growing up every year my great-grandma made us lamb cakes. it is a vegan vanilla cake, with vegan vanilla buttercream, and shredded coconut all baked in a lamb mold. perfect for celebrating Easter.
the inspiration
This cake is very important to me. Growing up I was very lucky to have 2 of my great grandmas. They were both amazing cooks, bakers, and taught me so much. My one great grandma, Betty grandma, always made lamb cakes for Easter.
She would make about 5 or 6 and bring them to all of the family. As a kid it was the best when we saw the lamb or as Betty grandma called it, lambie cake, come over! It was exciting and adorable.
For years I have been meaning to make a lambie cake to share with you all because it is such a nostalgic cake for me. It is also absolutely adorable and with the use of the mold not hard to make at all.
lamb cake history
Now, a lamb cake can of course be enjoyed by anyone. It is essentially just a vanilla cake, similar to a pound cake with frosting and coconut. So really who can complain about that?!
However, the lamb cake is symbolic for Easter because it symbolizes Jesus, often called the Lamb of God. It represents innocence, sacrifice, and new life, which fits right in with the themes of Easter. Plus, decorating the fluffy lamb cake has become a fun way for families to celebrate together.
So, while of course as a vegan we do not want to eat any lambs, this cake is just cute and festive.
the ingredients
- Flour: for this recipe and base of the cake we will need all purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour. If you want to try a gluten-free all purpose flour you of course can, I can’t say how it will work.
- Baking Powder: of course we need baking powder to help the cake rise.
- Organic Sugar: to make our cake sweet we will be using organic sugar.
- Egg Replacer: I like to use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer for cakes and baking. If you want to use a flax or chia egg you can.
- Vegan Yogurt/Vegan Sour Cream: you either need vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream to help make the cake moist. I have used both things and it always turns out great. I do have a recipe for homemade vegan sour cream you can use here.
- Non-Dairy Milk: we will need non-dairy milk for the cake and a little for the vegan buttercream frosting. You can use any non-dairy milk you like. It can be sweetened or flavored vanilla but it does not have to be. I do not recommend using canned coconut milk.
- Vanilla Extract: to help flavor the frosting and cake.
- Organic Powdered Sugar: we will use this in the vegan buttercream frosting.
- Vegan Butter: we will use this in the vegan buttercream frosting. I like Country Crock olive oil plant butter. I do have a recipe for homemade vegan butter as well.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: we will add the shredded coconut on the cake to add texture and flavor.
- Jelly Beans: we will need some jelly beans for decorating the plate and the lamb’s nose. I was able to find some vegan friendly jelly beans in my food store, the Jolly Rancher brand is accidentally vegan. However, I am sure there are other brands that have them.
- Icing: to make the eyes I used a black gel icing.
how to make and decorate lamb cake
- You can either make the cake with a hand mixer or stand mixer. First, sift flour and baking powder, then mix the dry ingredients together on a low speed.
- Add in the wet ingredients and mix until you form a batter.
- For this recipe you will need a lamb cake mold.
- Grease and flour both sides of the pan generously.
- Place the lamb mold face side down on a baking sheet. Pour the cake batter into the mold and spread it out to get the batter into all the cracks.
- Add the top piece of the lamb mold, the one with a hole in it on top.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the mold. Then, loosen it flip it out onto the baking sheet. Let the cake come to room temperature on the baking sheet or a wire rack for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Chill the cake in the freezer overnight before decorating.
- The next day make the homemade vegan buttercream. Transfer it into a piping bag with a fat tip like a Wilton 1A.
- Pipe on small dots of the frosting all over the cake to give texture. You can of course also make swirls or just spread the icing on flat.
- Then, sprinkle the cake with the shredded coconut.
- Finally, give the lamb cake a little face with the icing and a jelly bean. Decorate the plate with Easter grass and jelly beans. Now, you have the cutest and most perfect lamb cake. You can also use a ribbon to tie it around the lamb’s neck.
lamb cake tips and tricks
- Use cake mixes. If you do not feel like making your own cake from scratch (although it is very easy don’t be intimidated) you can always use a cake mix box! There is nothing wrong with that if it helps you make it faster.
