Frohe Ostern!

That’s German for ‘Happy Easter!’ [but you probably knew that] Last Sunday my friend Marilyn gave me a gift after church – a German cake tin – for making an Easter Lamb. She’d seen it in a CS, and really wanted to buy it, thinking it was a baa-gain, but then decided she would never use it.

The name ‘Zenker’ is imprinted in the metal, and a bit of research led me to the website of this German company, and various recipes for using the mould

I also read that some people found their moulds leaked, and recommended adding a few small ‘bulldog’ clips for added security.

The recipe insists that when you take the cake from the oven, you wrap it in a damp towel to ensure it cools properly. Clothespegs were helpful at this point!

Once out of the tin, it looked more like a duck, but I cut off the bottom so it would stand, sprinkled it with icing sugar and stood it on a field of green paper ‘grass’

Two small choc drops made eyes. I have now made two cakes – one for us, and one as a thank you gift for Marilyn.

Frohe Ostern!

2 eggs [separated]

120gr of butter or margarine

110 gr sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

½ tsp of baking powder

160gr plain flour

icing sugar

Separate mould into two, grease well with butter. Join together and sprinkle with 2 tsp semolina or flour, and shake around to coat. Preheat oven to 160°C [fan] Beat the whites till stiff and put on one side.
Whisk together the yolk, sugar, vanilla sugar and the butter until it is creamy. Stir in the flour, then fold in the beaten egg whites
Spoon into mould, bang firmly on base to ensure all parts are filled. Bake in 160°C [fan] for about 40 min [check the cake with skewer]
Wrap the mould in a wet cloth when it is baked and let cool completely before removing the cake [by releasing the side clips and lifting mould away] Cover with icing sugar

There are other recipes on the website, including one with lemon zest and lemon icing. You can also cover with piped buttercream [too rich for me!] You DO need to make sure your cake mix is stiff, rather than a runny batter. I think a chocolate sponge, with white icing, leaving a dark face might look, and taste, good.

I took the sponge cut from the base and served it with sliced banana and cream, drizzled with a little caramel sauce for a fun pud [love food, hate waste]

Does your family enjoy any special foods over the Easter Weekend?