Easter Lamb-Shaped Pound Cake

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 11/25/21
Easter lamb cake recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
284 Calories
12g Fat
43g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 284
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 217mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 19mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 92mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Easter lamb cake (known as agnuszek or baranek wielkanocny in Polish) is a traditional Eastern European dessert.

In the 1950s, the trend for frugal cooks tired of paying exorbitant bakery prices was to purchase a cast-iron lamb mold to make it themselves. These molds are considered family treasures that are passed down at Easter time and through the years.

Pound cake is the best candidate for a mold because of its close crumb. Scratch-made or purchased pound cake mixes both work fine. Extra batter can be used to make a little cake for the swieconka basket.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Easter lamb cake
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck 

  2. Heat oven to 375 F.

  3. Using a pastry brush, coat the interior surfaces of both halves of a seasoned lamb cake mold with solid vegetable shortening, making sure you get into all the crevices.

    Brush lamb tin
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Place halves on a baking sheet, open-side up, and heat for 20 minutes.

    Lamb tins
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Pour off any excess shortening. Reduce heat to 350 F.

    Let cool
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Prepare pound cake mix according to box instructions.

    Mix batter
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Place the front-half of the mold on a baking sheet and fill with batter to the lip, 1/4 inch from the top.

    Place batter in mold
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Submerge a toothpick in the batter in each ear to reinforce them.

    Bake cake
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Place the back-half of the mold on top of the front.

    Mold on baking sheet
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Place in oven and bake about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the vent holes of the lamb come out clean.

    Place in oven
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 15 minutes.

    Remove from oven
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Carefully remove the back end of the mold, inserting a knife between the mold edges if they are stuck together. Allow cooling for an additional 5 minutes.

    Remove mold
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Place another rack on the lamb cake and carefully flip it over and remove the front half of the mold. Let lamb cake cool completely lying on its back.

    Place lamb on cooling rack
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Place a dab of cream cheese frosting on an oblong platter and set the lamb on top to secure it.

    Cream cheese frosting
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Frost all sides of lamb, swirling it to represent lamb's wool.

    Cover cake
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  16. Wrap a narrow red ribbon around the lamb's neck. Use raisins for eyes and nose, cutting them in half if necessary to make them more proportional.

    Wrap red ribbon around lamb's neck
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  17. Place coconut and green food coloring in a zip-top bag and shake it, to color the coconut. Place green "grass" around the lamb.

    Place food coloring around lamb
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  18. Serve for Easter and enjoy.

    Easter lamb cake
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck