A historical dessert from Recipes from here and there (1900). Can be served as cake or steamed and served as pudding with hard sauce. Serves twenty-four.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Stew one pound raisins in one pint water three minutes
Add two cups sugar, one-half cup Crisco (or other drippings)
Cool, but do not allow to get cold
Add two teaspoons baking soda dissolved in two teaspoons hot water
Add four cups flour, mixed with one teaspoon cinnamon, one-half teaspoon cloves, one teaspoon salt, two teaspoons baking powder
Bake in moderate oven, or steam and serve with hard sauce as a pudding
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
Stewing raisins creates a moist base that hydrates the dried fruit and dissolves sugar efficiently, while the residual heat from the warm (not cold) raisin mixture activates the baking soda immediately, creating carbon dioxide for lift before the batter even hits the oven. The combination of baking soda (which reacts with acidic raisins) and baking powder (double-acting) provides both immediate and oven-activated leavening for a tender crumb. The fat coats flour proteins, inhibiting gluten development and keeping this dense, fruit-heavy cake from becoming tough.
This cake actually improves with age as the moisture from the raisins continues to distribute throughout. Bake up to 5 days ahead, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and store at room temperature. The flavors will mellow and deepen. If steaming as pudding, prepare the pudding up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; re-steam for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Store cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The high sugar content acts as a preservative. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature. If served as steamed pudding, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and re-steam briefly to warm before serving with hard sauce.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
This cake actually improves with age as the moisture from the raisins continues to distribute throughout. Bake up to 5 days ahead, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and store at room temperature. The flavors will mellow and deepen. If steaming as pudding, prepare the pudding up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; re-steam for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Store cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The high sugar content acts as a preservative. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature. If served as steamed pudding, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and re-steam briefly to warm before serving with hard sauce.
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