Sandy Cake

The Sandy Cake is a classic dessert, simple and very beloved, known for its particular consistency that recalls sand, hence its name. It usually is a dessert that has its origins in Mantuan cuisine. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 g of soft butter
• 250 g of sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 100 g of potato starch
• 1 packet of baking powder
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320 °F).
2. In a large bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar until you have a frothy and homogeneous mixture.
3. Separate the yolks from the whites and add the yolks one at a time, together with the two whole eggs, continuing to mix to blend everything together.
4. Add the grated lemon zest and the pinch of salt to the mixture and mix well.
5. Sift the flour with the potato starch and baking powder, then gradually incorporate them into the egg and butter mixture, mixing gently to avoid deflating it.
6. Pour the mixture into a previously buttered and floured cake pan (preferably a springform pan of about 24 cm in diameter).
7. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
9. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Did You Know?

It is said that this cake was originally prepared for the last Duke of Mantua and it has since spread, becoming a classic in the homes of the area. Led by butter and a high percentage of egg yolks, the Sandy Cake has a finely granular consistency that surprises the palate, hence the name “Sandy”.