Old-Fashioned Sand Cake Recipe – Easy Butter Cake

This old-fashioned sand cake recipe creates a soft, buttery cake with a delicate crumb that melts in your mouth. This simple butter cake is perfect for everyday baking, afternoon tea, or birthday celebrations.

Sand cake has been a favourite homemade cake for generations because it uses basic pantry ingredients, is incredibly reliable, and tastes wonderful served plain or dressed up with cream, jam, or icing.

I’ve been making this sand cake for more than 25 years, and it’s still one of my most dependable recipes. It works every single time, freezes beautifully, and is perfect for everything from afternoon tea to birthday cakes.

What Is Sand Cake?

Sand cake is a traditional butter cake known for its fine, delicate crumb. The name comes from the slightly “sandy” texture created by the balance of flour, butter, and eggs in the batter.

The result is a cake that is:

lighter than pound cake
richer than sponge cake
beautifully soft and buttery

Because of its simple flavour, sand cake makes an excellent base cake for icing, fruit toppings, or layered desserts.

Why You’ll Love This Sand Cake Recipe

This recipe has stood the test of time because it’s:

• Quick and easy to make
• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• Perfect for beginner bakers
• Ideal for birthday cakes and afternoon tea
• Freezer-friendly
• Very economical to bake

If you’re looking for a reliable homemade cake that always turns out beautifully, this sand cake recipe is a wonderful one to keep on hand.

Tips for the Perfect Sand Cake

To get the best texture and flavour, keep these tips in mind:

Make sure your butter is softened before mixing.
Beat the batter long enough to create a light and creamy texture.
Avoid opening the oven door too early during baking.
Use room-temperature eggs for smoother mixing.

These small details help create the beautifully soft crumb sand cake is known for.

Serving Ideas

Sand cake is delicious on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with simple toppings.

Try serving it with:

• a dusting of icing sugar
• strawberry jam and whipped cream
• lemon glaze or icing
• buttercream frosting
• fresh seasonal fruit

Because the flavour is light and buttery, it works well with both simple and decorative toppings.

Storage and Freezing

One of the best things about this sand cake recipe is how well it stores.

Room temperature:
Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer:
Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It can be frozen for up to 4 weeks. To serve, simply thaw at room temperature.

Classic Old-Fashioned Sand Cake Recipe

Recipe by Stay at Home Mum

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

8

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

Light, fluffy, and elegantly simple, sand cake is a classic with a tender crumb. Dust with icing sugar, pair with jam or cream, and this understated cake transforms into a nostalgic afternoon treat everyone will adore.

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Ingredients For The Old-Fashioned Sand Cake Recipe

• 1 cup self-raising flour

• 1 tbsp cornflour (or custard powder)

• 125 g butter

• 3/4 cup caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

How To Make Old-Fashioned Sand Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Line a greased 20 cm round cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
• Using electric beaters, mix for 6 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake stand for 5 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• This Sand Cake can be made in bulk batches.
• The recipe is suitable for freezing.  Cool the cake to room temperature and double wrap in plastic wrap.  It will last in the freezer for up to four weeks un-iced.
• You can substitute the cornflour with custard powder for a slight vanilla flavour.
• This cake can be served as is or with a simple icing or fruit topping.
• Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days

4 Common Questions About Sand Cake

Why is it called sand cake?

Sand cake gets its name from its fine, delicate crumb texture, which feels slightly sandy but very soft.

Can I substitute custard powder for cornflour?

Yes. Custard powder works well and adds a light vanilla flavour to the cake.

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. You can double the ingredients and bake it in a larger cake tin or slice tray.

Can sand cake be iced?

Yes. This cake is perfect for buttercream icing, glaze, or layered cakes.

Sand Cake – A Simple Classic That Never Fails

This old-fashioned sand cake recipe is one of those timeless cakes that never goes out of style. It’s simple, reliable, and incredibly versatile, making it perfect for everyday baking or special occasions.

Whether you enjoy it plain, dusted with icing sugar, or topped with cream and fruit, this soft buttery cake is sure to become a family favourite.

Have you tried this sand cake recipe?

Did you dust it with icing sugar, add jam and cream, or turn it into a birthday cake?

Let me know in the comments below — I’d love to hear how you served it or any tips you discovered while baking!

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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