Election Day Cake - Vote Yummy!

So I'm immortalizing another "Dad Tradition" with this entry and sharing the recipe for Election Day Cake. I remember him making this from the time I was little. Elections have always been a big deal for my father. If he hadn't become a pastor, I seriously believe politics would have been his second choice. From my childhood, I most vividly remember the Dukakis-Bush Election in 1988. My sister and I made posters for Dukakis and printed out blank maps so we could color in the states as the results came in. To this day, I have to print out a blank map to color during the election results. Tomorrow, my sister and father are both hosting the Election Day Parties. I'll be at Alison's since she's closer to me, but both parties will feature soups, breads, and the following: Election Day Cake. This recipe actually comes from a newspaper article by Ginnie Mulkey, though she credits the recipe to "some anonymous creative woman."

Ingredients
4-4.5 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 ground cloves
1/4 ground mace
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
3/4 cup margarine (softened)
1.5 cups very hot water
2 eggs (room temperature)
1.5 cups seedless raisins
3/4 cups chopped nuts
1/4 cup chopped citron (optional-but recommended)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix 1 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. Also, in a separate bowl, mix the yeast with some lukewarm water to begin activating it. Let it sit aside for a bit.

My dad knows what he's doing when it comes to yeast!

  2. Add softened margarine to the flour mixture. Gradually add the hot water and beat about 2 minutes with electric mixer.

3. Add eggs and 3/4 cup flour. Beat at high speed two minutes. Add raisins, nuts, citron and rest of flour so that the batter becomes thick. Stir until well combined.

4. Turn into a greased tube pan. I had no idea what a tube pan was. If you're like me, here's a picture:

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size. It will be about an hour and a half.

6. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 45 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Then you can garnish with a sifting of powdered sugar.

It will smell amazing in your house while this is cooking. Get super creative and add some red and blue sprinkles for an extra dose of patriotism.

And don't forget in all the excitement of baking your Election Day Cake to actually get out there and VOTE!!!