Today when we vote we might get a little sticker that says “I voted” and voters in mail ballot states don’t even get that! There was a time in America’s past when people celebrated elections by getting a yummy piece of election cake once they had done their civic duty. But, this delicious cake goes back to the days before the Revolutionary War!
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 2 /3 cup warm water
- 1 packet dry activated yeast
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon mace (can substitute allspice)
- 2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup other dried fruit (cherries, figs, or blueberries are all ideal)
- For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon brandy or whisky (or use 1/2 tablespoon rum extract mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water)
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl add yeast to warm water, sprinkling granulated sugar on top. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add to that powdered sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs and mix until only just combined.
- In a separate bowl flour combine sugar, dry spices, baking powder.
- Add one cup of flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Add butter and combine until incorporated.
- Add flour mixture to yeast and butter mixture, reserving one tablespoon of flour for the next step.
- Toss dried fruit with tablespoon of flour mixture until coated. Fold fruit into batter.
- Pour batter into bundt pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours to rise.
- Preheat oven to 350˚ and bake for 50-60 minutes or until knife stuck in center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool before inverting from pan.
- To make the icing combine all glaze ingredients and mix until smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.
