Easter Lamb Pound Cake

When I was young, every Easter my grandmother would make this wonderful lamb cake in an old cast iron mold that she’d had since the 1950’s. After the cake cooled, it was my duty to decorate the cake. What fun I had creating my masterpiece with frosting, coconut and jelly beans!

Original recipe makes 1 pound cake

Ingredients

1 pound butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar, divided
8 eggs, separated
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/3 cup bourbon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups white frosting
sweetened flaked coconut for decorating
jelly beans or other small candies, or as desired

PREP

25 mins
COOK

1 hr 30 mins
READY IN

2 hrs 55 mins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a lamb-shaped cake mold.
Beat butter and 2 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the egg yolks one at a time, allowing each egg yolk to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next.
Gradually mix in the flour, alternating with the vanilla, almond extract, and bourbon. Mix until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until medium peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the tip of the peak formed by the egg whites should curl over slightly.
Using a large whisk or rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the batter to lighten. Fold in remaining egg whites and blend in chopped pecans. Pour about 1 cup of the batter into the prepared cake mold. Put a toothpick into each ear and nose to help the cake hold together while baking. Pour remaining batter into mold.
Bake in a preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate and decorate with white frosting, coconut, and candies.