Election Cake is all but a forgotten American tradition. In the past, this cake was served after voters did their civic duty. Why not bring back this lovely cake and tradition?
Originally published November 7, 2012
I just read about this traditional Election Cake this morning, and didn’t want to wait four more years to try it!
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What is Election Cake?
This unique cake is a cross between a yeast bread and a light fruit cake, almost a “Hot Cross Panettone”! The brandy (or whisky) icing is lovely addition, too!
Many years ago, it was an American tradition that after voting and exiting the polls, each voter would receive a slice of Election Cake. The first recipe for American Election Cake appears in 1796 in the first U.S. cookbook, Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery. You can read more about the history of the cake on the New England Historical Society’s page. I think this cake is something we should make fashionable again, don’t you agree?
Patriotic Trifles would be good for Election Day, too!
Oct. 2016 update: given our choices of candidates this year, I felt I had to take matters into my own hands. The original version of Election Cake just isn’t going to cut it in 2016. Watch the video to see what I suggest~
Sept. 2020 update: wouldn’t we all just love to be done with 2020?
Here’s the recipe I used, except I omitted the cloves (only because hate cloves) and I substituted dried cherries for the figs, as I didn’t have figs. As you can see from the video, I also traded the brandy for whisky.
Election Cake
adapted from Serious Eats’ recipe
(original recipe: Fanny Farmer recipe from the Boston Cooking School Cookbook 1896) serves 12
- 2/3 cup (150ml) warm water (105 to 115°F)
- 1 packages of active dry yeast (1/4 oz/7g)
- 4 cups (565g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 oz (2 sticks or 225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups (400g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (236ml) buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup (145g) golden raisins
- 1/4 cup (35g) finely chopped dried cherries (use figs for the original recipe, or any dried fruit that you prefer)
For the Icing
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) confectioners sugar
- 2 to 3 Tbsp whisky (or brandy)
- 1/2 tsp good quality vanilla
Prepare the Election Cake Batter in a Stand Mixer
Mix the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, then set aside.
If yeast has dissolved and is beginning to bubble, add one cup of the flour mixture, stirring it in thoroughly. Add butter and mix well.
Next, add sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until just combined.
Finally, add the remaining flour mixture, reserving one tablespoonful. Toss the raisins and cherries in tablespoon of flour and then fold them into the cake batter. Skip the bread machine instructions below and continue.
or
Prepare the Election Cake Batter in a Bread Machine
Put the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan: water, eggs, butter (make sure it’s very soft-almost melted), buttermilk, and vanilla.
Take one tablespoonful of the measured flour and toss the raisins and cherries (or figs) in it; set aside.
Next, add the dry, making sure to add the yeast last: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, the pinch of sugar and yeast.
Start the bread machine on the “DOUGH” setting. When the timer alerts you for added ingredients, toss in the golden raisins, and dried cherries (or figs). Let the cycle finish.
Continue Here…
When the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan.
Loosely cover the bundt pan with a tea towel and allow to rise for about an hour or until risen (just below the top of the pan).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Place pan on wire rack to cool, then carefully remove from the bundt pan after a few minutes.
OPTIONAL: drizzle cake with one 8 oz cup of whisky!
Whisky (or Brandy) Icing
In a medium sized bowl, whisk the confectioners sugar, whisky, and vanilla until smooth. Start with 2 tablespoons of liquor and the vanilla and add more brandy or whisky to obtain your desired consistency.
Spoon or drizzle over the top of the cake when completely cool.
Or you can pour it on, as you please.
Allow the icing to set before slicing.
Serve to voters after they have done their civic duty.
VOTE!
“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves—and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Election Cake, a Forgotten American Tradition
An old recipe for a cake that used to be served after voting in the US.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (150ml) warm water (105 to 115°F)
- 1 packages of active dry yeast (1/4 oz/7g)
- 4 cups (565g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 8 oz (2 sticks or 225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups (400g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (236ml) buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup (145g) golden raisins
- 1/4 cup (35g) finely chopped dried cherries (use figs for the original recipe, or any dried fruit that you prefer)
For the Icing
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) confectioners sugar
- 2 to 3 Tbsp whisky (or brandy)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Prepare the Election Cake Batter in a Stand Mixer
- Put warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the yeast, sprinkling it to cover the top. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top of the yeast and allow to stand for about 5 minutes.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, then set aside.
- If yeast has dissolved and is beginning to bubble, add the one cup of the flour mixture, stirring it in thoroughly. Add butter and mix well.
