Ingredients
First, let’s clarify what exactly we mean by sand cake. You’ve probably heard the term, but what is it, really? Sand cake is a type of "heavy" cake made from a rich, fat-heavy batter. The dough includes soft butter, sugar, eggs, (relatively little) flour, and baking powder. But the key ingredient that makes it special? Cornstarch. The cornstarch gives the cake its characteristic slightly "sandy" texture. The more cornstarch you add, the finer the crumb, but too much can make it dry and crumbly. So don’t go overboard! My recipe strikes the perfect balance. I promise: you won’t need to dip this cake in coffee to enjoy it 😉.
In traditional sand cakes, the amounts of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs were often equal in weight. Older recipes also typically omit baking powder, requiring the batter to be stirred for a long time to achieve the right texture. My version is a little lighter thanks to the addition of baking powder, along with slightly more flour compared to fat and sugar, making it less dense but still rich.
How to Make the Sand Cake
Start by greasing a small loaf pan (about 8 inches / 20 cm) and dusting it with flour. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Beat the soft butter with the sugar for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with milk and lemon juice. The batter should be thick enough to drop from the spoon with just a slight tear.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 50 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. After 30 minutes of baking, score the top of the cake lengthwise with a sharp knife to ensure an even rise.
Top Tip
To keep the cake moist, be sure not to overbake it. That said, the toothpick test is essential to make sure it’s done just right.
Recipe Card
Sand Cake
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan (8 in / 20 cm)
Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 cup) butter, soft
- 110 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 3 eggs, medium
- 130 grams (1 cups) cornstarch
- 100 grams (⅘ cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 40 milliliters (2 ¾ tablespoons) milk, coarse
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Grease a small loaf pan (about 8 in / 20 cm) and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Beat the soft butter with the sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Mix flour with starch and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture briefly but vigorously, alternating with the milk and lemon juice. Use enough milk, so the dough falls from the spoon with difficulty tearing.
- Pour the dough into the pan, smooth it out and bake for about 50 minutes. Test with chopsticks. After 30 minutes of baking, score the cake lengthwise down the center with a large sharp knife.
Notes
- You can refine the sand cake with spices like vanilla or cinnamon or add raisins, chocolate chips, apple cubes, or similar.
- You can also replace the milk with rum.
- For a lemon sand cake, replace even more milk with lemon juice and add lemon zest.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
This basic sand cake recipe is easy to adapt. For example, I like to replace some of the milk with lemon juice, which, combined with a little grated lemon zest, creates a lovely lemon sand cake. You can also add rum, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins, chocolate chips, or other mix-ins to make it your own. Or, try using the batter as a base for an apple cake.
Our sand cake is a classic with a delightfully tender texture. If you're looking for similarly moist, traditional cakes, check out Grandma's Super Moist Raisin Cake, my banana cake, or this marble cake.
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