- Use store bought frosting. In that same vein use a frosting from a can if you need to. Most are actually vegan friendly. However, making a vegan America buttercream is so easy and it is so delicious. Vegan buttercream is by far my favorite.
- If lambie breaks, don’t freak out. If he breaks while you are popping it out of the mold, if you smush it together, and then freeze it should freeze back together. If it breaks while icing, use a bit of frosting to glue the pieces back together.
- Following cooling and freezing times. I don’t give you those timeframes for no reason. It is very crucial to allow the cake to cool and freeze for a better experience.
more easter recipes
easter lamb cake faq
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
It does use gluten. You can try making it gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour. The cake also has coconut.
How do I store leftovers?
You can keep them stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cake.
Can I prep the cake ahead of time?
If you want to really get ahead and make the cake itself beforehand you can definitely keep the unfrosted cake stored in the freezer. I would follow the steps as it, but then brush a simple syrup over the cake before freezing. Then, you can wrap it in plastic wrap tightly.
How long should the cake sit after decorating before eating?
After the cake is decorated you can store in the fridge until you are ready to eat if it will be more than 1-2 hours. If you plan on eating it sooner and it is a cool day you can leave the cake out on the counter for 1-2 hours. If it is a very hot day and your house is hot you can risk the vegan buttercream to start getting very soft and a bit melted.
My lamb cake came out ugly, what did I do wrong?
Can I tell you something, the beauty truly of the lambie cake is that it isn’t supposed to be perfect. There are forums online about everyone ugly lamb cakes. It is fun and festive, they do not need to be bakery worthy.
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Vegan Lamb Cake for Easter
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Ateco C808 or Wilton 1A
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 egg replacers I like Bob’s Red Mill
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ⅔ cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter softened
- 3 cups organic powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorating
- ½ cup to 1 cup shredded and sweetened coconut
- Jelly beans
- Black gel icing
Instructions
Day 1
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour the lamb cake mold.
- Pour the flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder to the stand mixer bowl, mix on low speed for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Add the egg replacers, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, vegan sour cream or , and vanilla extract in a large bowl and use
- an electric mixer to beat on medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until a batter forms. Do not overmix.
- If necessary, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Place the lamb mold side with the face down first on a baking sheet. Pour in the batter. Then, place the mold with the hole on top.
- Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes. You can stick a toothpick in the venting hole and it should come out mostly clean.
- Carefully, remove top mold. Your cake make bake into it, mine did not, that is okay. Then, allow the cake to cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the bottom mold. Use a knife to carefully loosen the sides and then flip it out onto a cutting board.
- Allow it to cool 30 minutes to an hour on the cutting board, baking pan, or wire rack. Then, place in the freezer and freeze overnight, at least 12 hours, covered with foil.
Day 2
- Prepare the vegan buttercream frosting: Place the vegan butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until very soft and fluffy. Pour in the vanilla extract and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar while mixing on medium speed. After all of the sugar is incorporated, pour in the nondairy milk and beat on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure everything is well combined. The frosting will be pale, light, and fluffy.
- Transfer into a piping bag with a thick circular tip. On the serving dish or platter make a thick line of frosting and then place the cake down into it standing up. This will hold it in place.
- Make dots of the icing all over the cake, do not forget the back. If you want to just frost the back of the cake with spreading out a thin layer of frosting that works too.
- Then, sprinkle the shredded coconut over top. Do your best to cover as much of the cake as you can.
- Use the black gel icing to make eyes and a jelly bean to make a nose.
- You can then decorate the platter with Easter grass and jelly beans.
Video
Notes
- For this recipe I am not sharing nutritional information as it is cake/dessert. It is meant to be a treat and enjoyed in moderation.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
- If you need an in depth step-by-step tutorial be sure to watch the video.
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Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
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