Old Fashioned Raisin Cake

Recipe No. 70 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Cakes and Cookies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Raisins, seedless — 4 pounds (4 mess kit cups)
• Salt — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Allspice — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Cinnamon — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Cloves, ground — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Nutmeg — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Water, boiling — 2 quarts (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, brown — 4 pounds (4 mess kit cups)
• Shortening — 1¼ pounds (⅞ mess kit cup)
• Flour, sifted — 4 pounds (4 No. 56 dippers)
• Baking soda — 1¼ ounces (2½ mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Cinnamon

1. Wash raisins. Combine raisins, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and water. Heat to boiling point. Remove from heat.
2. Add sugar and shortening; stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool.
3. Sift flour and soda together; add slowly to liquid mixture. Mix well.
4. Pour batter into well greased and floured pans. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) about 45 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Raisins, seedless — 5 oz Salt — about ½ tsp Allspice — a pinch Cinnamon — a pinch Cloves, ground — a pinch Nutmeg — a pinch Water, boiling — 10¼ tbsp Sugar, brown — 5 oz Shortening — 1⅔ oz Flour, sifted — 5 oz Baking soda — about ⅔ tsp

Frost with sea foam frosting or serve hot or cold with hard sauce (recipe No. 488) or lemon sauce (recipe No. 489).

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 70, Cakes and Cookies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.