Featured Recipe The Featured Recipe is one or more recipes on our site, which can also be found on our index of recipes, put to use to make a delightful dessert. Here we used: Sandcastle Cakes

These cakes have a light and sandy texture due to the high amount of cornstarch in the recipe. These cakes are best served fresh, and with a homemade or quality fruit perserve. Above we used cherry preserves.

Sandcastle Cakes
These can be baked in a variety of molds. We used as the original recipe suggested, small or mini loaf pans. This recipe is adapted from the book "Classic Cakes Tempting Tortes," by Jane Suthering, and first appeared on this site in the 'Questions & Answers' section about Cornflour. I used lemon extract in the above cakes in place of the lemon rind which provided a nice, mild flavor. These cakes dry out quickly so are best used the same day they are made, and perfect with sauces, ice cream and preserves, and if baked in specialty molds, perfect for tea service and light buffets.

3/4 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing miniature loaf pans
1 c sugar, separated
3 eggs
1/4 t vanilla
1 t finely grated lemon rind or 1/4 t lemon extract
1 c self-rising flour
1 c cornstarch
1/16 t salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8 miniature loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Remove 4 teaspoons of the measured cup of sugar, and place in a separate bowl for garnish.

Place the remaining sugar with the eggs, vanilla and grated lemon rind in a bowl of a stand up mixer set over simmering water. Stir until the mixture is warm and the sugar is dissolved. Place bowl in a stand up mixture and attach a whip. Whip on medium high speed until light and fluffy, and pale in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together. Fold the flour into the eggs a cup at a time, then add in the butter in two parts, stirring until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Sprinkle each with a little of the reserved 4 teaspoons sugar for garnish. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then unmold to cooling racks.

Recipe adapted from:

Suthering, Jane. Classic Cakes Tempting Tortes. Santa Rosa: Cole, 1993.