Election Cake
Recipe from Marion Cunningham
Adapted by The New York Times
Yield 2 cakes
Time 1 1/2 hours, plus 1 1/2 hours’ resting
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Marian Burros brought this cake to The Times in 1988, but election cakes are part of a rich tradition that predates the Republic. In May 1771, Ezekiel Williams submitted a bill to the Connecticut General Assembly for the cost of making the “cake for the election.”
Connecticut elections were held in early spring, and representatives gathered in the capital in May for the vote count. These Hartford election cakes were made to serve out-of-town lodgers.
“Every woman had her own recipe, but election cake is a specific type,” a Connecticut Historical Society researcher told The Times in 1983. “It was generally a yeast cake, to which was added spices and fruit such as raisins and citron and sometimes wine and brandy, depending on a household’s resources.” —The New York Times
Featured in: De Gustibus; Election Cake: Noble Tradition.
American, Breads, Cakes, Buttermilk, Mace, Pecan, Raisin, Snack, Dessert, Fall
151 ratings
Ingredients
⅔ cup/160 milliliters warm water
2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons/13 grams) active dry yeast
3 ⅔ cups (470 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus more for greasing pans
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups/200 grams firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup/240 milliliters buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 ⅓ cups/220 grams raisins
1 cup/110 grams chopped pecans
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional Information
Preparation
Pour the warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.
Add 1 cup/130 grams of the flour and beat until well blended. (The mixture will be quite stiff.) Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2 2/3 cups (340 grams) flour, plus the eggs, light brown sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, spices and salt; beat for 3 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss the raisins and pecans with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour until coated, then stir them into the batter until distributed.
Using butter, grease two 8 1/2 -by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between both pans, then cover loosely with towel and let rest for 1 1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center tests clean, about 1 hour or up to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.
The New York Times – Cooking