Oma's German Easter Lamb Cake: (Osterlammkuchen)

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Use the author’s 0.7 litre two-sided clip lamb mold, which bakes upside-down, or follow the filling instructions for your own mold.

2. 2

   Step 2: Spray the insides of both mold halves with vegetable oil, then dust with the separate 5 g (1 tbsp) cocoa powder.

   Uses Vegetable oil spray as needed to grease both mold halves · 5 g cocoa powder (1 tbsp) to dust the mold

3. 3

   Step 3: Sift the 228 g flour, 32 g batter cocoa, granulated sugar (1 cup), baking powder (¼ teaspoon), baking soda (½ teaspoon) and salt (¼ teaspoon) together into a large bowl. Keep the powdered sugar and decorations for finishing.

   Uses 228 g all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups) · 32 g cocoa powder for batter (3/8 cup) · 1 cup granulated sugar · ¼ teaspoon baking powder · ½ teaspoon baking soda · ¼ teaspoon salt

4. 4

   Step 4: Mix the almond extract (¾ teaspoon) into the warm brewed coffee. Add this and the 90 ml oil to the prepared dry mixture and stir until smooth and dense.

   Uses Prepared dry chocolate-cake mixture · ¾ teaspoon almond extract · 180 ml warm extra-strong brewed coffee · 90 ml neutral vegetable oil or light-tasting olive oil

5. 5

   Step 5: For the author’s clipped two-sided mold, spoon batter into each prepared half, leaving the top inch (2.5 cm) empty for rising. Close and clip carefully, press batter into the closed mold and smooth the exposed batter, still leaving that space. For a vent-hole mold, put batter in the bottom half without the vent and follow the mold’s instructions. Put excess batter into a prepared mini-cupcake pan; the author obtained about six mini cakes.

   Uses Complete chocolate-cake batter

6. 6

   Step 6: Stand the clipped lamb mold on a baking sheet as intended by its maker. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40–45 minutes, until a centre toothpick comes out clean. If baking excess batter as mini cupcakes, check those separately at about 15 minutes and remove when done.

   Bake Lamb Cake · 45 minUses Filled closed lamb mold and optional excess-batter mini cakes

7. 7

   Step 7: Let the cake cool in the mold for about 10 to 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

   Cool in Mold · 20 minUses Baked chocolate lamb cake

8. 8

   Step 8: Place the Easter lamb on a serving platter. Trim the bottom of the cake if needed to make it flat, so it will stand upright.

   Uses Completely cooled unmolded cake

9. 9

   Step 9: Sieve the powdered sugar (1 tablespoon) over the cooled lamb cake. Tie a decorative red ribbon around its neck and arrange paper Easter grass around it if desired; remove those decorations before serving. Add optional vegan jelly beans or vegan chocolate-covered almonds.

   Uses Trimmed cooled cake on platter · 1 tablespoon powdered sugar · Vegan jelly beans or vegan chocolate-covered almonds for decoration, optional