Sand Cake

[connie]

I was looking through my Grannie's old recipes and wondering what I could post up here when I came across a recipe for a Sand Cake. It kind of surprised me tbh.

Ingredient
1/4lb caster sugar +1 tbsp. caster sugar
1/4lb cornflour (as in corn starch) + 1 tbsp. cornflour
1/2oz ground rice
1/4 level tsp baking powder
1/4lb butter
1 grated rind of lemon
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat the oven to 350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease an 8inch ring mould.
Mix 1 level tablespoon of sugar with 1 level tablespoon of cornflour and use to dust the inside of the mould.
Sift the remaining cornflour, rice and baking powder together
Cream the butter and lemon rind together
Add the remaining caster sugar and cream again until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs and add gradually to the creamed mixture. Ensure it is well beaten, but not separating.
Fold the cornflour mixture into the creamed mixture lightly a third of a time, using a metal spoon.
Put the mixture into the prepared ring mould and smooth the top.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 1-1hr 15 mins.
Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire rack.

Apparently it costs 2 shillings to make.

 

[PattyCakes]

That looks and sounds like a lovely quaint old recipe - how lovely to have those old books handed down to you.

I've never heard of sand cake before; interesting to see the addition of ground rice - I can't seem to find that anywhere, whereas it was easy to find a few years back. My husband's auntie used to make ground rice cake in a loaf tin, and it was lovely; she sometimes put glace cherries in it which looked lovely dotted about in the cake.

I quite like the simplicity of your sand cake; the ingredients are things I always have to hand, with the exception of the ground rice. I have however, conducted an experiment with regular long grain rice and my blender - the blender ground it down a treat!

 

[barkingsquirrel]

I've never had sand cake before. Connie, do you remember having eaten it? I'm really curious to know how it tastes and what the texture is like (pound, angel, etc). The other thing I wonder is how would the cake have been used - would it have been an everyday type thing or for special occasions?

 

[Trellum]

That sounds like a rally interesting recipe, Connie! Thanks for sharing, I fount it interesting... every time I see an old recipe like this and compare it to how we make cakes now I can't help to think things were way more simple back then. In a very good way! This cake sounds so earthy and good! Not loaded with a lot unwanted coloring and chemicals.

 

[Zyni]

Earthy indeed. We now have sand cake to go with our rock cakes, lol.

Kidding aside, I would love to be able to go through (both of) my grandmothers' old recipes. This sand cake sounds a lot like something my grandma would eat with pudding. I know sometimes, she just used cornbread, but she also had another item (I thought it was some sort of bread but it might have been this). She'd crumble it and top it with homemade, cooked pudding, then pour on some cream.

 

[DancingLady]

How does ground rice differ from rice flour? I am assuming this is what makes is "sand" cake? I have never seen this product in stores before, but rice flour is now a very common thing.

 

[connie]

How does ground rice differ from rice flour? I am assuming this is what makes is "sand" cake? I have never seen this product in stores before, but rice flour is now a very common thing.

I think the difference is how 'ground' it is. Flour has been ground or milled much more finely than ground rice would be if I recall correctly.

I don't remember having the cake as a child, but I would not necessarily have registered it I don't think. I do recall my Grannie making Rock cakes though but that could be because I helped her make them. They are ideal for a child to help with.