The First Ladies' Election Cake

Recipe Ingredients

1 cup	62g / 2.2oz	Currants
1/2 cup	118ml	Brandy
1 tablespoon	15ml	Sugar
3/4 cup	177ml	Scalded milk
1		Yeast cake
1/4 cup	59ml	Warm water
1 cup	62g / 2.2oz	Flour - unsifted
1/2 cup	99g / 3.5oz	Butter
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Sugar
2 1/4 cups	140g / 4.9oz	Flour - sifted
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Salt
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Mace
1 teaspoon	5ml	Cinnamon
1		Egg - whole
1 teaspoon	5ml	Lemon rind - grated
2 teaspoons	10ml	Lemon juice
		Lemon Or Orange Glaze
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup	59ml	Lemon or orange juice

Recipe Instructions

The night before, soak the currents overnight in the brandy in a tightly closed jar.

To the scalded milk add 1 Tbsp. sugar; cool. Dissolve the crumbled yeast in warm water, and add to milk. Add the unsifted flour, and beat until well blended.

Let rise in warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Cream butter and sugar until very light. Drain brandy from currants. Place sifted flour, salt, mace, and cinnamon in sifter.

Add egg to creamed mixture and beat until light. Stir in lemon rind and juice. Add yeast mixture and beat thoroughly.

Add currants, retaining the brandy for later. Sift in flour, add brandy, beat well. Place in tube pan or 9x5 loaf pan that has been well greased. Cover with a cloth and place in warm place away from draft. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

This mixture rises very slowly and may take 4 to 6 hours to double in bulk.

Bake at 375F for about 45 minutes. Cool in pan briefly. Turn out on rack, allow to cool further. Then brush with lemon or orange glaze (recipe to follow).

Lemon or orange glaze:

Mix the sugar with the lemon or orange juice. Beat well.

Then spread thin on top of cake. Let it drizzle down the sides, but do not ice the cake sides.

Source:
The First Ladies Cookbook - 1969. Chapter on Abraham and Mar

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