Election Day Cake

In days past you'd actually be served cake and a beverage at the polls. Wouldn't that be neat? I say it's always a good time for cake!

American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, printed during 1796 in New York, shared this Election Cake Recipe:

Thirty quarts of flour, 10 pound butter, 14 pound sugar, 12 pound raisins, 3 doz eggs, one pint wine, one quart brandy, 4 ounces cinnamon, 4 ounces fine colander seed, 3 ounces ground alspice; wet flour with milk to the consistence of bread over night, adding one quart yeast; the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has rise light work in every other ingredient except the plumbs, which work in when going into the oven.

Did you catch the QUART of brandy?

This is a more modern version of an Election Cake recipe:

Glaze
2 tsp. powdered instant coffee (or grind it finer)
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup diced, candied fruit
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. water
1 pkg. boxed hot roll mix
3 eggs
1 package spice cake mix
1/2 cup diced, mixed candied fruit
1 cup golden raisins

In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup warm water and the yeast from the hot roll mix. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add eggs and the hot roll mix. Blend. Add the remaining water, spice cake mix, raisins and candied fruit. Grease and flour a 12-Cup Bundt Pan. Pour the batter into the pan and allow it to rise for 1 hour in a warm place. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until it tests done. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to complete cooling.

Glaze: Mix the instant coffee with the milk. Add to the sugar slowly until the glaze is thickened but still thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup fruit on top.

Happy Election Day, and be sure to get out and VOTE!

~Brenda