Delicious World War 1 Cake

Delicious World War 1 Cake

Cakes were a real treat back in the days of world war 1 and 2 for that matter. Supplies were always as scarce as hens teeth and the home cook often had to save up her food stamps for weeks to gather enough ingredients to make something like a cake.

Food rationing was the order of the day and the allowances for the food were extremely meagre at best and barely survival rations in most cases. Some even something so basic as the following cake would have been reserved to make only for the utmost special occasion.

We can certainly learn a lot from this period in our history and nine as important as how the housewives of that day managed to feed their families on such meagre rations of food.

If anyone is squeamish about using lard then you can easily substitute this for butter but then it would not be authentic would it now :)

Sometimes it ]does us good to step back in time and experience how our ancestors had to deal with hardship. When we can do this it enables us to be far more grateful for what we have today and gives us a far better understanding just how tough things were back then.

I hope that you will try this recipe. The cake will be denser than what you are used to but it is packed full of those Christmas smells and flavours.

1 cup water

2 cups raisins

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup lard (shortening)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place water, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, lard (shortening), nutmeg and salt in a saucepan and mix. Place saucepan on heat and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into cooked mixture. 

Photo Courtesy of Anne

Place mixture in a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.

Photo Credit Rain Rabbit

What is your favourite recipe from your grandmothers day? Please feel free to share it in the comments section below. With finances getting tighter every month, there will be many people that will be grateful to know your favourites they may be able to try.  In doing this you will be helping another family to save a few more dollars, so go ahead and share some love today.