War Cake

War Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar	2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons shortening	1/2-3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt	1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves	3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda	2 teaspoons hot water

In a medium-size sauce pan, mix together the brown sugar, hot water, shortening, raisins, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Boil for 5 minutes after the mixture begins to bubble. When the mixture is cold (and it must be cold), add flour. Mix baking soda with hot water and add to flour mixture. Mix well. Pour into a greased tube pan and bake for about one hour at 350° to 375° F. (Be sure to test the cake's doneness - I found it needed about 10 extra minutes beyond the hour suggested.)

This was a popular cake during the war years because it doesn't call for expensive milk, eggs, or butter.

It makes a dark, heavy cake that can be mixed in one pan and, I am told, the longer you keep the cake, the better it gets. I cannot vouch for this since the cake disappeared too quickly.

Since rationing is a thing of the past and I like nuts, I added 1/2 cup slivered almonds to the recipe and decorated the top with slivered almonds.