We’ve been told that raisin cake is so good, it only lasts about as long as a rainbow. When made in an 8- or 9-inch square pan, that is. What luck, then, because today’s recipes make twice as much. Same amount of time and effort, but double the edible payback. Now we’re talking!
Camano Island cook Donald Odenborg tells us, “I read your recent article regarding raisin cakes and I want to send you my or, really, my late mother-in-law Mary S. Boettcher’s, boiled raisin cake recipe.
“I’ve been calling it my world-famous raisin cake for years. I’ve been making it for probably 25-plus years. You, of course, must like raisins and a very sweet, but heavy cake, one that’s great to dip in milk or coffee.”
Next, we hear from Elizabeth Engelhaupt, “Perhaps I have the recipe for which Susan Everett is looking. My mother made a boiled raisin cake, which is also known as milkless, butterless, eggless cake, or which I call Depression cake. Mother made it in a 9-by-13-inch pan, but it can easily be divided for an 8-inch pan.
“My college roommate’s mother used to send us this cake, but she replaced one cup of raisins with a cup of chopped dates and also added chopped walnuts. It needs no frosting, but a caramel one would be nice, or just plain butter cream. I hope this is the recipe Susan remembers.”
Donald’s world-famous raisin cake
2cups water
2cups sugar
2cups raisins
1/2 cup (1 cube) margarine
1teaspoon cinnamon
1teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2teaspoons baking soda
31/2 cups flour
In saucepan, boil water, sugar, raisins, margarine, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from stove and stir in baking soda. Continue stirring until the froth is gone. Set aside to cool. When cool, mix in the flour, pour into a baking dish or pan (no size given, but a 9-by-13-inch baking pan ought to be about right) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Check by sticking a table knife into the cake; if sticky, bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Makes one 9-by-13-inch cake.
Depression cake
2cups raisins
2cups sugar (can use either white or brown)
2cups water
2tablespoons shortening (Mother probably used lard)
1cup cold water
3cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1teaspoon cinnamon
1teaspoon nutmeg
1teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1tablespoon baking soda
In saucepan, boil raisins, sugar and the 2 cups water for 5 minutes. Add shortening and the 1 cup cold water and cool to lukewarm. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and baking soda together and mix with the raisin mixture. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and bake approximately 1 hour at 325 degrees. Makes one 9-by-13-inch cake.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Good Life section.
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