Easter Lamb Cake
About This Easter Lamb Cake Recipe
I stumbled upon this adorable cake on Southern Living’s Instagram and instantly knew I had to make it. I’ve never baked a cake in the shape of something before, and on my second attempt it turned out absolutely perfect! The cake itself has a dense, pound-cake-like texture with a subtle hint of almond, and the rich cream cheese frosting is everything you could ever want. It’s cute, nostalgic, pretty enough for the center of your Easter table, and tastes even better than it looks.
This recipe is adapted from Southern Living with my notes and my cream cheese frosting. I ordered my lamb mold on Amazon , and it worked like a dream.
This is the perfect Easter dessert, centerpiece, and showstopper. Happy Easter!
Why You’ll Love It
A classic, nostalgic Easter dessert that looks gorgeous on the table.
Moist, dense pound-cake texture that holds the shape beautifully.
Cream cheese frosting makes decorating easy and delicious.
Surprisingly simple — the mold does most of the work.
Perfect for kids, families, spring gatherings, or holiday brunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, (optional almond extract)
Buttermilk
Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla (for frosting)
Lamb mold + cooking spray + extra flour for dusting
How to Make It
Grease and flour your lamb cake mold thoroughly. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and beat the butter and sugar until fluffy in another. Add the eggs and extracts, then alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk. Spoon the thick batter into the face-side mold, making sure to press it into all the details. Close the mold, bake until fully cooked through, and cool completely before standing upright. Coat with cream cheese frosting and decorate with coconut, grated white chocolate, jelly beans, or M&M’s.
Tips for Success
Grease and flour every corner of the mold — the details need it.
When in doubt, bake longer; the toothpick test can be unreliable with shaped molds.
Let the cake cool fully before standing it upright or decorating.
Use a piping bag for the “wool” texture — it makes decorating easy and cute.
If the cake rises and spills out of the mold, trim the bottom for a flat base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get the lamb mold?
You can buy them on Amazon — that’s where I got mine.
Do I have to use cream cheese frosting?
No, but it’s the perfect texture and flavor for this specific cake.
Can I make the cake ahead of time?
Yes — the cake can be baked one day in advance. Keep wrapped tightly until decorating.
Can I freeze it?
You can freeze the undecorated cake. Thaw completely before frosting.
What if I don’t like coconut?
Use grated white chocolate, crushed cookies, or leave it smooth.
What to Serve With This
Fresh berries or berry compote
Easter brunch dishes
Coffee or tea
Lemon bars, carrot cake, or other spring desserts
More Recipes You’ll Love
Easter Lamb Cake
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I used salted)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 24 oz of cream cheese (3 packages), softened
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5-6 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Spray the lamb molds with your cooking spray and then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of flour in each half of the molds. Move and tap the pan around to evenly coat each side and then tap out any excess flour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl or stand mixer, add butter and sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy- about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 egg and mix on low speed until fully combined and then add the 2nd egg and mix until combined. Add extracts and mix.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and alternate with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. The batter will be thick.
- Place the face side of the mold on a sheet pan and spoon in the batter. Use a butterknife to get in all of the crooks and crannies (especially around the head and ears) and gently tap the mold to help spread the batter around. Level batter with a spatula. Place the other half of the mold (with the little hole) on top and make sure that it's closed.
- Bake at 350°F for about 45-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the steam hole comes out clean. NOTE: I made this the first time and baked for 45 minutes because the toothpick came out clean and it ended up being undercooked and unsalvageable. The second time I made this I cooked it for 60 minutes and it came out perfect. It's hard to tell if it's done or not and the toothpick test failed me.
- Transfer the mold to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Lift off the top mold (the side with the steam hole) and then cool for another 5-10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake out of the mold and cool cake completely face-side up. I let it cool for about 2 hours. Do not stand it upright until fully cooled.
- Once cooled, you may need to cut off the little excess cake that spilled out on the bottom of the mold while baking. Then, squeeze a line of frosting in the middle of the plate that you are going to decorate on and place the lamb on top of frosting line. Decorate cake with frosting and then add grated white chocolate or coconut and jelly beans or m&m's for the face.
- In a large bowl or with a stand mixer, add the butter and cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until combined.
- Add in vanilla and beat until combined.
- Slowly add in sugar while mixing until combined after each addition.
