easter lamb cake
orange & coconut cake, dressed up with whipped cream and coconut flakes
i have been dying to make an easter lamb cake for years
i check op shops obsessively in the lead up to easter in the hopes i will one day come across a lamb shaped mold
i made do here with a single muffin cup and a sheet tray
my little easter lamb is made on an orange and coconut cake base, a riff on my shark cake base recipe
note i love a simple barely-sweet whipped cream topping (exhibits a, b, c, d, e, and f) but you could use a simple buttercream or sour cream frosting if you prefer a sweeter cake
ingredients
orange & coconut cake
120g butter, melted
60g vegetable oil
140g dark brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g yoghurt
270g self-raising flour
50g shredded coconut
assembly
orange marmalade
1 tsp gelatine powder
1 tbsp cold water
300mL (one pot) thickened cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
0.5 tsp vanilla paste
pinch salt
1 wooden skewer or cake dowel
so much shredded coconut
vacuum cleaner
method
orange & coconut cake
preheat the oven to 180°C
line a deep sheet tray with baking paper and grease one cup of a muffin tin
whisk together the melted butter (120g), oil (60g), sugar (140g), eggs (3), vanilla (2 tsp), yoghurt (200g), and orange juice and zest (from one orange) until smooth
fold in the flour (270g) and coconut (50g) until just combined
pour into the prepared tin (don’t forget the one muffin!)
bake for 28-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
cool the sheet cake and muffin completely
assembly
cut the sheet cake into thirds along the long edge
stack into a squat rectangle on your serving platter, laying down a few spoons of marmalade between each layer to act as glue
place the single muffin at one end - this will be his head
insert the skewer or dowel through the muffin and all three layers of cake to add stability
use a sharp serrated knife to round off the edges of the cake
in a small microwave safe cup, sprinkle the gelatine powder (1 tsp) over the cold water (1 tbsp) and set aside for 5 minutes to hydrate
microwave the gelatine mixture for about 15 seconds, or until the gelatine has dissolved, and set aside to cool slightly
add the cream (300mL) to a medium bowl and sift over the powdered sugar (1 tbsp)
whisk until thickened (about 3 minutes with hand mixer, longer by hand!)
pour in the gelatine mixture, vanilla paste (0.5 tsp), and a pinch of salt and whisk to combine
spackle the whipped cream over the lamb, making sure you leave his face uncovered
make sure you add two little ears and a tail with a dollop of cream
working quickly before the cream sets, liberally sprinkle desiccated coconut all over the cake
press more coconut into the sides of the cake until all the cream is completely covered
you may need to vacuum your entire kitchen after this exercise
cover and place in the fridge to set completely
serve in generous slices
i beg you to send me a photo if you do make this cake!