chocolate easter lamb cake

By pdav

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
• 3 tablespoons each: boiling water, milk 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla buttercream frosting, sweetened flaked coconut, jelly beans

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together cocoa, boiling water and milk; set aside.

2. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Beat in the reserved cocoa-milk mixture and vanilla. Lower the mixer to low speed; add the flour mixture gradually, mixing just until combined.

3. Coat the interior of each half of the lamb mold with vegetable oil; let sit 5 minutes. Remove excess oil with a paper towel; grease and flour both interiors. Place the front half of the lamb mold face-down on a baking sheet. Pour batter to within ¼ inch of rim. Place back half of mold on top. Bake 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven; turn the mold face side up. Return to the oven; bake until a tester tests clean, about 20 minutes.

4. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; remove the front half of mold. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out the cake, supporting it with your hand and turning it face-side-up onto a wire rack. Cool completely before icing with frosting, using the frosting to cover any flaws in the cake.

Nutrition information per serving: 247 calories, 46 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 83 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 148 mg sodium, 1 g fiber ——— (c) 2008, Chicago Tribune.