Easter Lamb Sponge Cake (Beránek)

Why include a lamb-shaped cake (sponge, quark or yeast-based) on the festive Easter table? The lamb has long been a symbol of purity, spring and new life. While Christian iconography uses the lamb as a symbol of Christ and the crucifixion, the lamb was a frequent sacrificial offering long before Christianity. As times went, lamb meat became for many unaffordable and was gradually replaced, initially by a lamb made from sheep cheese and finally by a sweet lamb-shaped Easter dessert. A word of warning - to execute this recipe you will need a special baking mould but also a certain amount of dexterity. However, the result is definitely worth it!

Ingredients
200g plain flour
120g sugar
4 tablespoons hot water
4 eggs
1 handful of walnuts
rum
20g vanilla sugar
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
12g baking powder
1 handful of raisins
fat to grease the mould, fine breadcrumbs/semolina for the mould

Procedure:
Break the eggs, separating yolks from egg whites. Whip the egg whites until firm. Mix the yolks with both types of sugar, hot water, slowly adding the oil, until the mixture becomes thick and lemon-coloured. Gently fold in into the batter the flour with the baking powder, chopped walnuts and raisins soaked in rum and finally add the whipped egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared mould (pre-greased and covered with the fine breadcrumbs or semolina). Cover with the other side of the mould and bake on 180°C/350F/Gas mark 4 for c. 40 minutes. Once removed from the oven, use a skewer or a knife to gently detach the edges of the cake from the mould and allow to cool. Then carefully remove the cake from the mould. You can decorate the lamb cake with eyes made from raisins or smarties, you can also cover it with chocolate or lemon icing.