Easter in Alsace – Lamala recipe (with or without gluten)
Easter in Alsace is synonymous with Easter lamb. Like everywhere else in France, you might say... Yes, but here the lamb is in sponge cake! Here's the recipe to celebrate Easter the Alsatian way.
What is a lammele?
Lamala (the name given to this cake in Haut-Rhin, lamele or lammele in Bas-Rhin) is a sponge cake made in a lamb-shaped mold and eaten at Easter.
This is by no means an ancient tradition on the verge of extinction… Not only are lamala flourishing on bakery stalls, but mussels are also out in force in families.
It’s out of the question to celebrate Easter without lamala, an unmissable Alsatian speciality! You can find and cook them all Easter long, not just on Sundays.
Choice of mold
The mold used is traditionally a terracotta mold (see here, for example), which can be opened in half to remove the beautiful lamb from the mold. And since we’re in Alsace, you can buy one from one of the Soufflenheim potteries, for example. That’s the choice I made!
Alternatively, they are also available in metal. Cheaper, but so much less traditional…
Recipe with or without gluten
I made my lamala following a recipe from my friend Céline of the blog L’heure du Cream, who is reputed to be a lammele pro! Verdict: Easy to make (the only tricky part is unmolding, so be careful) and delicious.
Good to know for people with food intolerances: this recipe is naturally lactose-free and can easily be made gluten-free (I’ve tried it—there’s no difference at all!).
A few more tips…
I asked a few of my foodie blogger friends for their tips on how to make a successful lamala every time…
- Elodie, from the blog Elo en fait tout un plat – Forget the metal mould, which makes drier cakes, and get a terracotta mould!
- Manue from the blog Hum ça sent bon! – Beat the egg and sugar mixture for a long time!
- Marine from the blog Miss Crumble – Be sure to butter and flour the pan very well.
- Sandra from the blog Cuisine Addict – Do not open the oven door during baking, the cake will be less airy!
- Adeline, from the blog La cuisine d’Adeline – Do not unmould straight from the oven, but wait until the tin is lukewarm.
Our recipe
The lamala
Ustensiles
- 1 moule à lamala (ideally terracotta)
- 1 ruban (for decoration)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- 65 g of sugar
- 60 g wheat flour (or Ma Vie Sans Gluten’s “Mix Pâtisserie” flour blend for a gluten-free version)
- 30 g cornstarch (maïzena)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- Optional: juice of 1/2 lemon
- For decoration: powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla sugar until the mixture whitens (beat well!). If you want to add lemon juice, now’s the time!
- Gradually add the flour, cornstarch and baking powder.
- Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into the remaining dough.
- Butter (with vegetable margarine for a lactose-free version) and flour the mould, paying particular attention to the nooks and crannies (to avoid losing a lamb’s ear when unmoulding!). Fill the mould 3/4 full with the dough (no more, it will puff up).
- Bake at 180°C for approx. 40-45 minutes. Once out of the oven, wait until the tin is lukewarm, then carefully remove from the mould. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and tie a ribbon around the lamb’s neck. Taste fairly quickly (ideally the same day), as lamala dries out quickly!
