Spring Lamb Cakes

Ingredients

• 
  110g (4oz) margarine
• 110g (4oz) caster sugar
• 2 medium size eggs
• 110g (4oz) self-raising flour - sieved
• 2 – 3 drops Dr. Oetker Natural Vanilla Extract
• Dr. Oetker White Baking Cases

For the icing

• 1½ x 325g tubs Dr. Oetker EasyIce Vanilla Butter Icing
• 4 tbsp strawberry jam

Or

• 130g (4½oz) unsalted butter
• 250g (9oz) icing sugar
• a few drops of Dr. Oetker Natural Vanilla Extract
• milk or warm water

To decorate

• 3 packs Dr. Oetker Ready to Roll Coloured Icing - Black
• Dr. Oetker Silver Balls

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Place 12-14 White Baking Cases in a bun tin.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and Natural Vanilla Extract, if the mixture starts to curdle, add a little flour.
3. Fold in the remaining flour with a metal spoon.
4. Place spoonfuls of the mixture in the baking cases and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Decoration for each cake

1. Divide one pack of black Ready to Roll Coloured Icing in to 4. Take one of the four pieces and set the others aside.  Use some of the icing to mould the lamb’s ‘head’, adding two small pieces of icing for ‘ears’ and push in Silver Balls for ‘eyes’.  Using a small piece of icing, roll the lamb’s ‘tail’. 
2. Roll the remainder of the icing into a roll of approx. 8cm long and cut in to 4 equal lengths to make the lamb’s ‘legs’.  Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of Black Ready to Roll Coloured Icing to make heads, legs and tails for three more lambs.  Repeat with the other two packs of icing.
3. Cover the base and sides of each cake with EasyIce Vanilla Butter Icing. Carefully push four ‘legs’ into the base of each cake and stand upright.
4. Use a small star nozzle to pipe rosettes of EasyIce on the top of each cake and place a ‘head’ and ‘tail’ on each.  Use Silver Balls for ‘eyes’.
5. Alternatively, to make your own butter icing, place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft.  Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar.
6. Mix in the Natural Vanilla Extract and enough milk / water to make the icing fluffy and spreadable.  Use as above.

Makes: 12