Osterlamm
Easter lamb sponge cake
Osterlamm: German and Austrian Easter sponge cake baked in a lamb mould
In Germany and Austria an Osterlamm, a light sponge baked in a two-piece lamb-shaped mould, stands on the Easter breakfast table, dusted with icing sugar with a ribbon and bell around its neck and sometimes a little flag. In Catholic regions it is taken to church on Holy Saturday to be blessed with the Easter basket. The cake is a buttery, lemony sponge, firm enough to keep its shape. You need a lamb cake mould, sold in kitchen shops before Easter. Chef's tip: grease the mould with soft butter and dust it with breadcrumbs or flour into every crevice, or the lamb's head stays in the tin.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 ½ oz buttersoft, plus extra for the mould
- 4 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for the mould
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp icing sugarto dust
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush both halves of a lamb mould generously with soft butter and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Step 2: Beat 4 ½ oz butter and 4 ½ oz caster sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time, then 1 lemon and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
6 minStep 3: Fold in 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 oz cornflour and 1 ½ tsp baking powder with 3 tbsp milk to a smooth, thick batter.
Step 4: Fill the front half of the mould (the face side) to just below the rim, close with the other half and clip. Stand it on a baking tray.
Step 5: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until a skewer pushed through the steam hole comes out clean. A common mistake is overfilling the mould: batter leaks and the lamb gets a crust around its middle.
45 minStep 6: Cool in the mould for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the back half, then the front. Cool completely, then dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does osterlamm take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Almond cookiesOat, coconut and almond cookies
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.
Perfect for:Easter