Easter Lamb Cake

1. Stage

Coat a lamb cake mold with vegetable oil; let sit for a few minutes then wipe clean with a paper towel. Then grease and flour your mold, making sure to get all the little areas.

2. Stage

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift cake flour, then sift again with baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. Stage

Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; add cake flour mixture alternately with milk, stirring the batter until smooth after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

4. Stage

Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form; fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then quickly fold in remaining whites.

5. Stage

Fill the face side of the mold with batter. Gently move a wooden spoon through the batter to remove any air pockets, without disturbing the greased and floured surface of the mold. Put the lid on the mold, securely locking or tying it together so the steam and rising batter do not force the two sections apart. Place onto a cookie sheet.

6. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until a skewer or wooden toothpick inserted through a steam vent comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the mold to a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove the top of the mold. Let the bottom of the cake cool in the mold until all the steam escapes and the cake firms up, about 5 more minutes. Remove the rest of the mold and let the cake cool completely. For best results, do not sit the cake upright until completely cooled.