'UP' Standing Easter Cakes

It may look difficult, but creating three dimensional stand-up cakes is very manageable even for beginners when you use molded pans and follow instructions.

Wilton has a couple of really cute stand-up mold cake pan sets to WOW your guests this Easter!

One of the cutest shapes is the stand-up lamb pan. Who can resist a cute little white lamb as a decoration for Easter? This pan makes a 3 dimensional lamb that sits up and smiles at you! Perfect for the centerpiece of your Easter brunch!

The key for shaped cakes is to generously grease the inside of the pan with either shortening, or spray shortening, then lightly dust with flour. Make sure you have all areas of the pan covered to prevent sticking. Avoid cakes with added ingredients like nuts or raisins. Pound cakes, yellow or chocolate work very well.

Pour the batter into one half. Snap the other half on the filled pan and tighten the pans together with string or wire. The cake will rise as it bakes forming a complete lamb! Follow the instructions included with pan for added tips on baking and cooling. You may want to bake this cake one day and frost the next!

Add piped colored frosting for ears and mouth and use candies for eyes and nose. Now use the tip of your choice - possibly #16 - to make all that fluffy white wool. Arrange fresh flower petals around the sides of the cake and it looks very charming in the center of your table! The cake is 10” x 7” deep.

Or simply cover an iced cake with tinted flaky coconut to give an illusion of sheep’s wool. Have fun and be creative! You may want to tint some coconut green so the lamb looks like it is laying down in a meadow.

Even easier decorating is to sprinkle the lamb with confectioners’ sugar and nestle it in a bed of fresh strawberries!

Full instructions come with all stand-up pans. Follow them closely for the best results. Some basic facts to keep in mind when planning for your molded cake dessert:

• Read complete instructions before shopping for the ingredients. Very specific instructions are provided as to what works best for molded cakes. A firm batter is required – pound cakes work well. Be sure to note how much batter is needed to make the cake – generally 5-6 cups of batter.
• Be sure to wash the pan mold in hot soapy water and completely dry before using.
• Spray pan thoroughly for easy release
• You fill only one half of the cake, to the rim and clamp the top half to the bottom – the cake fills both pans as it bakes.
• It is probably a 2-day project – baking one day and decorating the next. Cooling time is very specific – you can’t rush - be sure to follow instructions!
• Gather the tips, icings, candies and decorating supplies you will need to complete the project before starting.