This Easter Lamb Cake, called “Baranek Wielkanocny” in Polish, is a traditional cake found on Polish Easter tables, enjoyed by families as they gather to celebrate the holiday. It’s rich, moist, and buttery, with a touch of lemony flavor that makes it feel extra special. I dust it with powdered sugar, but you can also dress it up with buttercream or a simple glaze if you’d like. The best part? This lamb cake is super easy to make and can be baked up to two days ahead—perfect for a busy holiday weekend!
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The Easter lamb cake is placed in a “Święconka” basket alongside foods like Easter Babka cake, Easter eggs—called “Pisanki”—sausage, butter, and other holiday treats. It’s a Polish tradition where families take the basket to church for a special blessing before Easter Sunday. This cherished tradition has been around for centuries!
The Easter lamb cake is both a special treat that families enjoy together at Easter and a show-stopping centerpiece on any Easter breakfast table!
With this simple recipe, you’ll be ready to bake your own Easter lamb cake and start a new tradition for your family.
Enjoy, and have a wonderful Easter!
And if you’re looking for more traditional Polish Easter recipes, I highly recommend trying this simple recipe for Polish Easter Babka or Natural Dye Easter Eggs.
EASTER LAMB CAKE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You only need a few basic ingredients for this lamb cake recipe. The exact amounts are in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:
- Flour: This recipe uses both all-purpose flour for the cake and to grease the mold, along with potato flour to add lightness and tenderness.
- Butter. Use unsalted, softened butter to create a rich and tender crumb.
- Sugar. Powdered sugar melts smoothly into the batter, creating a fine, delicate crumb and adding just the right amount of sweetness without being overly sweet.
- Eggs yolks. Egg yolks enrich the batter, adding moisture and a rich, golden color.
- Baking powder. Baking powder helps the cake rise, ensuring a light and airy texture.
- Lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a vibrant, tangy freshness that brightens the cake’s flavor.
- Lemon zest. Freshly grated zest adds a burst of citrus fragrance and a subtle, refreshing flavor to the cake. I always choose organic lemons when using the zest.
- Salt. Salt enhances the flavors and balancing sweetness.
EASTER LAMB CAKE MOLDS
You’ll need a lamb cake mold for this recipe. I bought my lamb cake mold in Poland. It’s not the heavy cast iron kind my grandma used, but it works well. The mold holds 2 1/2 cups of water, and when I spoon in the cake batter, there’s about 1 1/2 inches of space left at the top for the cake to expand while baking. The mold comes in two parts that clip together, allowing the cake to bake into the full shape of a lamb.
If you don’t have a pan, you can buy one online or at a store that sells cake decorating supplies. Nordic Ware offers a 3D cake mold, and you can also find a Dr. Oetker 3D lamb cake mold on Amazon.
HOW TO MAKE EASTER LAMB CAKE
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, take out your lamb cake mold and open it up. You’ll need to grease the insides of each side of the cake mold. Use non-stick spray or rub it with butter. After that, sprinkle both sides with flour. This step is important—it helps the cake release easily after baking.
- Next, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, potato flour, and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Once you’re ready to bake, get the mold halves together and secure them tightly using the side metal clamps to ensure the mold stays together.
- Using a spoon, fill the cake mold and smooth the top with the back of the spoon.
HOW TO BAKE AN EASTER LAMB CAKE
- Place the cake mold on a baking sheet to keep it steady and catch any leaks. Then, carefully place the cake into the preheated oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted through the top comes out clean.
- When it’s done baking, let the cake cool in the lamb mold for 15 minutes, then gently unclip and remove the mold. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, trim the bottom if needed so it stands upright. You can dust it with powdered sugar or decorate it with frosting or glaze—whichever you prefer. Enjoy!
PEN PREP MAKES PERFECT: One crucial step in making a perfect lamb cake is preparing the pan properly. Be sure to thoroughly grease and flour every nook and cranny of the mold. Take your time—any spot you miss could cause the cake to stick or break when you remove it.
LAMB CAKE DECORATION IDEAS
There are several ways to decorate your lamb cake, so feel free to get creative and make it as fun or festive as you like! Whether you choose to keep it simple or go all out, here are a few ideas to inspire you.
- You can start with a classic, delicate dusting of powdered sugar; it gives the lamb cake a snowy, elegant look and highlights its shape. Then, tie a decorative ribbon around the lamb’s neck.
- Instead of powdered sugar, you can top the cake with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and orange juice for a sweet shine that complements the cake’s flavor.
- For a richer decoration, you can pipe buttercream frosting on the cake, using white or soft pastel-colored frosting to create a fluffy look.
- If you’d like, you can tint some of the coconutwith a few drops of green food coloring to create coconut grass to place around the bottom of the lamb. Or you can use green Easter grass. Add candies, small chocolate eggs, or other spring and Easter decorations.
- Add a cute touch by decorating the cake with raisins or jelly beans, cut in half to create a nose and eyes for the lamb’s face.
HOW TO STORE AN EASTER LAMB CAKE
An Easter lamb cake can be baked up to two days before Easter Sunday. To keep it fresh, wrap the cooled, undecorated cake in foil and store it in an airtight container. Decorate the lamb cake on the day you plan to serve it. For the best flavor, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to warm up.
For a make-ahead cake, wrap the undecorated cake (without powdered sugar or any other decorations) in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months for the best flavor. Defrost at room temperature.
MORE DELICIOUS RECIPE FOR YOUR EASTER TABLE
- Tiramisu Bundt Cake
- Easter Bunny Cookies
- Lemon Curd Linzer Cookies
- Orange Bundt Cake
- Carrots Walnut Cake
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
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Happy Baking! -A
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
EASTER LAMB CAKE
Equipment
- Lamb cake mold
- Stand Mixer – For mixing the batter for this recipe, but a hand-held mixer will work great too.
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
For the lamb cake:
- 125 g all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting the cake pan to prep it)
- 25 g potato flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 75 g unsalted butter softened (plus more for rubbing on the cake pan to prep it)
- 125 g powdered sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest the entire lemon)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
For decorating the cake:
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting the cake)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare the two-part lamb mold by generously greasing both halves with butter and sprinkling with flour. Shake it around until every part of the pan has a light coating of flour. Shake out excess flour if necessary. When you’re ready to bake, put the two halves of the mold together and secure them tightly using the side metal clamps to ensure the mold stays together.
- Prepare the Batter: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, potato flour, salt, and baking powder, then set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. While mixing constantly, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Combine Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture until fully combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Fill Mold: Spoon the cake batter into the prepared lamb cake mold, smoothing the surface evenly.
- Bake: Place the assembled mold on a small baking sheet to keep it stable in the oven, then transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top of the mold comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the mold for 15 minutes. Then, take off the clamps, carefully separate the mold, and transfer the cake to a wire rack. Stand the lamb cake upright on the cooling rack to avoid the pattern of the cooling rack transferring to the cake. Let the cake cool down completely.
- Decorate: Once the cake has cooled, use a sharp knife to trim and level the bottom of the cake to make it straight so it stands upright. Then, place it on a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.