Lamb Cake Advice

Food & Drink Discussion and Questions
#1

My grandmother used to bake a lamb cake every year for Easter. The cake was pretty, but I was never the biggest fan of it. It was always way too dry.

Anyways, I’m going to attempt to bake one this year. I bought the Wilton mold.

But I want to use a cake mix. Yeah, yeah, I could bake from scratch. However, I recently scored one of those Dolly Parton cake mixes at the grocery store, and want to use it. Plus, I’m hanging out with friends the Saturday before Easter, and a lamb cake seems like an appropriate dish to bring, especially if it’s made with Dolly cake mix. My friends will love that aspect!

I found this recipe where a cake mix + instant pudding is used (Easter Lamb Cake Recipe For Beginners - Merriment Design). I plan on trying it out and hope for the best.

So, the Dolly cake mix comes in 2 flavors - banana and coconut. I went with the banana cake mix.

Should I use Banana instant pudding or Vanilla? I’m worried if I used Banana it will be too banana-y. But I’m worried if I use Vanilla, the banana flavor will be diluted. I’m leaning towards the banana…

Any other lamb cake making tips? I have seen where it’s recommended to reinforce the head with toothpicks. I remember one year, my grandmother go so upset when the lamb’s head broke off when she removed it from the cake pan. The head was re-attached with toothpicks, and you wouldn’t know with all of the icing.

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#2

I made lamb or rabbit cakes a few times, but think I always used a very sturdy cake (more like a pound cake consistency) rather than a cake mix. I worry that a cake mix would not hold its shape well enough.

If you go ahead with the cake mix, I’d do the vanilla pudding mix, because a little extra vanilla never hurt anything. Good luck!
:cake:

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#3

I have never heard of a lamb cake. I thought it was going to be like a beef wellington or something :rofl:

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#4

I think this is the pan I used to have.

The newer Wilton pans seem to have a different shape; a little more cartoon-ish. I don’t know if it would make it easier or harder to get the cake to stand up correctly.

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#5

I bought this one on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O5NR5Q

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#6

I’m with @endymion, I don’t think a mix will hold a good shape. I’d also use vanilla.

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#7

So, I made the cake today to bring to a friend’s get together. I used the banana pudding mix. To be honest, it came out alright. The banana flavor wasn’t too strong, despite the extra banana. The cake demolded pretty easily. My frosting skills kind of suck, but maybe next year, I’ll get more creative.

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#8

Omg until I scrolled down to the pictures (reading on my phone) I thought for real you were putting mince lamb in a vanilla cake :woozy_face:

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#9

I’m so glad your cake worked out!

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#10

I had no idea what lamb cake was. But this photo is darling! And the knife lines look like curly lamb locks - all that movement!

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#11

I love lamb cakes! I use a plain old cake mix in mine and it comes out fine. I feel like losing the head or an ear is an Easter tradition. :slight_smile: I just always pour the batter in the face side and bake it that way, or sometimes it doesn’t rise enough and you get a flat snout.

I saw on a Facebook post someone who had used the mold for Rice Krispie treats-and I think that’s a genius idea I’ll steal next year.

I’m so jealous (and happy for you) that you tracked down a dolly mix!! They are always sold out at my Kroger.

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