to help hold it in place. Add a small dab of frosting on each side of the head for the ear pieces. If your head doesn't feel stable atop the body, add a thin layer of frosting around the side of the head for extra reinforcement. Place the cake back in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to allow the molded pieces to set into the frosting. Step 7: Next, pipe the frosting for the hair onto the cake, covering the body of the lamb and adding frosting around the top of the head. Use short, quick motions to pipe 1/4-inch-long sections of frosting onto the cake. You want your frosting to be semi-stiff. If the frosting becomes too warm, it can start to appear a bit runny. If this happens, just place your piping bag back in the fridge for a few minutes to allow it to cool. Step 8: Use a toothpick to add facial details. Use a black edible marker or 2 small black candies for the eyes. If you have it, use just a touch of edible pink luster dust for the cheeks and any other accents you'd like.