War Cake a.k.a. Poor Man’s Cake. An easy to make, simple raisin spice cake using common ingredients to create a moist and delicious version of this timeless classic.
War Cake a.k.a. Poor Man’s Cake
Originally published December 2012.
I had been getting requests for War Cake on our Facebook Page for the last couple of weeks. At first I replied that I had never heard of it.
But in fact, our family has been making it for decades.
It’s said to be a recipe adapted to the limited available ingredients such as eggs and dairy products due to rationing during World War II. We know this cake in our family as Poor Man’s Cake and my Mom’s recipe for it is absolutely delicious.
This War Cake recipe starts with boiling the raisins. Be sure to allow cooling time when planning to bake this cake.
By either name this is one delicious, moist raisin spice cake and although it is made without eggs or milk, you would never know it. It stays moist for days in a covered container but you may want to try it warm out of the oven.
You can also add some rum sauce for a terrific dessert especially now as the Holiday season approaches.
War Cake a.k.a. Poor Man’s Cake
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War Cake a.k.a. Poor Man’s Cake
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War Cake ...a.k.a. Poor Man's Cake
War Cake a.k.a. Poor Man's Cake. An easy to make, simple raisin spice cake using common ingredients to create a moist and delicious version of this timeless classic.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raisins
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the raisins and water. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and butter.
- Stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. This step can be done a day in advance if you prefer. Let this mixture cool for at least a couple of hours until it reaches room temperature.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices.
- Pour the raisin mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended but do not over mix the batter. Pour the batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan or tube pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or cake tin.
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1/16Amount Per Serving Calories 268Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 15mgSodium 160mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 1gSugar 30gProtein 3g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Old-Fashioned Cake Recipes - Modern Vintage Recipes
Friday 17th of February 2023
[…] this time, recipes for the "Poor Man's Cake", which was also called the "Depression Cake" became […]
Jane stilgenbauer
Tuesday 13th of December 2022
Grandma made a version of this cake, hers had no butter, we all love it and it was frosted with a cooked brown sugar icing - it is so good - may have to make over the holidays.
Brad
Thursday 3rd of November 2022
Hello Barry
I noticed there is a bullet in the recipe with no ingredient beside it. Is the bullet a typo or is there a missing ingredient suppose to be listed beside it?
Regards
Old Fashioned Cake Recipes - Fun Country Life
Thursday 24th of February 2022
[…] the 1940’s, a very popular recipe was the War Cake. This was also referred to as the “Poor Man’s Cake” and also referred to […]
Patricia Wood
Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
Could you put Rum or Irish Bailey to soak into the Cake after it comes out of the oven?