Growing up I remember Mother making a lamb cake in a Nordic Ware cake mold. To Daddy’s delight, she covered it with seven-minute whipped frosting and a lovely coating of fluffy white coconut. She served it on top of her beautiful milk glass cake pedestal covered with more coconut. Then she’d tuck in little jelly beans to look like eggs (remember this was the era of the late 60s early 70s, pre Cadbury mini eggs). We couldn’t wait to slice the cake after Easter lunch.
Her lamb cake pan is long gone (at least to me unless Sister is reading this and has it), so I found this one on Amazon. I decided to make my friend Tricia’s recipe for Chocolate Kahlua Cake and it turned out perfectly. Here’s the recipe.
Tricia’s Black Russian Bundt Cake
1 box yellow or cake mix (without pudding) *I used chocolate this time and it was very rich.
1/2 cup sugar
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup Vodka (I have used vanilla vodka)
1/4 cup Kahlua
Combine everything in a mixer and beat well. Pour into a very well-greased and floured and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 60-70 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and glaze.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup Kahlua
Combine and pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
For the lamb cake, I skipped the glaze and gave her a light dusting of powdered sugar which showed the contours of her shape from the mold of the pan. I spread some decorating icing on the center of Mother’s milk glass cake pedestal to act as an adhesive and trimmed off the bottom of the lamb so she would sit firmly on the plate. Then I went to work making her crown of pink azaleas from the garden on her head, tied a ribbon around her neck, and filled in the space around her with coconut to make it look like she was resting in the flowers. I think she looks beautiful.
At our home on Meadowbrook Drive, Mother loved bringing in clippings of spirea, also called Bridal Wreath, and arranged them in a crystal vase. The blooms smelled heavenly. I loved carrying a bouquet around the house pretending I was a bride. When we moved into the house we live in now I discovered we have a Spirea bush, too. It’s blooming right now and I cut a few sprigs to fill in the lamb’s crown and tucked the rest around her.
The cake slices beautifully. You can serve with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s also a terrific cake to take to a friend.
What are some Easter memories from your childhood? Happy Easter!
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
