what d'ya think of this cake recipe?

[grasswire]

I found it on a yellowed scrap of paper in an old second-hand cookbook from the 1920s. Handwritten, and titled "My Aunt Annie's Cake m-m-m good"

1 1/2 cup ground raisins
1 c boiling water
1 heaping tsp soda
1 c sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
2 c flour
2 eggs
1/2 c shortening

No further instructions

I'm assuming that it would be baked in a square pan like a gingerbread. I wonder if the raisins were softened in the boiling water, or if water was added toward the end like some gingerbreads.

It's kinda interesting.

[Denninmi]

1. Well, OMG!

That is the recipe we have used in my family for decades, and is also the basis for the fruitcake batter recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago on my fruitcake thread. The only difference between my recipe and what you posted is that I use butter instead of a Crisco type shortening.

It makes an excellent, moist spice cake. Particularly good with a cream cheese frosting or with an icing made with lemon or orange juice and powdered sugar.

What you need to do is this -- boil the water, and then pour it over the raisins in a bowl. Add the shortening or butter and let it sit until the raisins have plumped and the mixture has cooled to the point it's maybe the temperature of hot tap water.

Meanwhile, mix all of the dry ingredients together until thoroughly blended.

When your raisin mixture is cooled off enough, add the two eggs to the flour, and then pour the raisin mixture in. Beat it until completely incorporated and well mixed. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan or two 8" round cake pans which have been greased and floured. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes for layers, or 35-40 minutes for the sheet cake, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool off completely if using the cream cheese frosting before you frost it. If you're using the icing, you can put this on when the cake is still warm (not hot) and let it kind of melt -- it will firm up again as it cools.

Also, we like to brush the top of the cake with thawed frozen concentrated orange juice or a lemon syrup as soon as it comes out of the oven but before we frost or ice it, just for some extra flavor and moistness.

[grasswire]

3. coinkydink

I was hoping I had found Aunt Annie's original recipe...heheh.

Nice to know that someone knows it and relies on it. Thanks!

I was thinking it would be very nice with an old-fashioned warm lemon sauce like people used to serve over hot gingerbread.

Thanks for the input.

[Denninmi]

8. A couple differences, actually.

In re-reading your original post, two things I noticed:

1) "ground raisins" -- my recipe doesn't call for that, just calls for 1.5 cups raisins OR zante currants. But, I've never chopped or ground them

2) Allspice - mine doesn't call for that. Instead, my recipe uses cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. But, allspice would be fine in there, too.

I really need to read things CAREFULLY. Unfortunately, I've gotten into the habit of skimming things, and I miss details.

[tigereye]

2. ground raisins?

[grasswire]

4. yeah

An old fashioned food grinder was undoubtedly the tool of choice then. A chopper works okay for the gummy things.

[tigereye]

5. huh, trying to think about the advantageous, taste-wise

or texture-wise, or cooking-wise, of that. Curious.

[grasswire]

6. raisins plumped in water make extremely great baked goods

My best oatmeal cookie calls for the raisins to be simmered in water and then the raisins and water too go into the batter. It's an outstanding cookie.

[tigereye]

7. no, of the grinding aspect, not the soaking aspect...

:D

[grasswire]

9. a couple of years ago I started making my grandmother's filled raisin cookies...

...again, and took a batch to the family party. A hue and cry arose from the cousins..."you didn't grind the raisins!"

I suspect in this recipe the ground raisins simply contribute a texture that whole ones would not provide.

[tigereye]

10. makes sense... :)