A century ago, 24 August 1917, the Kingston Daily British Whig published the following recipe for War Cake.
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons lard
1 package seedless raisins (or less)
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Boil all the ingredients except the flour, raisins and soda together for five minutes. When cold add the soda sifted in one-half the flour and the raisins mixed with the rest of the flour.
Bake in loaves 45 minutes in slow oven, or
Bake in a sheet 30 minutes in a slow oven
Yield: two loaves (8 inches by 2 inches)
Two sheets (9 inches by 1 inch)
Cost of recipe: 32 cents, using one package of raisins.
I've had the opportunity to try War Cake at an event at Pinhey's Point and found it delicious.
Sounds great, except for the lard... haven't heard of that in a long time... and no, not quite old enough to have had it as a child. Butter instead sounds good...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds horrible.
ReplyDeleteSorry I did not make it to Pinhey's Point with my metal detector. Was in Kingston for the weekend for a classic car show! Cheers, BT
Recipe was used during the 2nd World War by Canadian housewives as iit did not use milk, eggs, or butter rations
ReplyDeleteMy mother's recipe for War Cake contained dates, not raisins.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by the amount of sugar -- I thought sugar was rationed during wartime.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to cost it out now: certainly way more than 32 cents!