- Next, add sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until just combined.Finally, mix in the flour, reserving one tablespoon. Toss the raisins and cherries in tablespoon of flour and then fold them into the cake batter. Skip the bread machine instructions below and continue afterwards.
or
Prepare the Election Cake Batter in a Bread Machine
- Put the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan: water, eggs, butter (make sure it's very soft-almost melted), buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Next, add the dry, making sure to add the yeast last: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, golden raisins, and dried cherries (or figs), the pinch of sugar and yeast. Start the bread machine on the "DOUGH" setting.
Continue Here...
When the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan. Loosely cover the bundt pan with a tea towel and allow to rise for about an hour or until risen (just below the top of the pan).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Place pan on wire rack to cool, then carefully remove from the bundt pan after a few minutes.
Icing
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the confectioners sugar, whisky, and vanilla until smooth. Start with 2 tablespoons of liquor and the vanilla. Add more whisky or brandy to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle or spoon over the top of the cake when completely cool. Serve to voters after they have done their civic duty.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving:Calories: 294Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 150mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 2gSugar: 37gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is only an estimate.
Modern Election Cake without Yeast
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I made this tonight for Election Day tomorrow. Added an extra shot of brandy just in case. :)
That’s great, I love that everyone is showing so much interest in the cake (it’s going crazy right now)! I think the extra shot was a good idea! Enjoy!
I am planning to try this out, but making it non-dairy by substituting margarine for the butter and water mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice to sub for the one cup of buttermilk. I’ll also skip the raisins and cherries because we’re not in to that. I think it should still turn out great.
Would you tell us how it turns out? I have a dairy free friend, and I am horrible at thinking of things we can all eat. I just want to do right by her at least once, lol!
I decided to make this cake but skipped a few steps as it seems 2020 has been a whirlwind of issues from Covid to the country being divided . So basically I just drank the bottle of whiskey.
😂 🤣 😂
Didn’t think it possible, but this year we have even worse choices for President than we did in 2016. However, although Trump is bombastic & crude, he’s the better choice if one is looking to support the people of this country rather than the swamp. Sorry, may be a difference of opinion for some, but we are after all entitled to our opinion. Thanks for the recipe.
[…] cake is different than the traditional election cake, which voters used to receive at the polls after turning in their ballots. That cake was baked in a […]
How did I miss this in 2016!!?? The cake sounds really interesting (I have never baked a cake with yeast). Right now, all I want to say to America is – “No cake until you VOTE!” I really liked everyone’s comments, too. This is going to be a tough couple of months. Only 39 days to election day!
Being Canadian I wasn’t familiar with your in the olden days election cake history. I was very interested in the origin of the recipe so did a bit of searching online. Just finished reading a digitalized collection of assorted election cakes from a Hartford Connecticut cookbook dated June 1889. After reading the steps home bakers back then took to make their election cakes, all I can say is I’m glad I didn’t have to make one! You can check out the recipe book on the link if works okay
https://archive.org/details/hartfordelection00johnrich/page/n3/mode/2up?q=election+cake
I get you on your upcoming election. When you know in your heart no matter which way the vote goes especially in America where your country has become so divided thanks to your current president, it could very well be even more divided after the election no matter who wins as haters whose numbers have risen dramatically since trump was elected, are always going to hate.
On a smaller scale here, we just had an unnecessary snap Provincial election announced by our Premier who’s ego had become so inflated he decided instead of waiting until the next fixed election date, he’d call a snap election which will now take place before the end of October instead of a year from now, because he’s convinced he’ll win because the polls show his popularity at an all time high at the moment..
This snap election will cost millions plus extra because of the pandemic rules that have to be followed when trying to cast a vote.
A good chunk of that money could have been better used for more funding in trying to find a end to this god forsaken pandemic, not to mention the much needed extra funding for in home healthcare for the disabled and elderly where cuts in funding has been reduced to next to nothing.
Best news though, since our premier called his snap election, his popularity has taken a huge drop. The people are angry as he**. Hopefully by next month when it’s time to vote, his popularity will be at the bottom of the barrel.
As the old adages go… “What goes around, comes around.” or even better. Karma is a bi**h.
Hopefully for our Premier, that karma of his will come back to bite his self centered butt big time!
Stay well everyone
Wow, so many versions of Election Cake, and I’m with you, I wouldn’t want to work with those recipes! So sorry to hear about your snap election, that’s terrible! I agree, hopefully karma does her thing everywhere she’s needed!! Let’s pray and cross our fingers and toes that things go down a better path very soon!
Thank you Christina for this cake recipe new to me will bake it
Lovely! Let me know how you like it, Chantal!