This lamb cake is very, very good. It has a caramel and butter flavor and is dense but moist. It also has a great pound cake texture!
This recipe was sent in by Natalie Pope, and it has been made successfully by the Pope Family for many, many years. And we can see why! This was Tom’s favorite cake from among the top lamb cakes, and the only one he ate down to the ears.
Here you can see the lovely texture of this cake!
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 beaten egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups sifted flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup whole milk
- Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, salt and vanilla.
- Sift together flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Add alternately milk and flour mixture to creamed ingredients.
- Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
- Grease and flour pans, put toothpicks in ears and popsicle stick in neck and cover with batter. Bake at 350 degree oven for 55 mins.
This recipe makes enough for two vintage lamb pans, or one lamb pan and a dozen cupcakes.
Even though we originally frosted this cake with a different frosting, we have had it a couple different ways since then and like it with a simple thick powdered sugar glaze or with Creamy Whipped Frosting, which is a soft frosting that almost tastes like the cream filling in bakery doughnuts. It also goes well with coconut.
Creamy Whipped Frosting (aka High Humidity Buttercream)
From Mail Box News from Maid of Scandinavia
1 1/2 cups high ratio shortening (available through mail order) or regular shortening
2 T dry Dream Whip Powder
1 T Vanilla
3-4 T unsifted flour
2/3-3/4 cup milk (lesser amount in hot weather)
2 lbs confectioner’s sugar
Blend shortening, Dream Whip Powder and flavoring in large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy like stiff whipped cream. Then add flour, milk and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Deciding what he likes better, the cake or the frosting.
I absolutely LOVE your blog! My family has been making lamb cakes for years..started with my grandma, then my mom, now my mom has passed to me! I love to make it every year and I was interested in mixing up our recipe again this year. I made a cocoa lamb cake last year, and it was good, but not great. A little on the dry side. We make a few pound cakes on Easter as well, so I am looking for a nice cake recipe to be different than the pound cakes, but still sturdy..would you recommend the renalde or pope family recipe, or a something different?? I have been stuck between your top 3 or 4 and can’t decide! I also love to pipe on my icing so it looks like wool:). You have inspired me for much more baking to come!
Hi Jessica!
Glad you love the blog! If you are looking for something non-pound cake, I would either make the Renalde cake or the Nun’s Butter Cake. The Renalde is more of a sponge cake texture, it is light and springy. The Nun’s Butter Cake is more of a traditional yellow cake, and is moist with a very tender crumb. They are both really good!
Oh, and send it a picture of your lamb cake after Easter!!!
Dear Ruth ~
What a darling cake for Easter! Your blog and site are completely DARLING! I adore vintage recipes and things from . . . let’s just say a more gentle era gone by. I’ve always said that while you can’t change the world, you can certainly change your own world and promote the lifestyles of yesteryear and you and Tom (and kitties!!) seems to have done that while existing within today’s modern era. Love that! I have absolutely cracked up at some of the recipes that you have been brave enough to make – and which Tom has been a doll enough to partake (SPAM anyone??)! I can’t remember which recipe you made where you took the video of Tom and the tiny white kitten sitting upon his shoulder and meowing like crazy but I shared that with all the girls at work and we had a positive, fun start to our productive day! Yay Tom! And Kitty! And Ruth. Keep up the great work and never give up your unique style. It is so appreciated. <3
Thanks, Robin! So glad you enjoy the blog. The recipe with Clark the kitten was Macaroni Republic:
http://www.midcenturymenu.com/2010/05/mid-century-menu-rena-wares-macaroni-republic-casserole/
Such a cute guy, isn’t he? He was one of our foster kittens, and he was so adorable that he eventually was adopted by my parents. 🙂
I started the Easter Lamb cake tradition for my family about 20 years ago. It’s always a big hit! Especially with the little ones!! I always use a boxed pound cake mix, whipped frosting with coconut and it’s always yummy! The fun part is the decorating of the lamb!! this year we made one with mini marshmallows over whipped vanilla frosting and it came out adorable! the best one yet!!!
My family name is Pope, so I was intrigued to see this recipe. I am saving it and will use it in the future!
Cake decorators call that effect “crusting”. Most buttercreams and some cream cheese frostings will crust, which helps protect the cake when it is moved.