Oma's Sandkuchen: Legendary German Pound Cake Recipe

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

Updated: May 23, 2025

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Oma's Sandkuchen is the best pound cake recipe that is so German and so easy.

My legendary pound cake recipe, aka Sandkuchen, is this one. My Oma made it, my Mutti made it, and now I make it! It's my quick cake recipe for emergencies. 

Sandkuchen, literally translated as Sand Cake, is also one of the great holiday baking recipes to have. Why? Because it's such a treat!

But since it's so good, it also finds its way into my quick cake recipes collection.  Good and quick. Good because it's tastes so rich and moist. 

Sandkuchen Trivia

• Traditionally, a pound cake is made with equal weights of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. 
  
• There are many variations in many countries that have similar recipes that have evolved over time to include various weights 
  
• Germany's Eischwerkuchen ("egg weight cake") would be closest to a traditional pound cake
• Sandkuchen (sand cake) while not a true pound cake (equal weight ingredients) has a similar texture.

Make Sandkuchen a Bit Different ...

Here I've iced the finished cake with lemon icing. Just take some icing sugar and use enough lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed) to make a nice, not-too-liquid icing.

Here I've iced the Sandkuchen with a lemon icing. Lecker, lecker!

• Play around with the flavorings in dough of this legendary pound cake recipe and create your own variation.
  
• Use just vanilla (omitting the lemon peel), or use almond extract (my favorite). Or, try rum instead.
  
• It is often just sprinkled with icing sugar before serving.
  
• Many times, I'll coat it with a chocolate glaze as a treat.
  
• Use a loaf pan, well greased and floured. Ideally, using a narrow and long loaf pan (about 3x10-inch) will give you a traditional looking Sandkuchen.

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Dusted with powdered sugar. Simple. Delicious.

Ready to bake the Sandkuchen?

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Oma's Sandkuchen: Legendary German Pound Cake Recipe

My legendary pound cake recipe, aka Sandkuchen, is this one. My Oma made it, my Mutti made it, and now I make it! It's my quick cake recipe for emergencies. 

Sandkuchen, literally translated as Sand Cake, is also one of the great holiday baking recipes to have. Why? Because it's such a treat!

Prep Time:

25 minutes

Bake Time:

1 hour

Total Time:

1 hour 25 minutes

Servings:

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare a 3x10-inch loaf baking pan by greasing and flouring it.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs, beating well after each one. Continue beating until light in color and fluffy. Add vanilla.
5. Mix together cornstarch, flour, and baking powder. Stir into butter mixture. Add lemon rind and stir.
6. Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan, smoothing top.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until wooden toothpick poked into centre comes out clean.
8. Place pan on wire rack and let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes.
9. Invert pan to remove cake and let cool on wire rack.
10. Put powdered sugar into a sieve and tap over cake to dust.

Notes/Hints:

•  Use just vanilla (omitting the lemon peel), or use almond extract (my favorite). Or, try rum instead (a traditional choice). 
• It is often just sprinkled with icing sugar before serving. 
  
• Use the juice of the lemon you zested to make a lemon icing by mixing a cup of powdered sugar with just enough lemon juice to get a nice pouring consistency. Pour over cake and let sit until it hardens.
• Coat with a chocolate glaze as a treat. 

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

09.13.2021 revision update

More cakes? Click here ->

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From Oma's heart
to your table

Complete your set today - order now!

More about me >

Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.