Osterlamm - German Easter Lamb Cake
Simple, buttery cake topped with powdered sugar baked in a lamb shaped pan makes the utterly delicious and traditional German Osterlamm or Easter Lamb Cake! I wasn't going to post this cake. I mean, Easter is over and it's not really something just anyone can make. You have to have the special Osterlamm pan to...
Simple, buttery cake topped with powdered sugar baked in a lamb shaped pan makes the utterly delicious and traditional German Osterlamm or Easter Lamb Cake!
I wasn't going to post this cake. I mean, Easter is over and it's not really something just anyone can make. You have to have the special Osterlamm pan to make and those are hard to get unless you live in Germany. But, when I got asked a dozen times for the recipe, I decided that it was probably a good idea to put it up!
My German friend Mareile remembers her Oma (Grandma) making Osterlamm when she was a child and today Mareile makes it for her two children. Our babies, Matty & Lena, were born 2 weeks apart from each other and are baby BFFs now! This picture was from their first Easter together in 2012.
For most of the world, the Osterlamm is just a delicious treat, but here in Bavaria, Germany it has a more important meaning for those who believe the Catholic faith. The symbolism of the lamb goes back to the Passover lamb, which is sacrificed in Judaism for Passover. Because Jesus was Jewish, the Last Supper took place on the evening of Passover and he was crucified on the day (sacrificed) was, this symbolism has arisen. In Germany, a lamb is sacrificed at Easter, but baked in commemoration of the resurrection, a cake in the shape of an Easter lamb.
In the weeks preceding Easter, each bakery bakes and sells hundreds of these cakes. Some are covered in powdered sugar, some a lemon glaze and some even cover them in chocolate and candies. My favorite is with the powdered sugar and then dunked in my coffee! So delish!
You can get your own Lamm-backform (cake pan) here or here!
I'm definitely making this a new Easter tradition for my family!
Enjoy!
Osterlamm
Ingredients
- 120g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 110g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 1 packet of vanilla sugar)
- 160g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- powdered sugar for dusting
- Osterbackform "Lamm" (Easter Lamb Pan) - 27.5cm x 15cm x 6.5cm
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C degrees. Butter and flour the inside of the lamb pan and clip the sides back together. Place the lamb pan on a baking sheet UPSIDE DOWN.
- Cream together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes.
- One at a time, add the eggs and mix well after each egg. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter/sugar and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the milk and mix until smooth - no more than about a minute. You don't want to overwork the batter.
- Pour all the batter into the prepared lamb pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Allow the lamb to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Trim off any excess cake from the seams. If the lamb does not sit upright, trim a little off the bottom to make it level.
- Dust the cake with powdered sugar.
- Optionally, you can melt a bit of chocolate and pipe on ears and eyes. Also, you can tie a ribbon around the lambs neck.
- Serve immediately!
What a cute little cake! I'm glad you shared it, always good to have ideas for next year 🙂
This is such a sweet cake and I love the symbolism. I think I've seen this cake mold before in a catalog, but I didn't know the story. Looks perfect with a cup of coffee!!!
It's my favorite with coffee!! Tastes like a sugar cookie!
I have had a simerel pan and have been baking these lambs for many years for Easter about 36-40 lambs an take them to the home bound and nursering homes ,priests in our area but i frost them in curls on the body like a lamb has curl with whip topping or better creme frosting decorate eye with min ch.chips with ribbon around neck and green coconut for grass and jelly belly's or star print flowers in pink for clover every one loves them .. i also frost their face lite pink.... but my pans have side ears that stand out.. love my pans have 6 so i bake 6 at a time all in different flavors cho, banana, cherry nut and yellow pound cake..
Oh how fun! I love all the flavor ideas! Thanks for sharing, Angeline!! xxoo
What a wonderful family tradition you've started! The cake looks and sounds delicious, and the lamb shape is absolutely adorable!
HOW COOL! I love that you made this beautiful cake and that you shared it (and the story) with all of us! I kinda wanna buy the pan now 😛
Thank you for posting this! I needed the recipe. I would have had to translate it from German since I don't use a scar when I bake. I inherited my German aunt's molds and wanted to bake one for my mother's Easter table. They are as delicious as they are beautiful! I doubled the recipe and made two layers for making a bunny cake for the kids. Happy Easter 2016!
Hi Chris! I'm so glad I could be of help! 🙂 I made the lamb again this year and everyone loved it!! Frohe Ostern!
I found this searching for a recipe to make for my daughter's German language teacher. I'm going to surprise him.
I've been planning this since last year, but this year Easter snuck up on me and I didn't have time to get an Osterlamm-Backform from Germany... but on eBay I found a nice 3D lamb-shaped pan that I think will work. (I believe it was Nordicware, but I'm not sure - bought it used.)
Wish us luck!
Wonderful!! 🙂 I hope it works out for you!!
Thanks for the translated recipe, as I just bought the lamb tin at my local church's thrift store! Can't wait to try it! Wonder if I could use baking box mix too?
Is this a "dense" Pound Cake or regular batter cake? I thought this Lamb Cake is a rich, moist Pound Cake.
I don't understand the upside down part, on a baking pan??
What do you not understand, friend?