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Poor Man’s Cake

poor mans cake on a white plate. no eggs, butter or milk in this vegan cake recipe with raisins
Photo Credit
Sam Jones/Quinn Brein
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
12 to 15 servings
Category
Cakes and Frostings
Course
Desserts
Credit
Ruth Gagen Brentwood Historical Society, Brentwood, New Hamp
Sources
Yankee Magazine Church Suppers and Potluck Dinners Cookbook

Why do we call this recipe Poor Man’s Cake? It’s a vintage cake recipe created during the Depression Era during the 1930s. The “poor man” refers to the ingredients; no butter, milk, or eggs are needed! This doesn’t affect the taste because it’s the best cake ever!

Most of these ingredients should be found right in the pantry. Just add raisins—which you boil for plumpness. If you wish, you could always add walnuts. This is a great vegan option for a moist, delicious cake!

It’s fine without frosting, but we like to pair the cake with a cream cheese frosting, such as the one we use on our Best Ever Carrot Cake. If you don’t have frosting, a sprinkling of powdered sugar works, too.

Enjoy this old-fashioned cake! We’re so glad that we rediscovered it in our recipe archives. It’s a keeper!

Ingredients
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 package (15 ounces) raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water
cream cheese frosting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  2. In a pan, combine brown sugar, hot water, salt, shortening, raisins, and spices. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
  3. In a bowl, combine flour and dissolved baking soda, add to the batter, and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  4. Cool in the pan. Frost, if desired.

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<span>Julie</span> Mon, 02/25/2019 - 13:35
I think this is what my mother-in-law used to call "War Cake" since it didn't have eggs or white sugar, which were in short supply due to the war
<span>Marilyn Bergeron</span> Fri, 03/23/2018 - 09:02
My mom made this cake special for me ...she came through the depression and I know it was everything for them to have this specialty in tough times..thank you
<span>Janis Warner</span> Sat, 03/10/2018 - 16:08
GRANDMA'S APPLESAUCE CAKE: INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup raisins 1 cup hot water 1/2 cup shortening 2 cups sugar 1 egg 1-1/2 cups applesauce 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 cup boiling water Confectioners' sugar, optional DIRECTIONS Place raisins and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except last three. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water; add to batter. Mix well. Drain softened raisins and fold into batter. Pour into a greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 300° for 40 minutes. If desired, dust top with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cold. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 12-16 servings.
<span>Debbie</span> Sat, 03/10/2018 - 12:12
Does anybody have the recipe for the applesauce cake that grandma used to make
<span>Phyllis</span> Mon, 02/25/2019 - 13:22
My grandmother was born in 1894, and this is the applesauce cake recipe she used. Thankfully, it was one of the few recipes she wrote down, so we still have it.....and use it. GRANDMA'S APPLESAUCE CAKE 2 C SUGAR ½ C SHORTENING 2 ½ C FLOUR 2 EGGS 1 ½ C APPLESAUCE 1 C RAISINS 1 C BLACK WALNUTS ½ TSP CINNAMON ½ TSP ALLSPICE ½ TSP CLOVES 2 TSP SODA ½ TSP SALT ½ C HOT WATER CREAM SHORTENING. ADD SUGAR GRADUALLY; THEN WELL-BEATEN EGGS. ADD APPLESAUCE. SIFT FLOUR WITH SPICES AND SALT. MIX THE SODA WITH THE HOT WATER. ADD THE FLOUR MIXTUE ALTERNATELY WITH THE WATER. THEN ADD THE RAISINS AND NUTS WHICH HAVE BEEN FLOURED. MIX WELL BAKE IN A GREASED AND FLOURED STEM CAKE PAN AT 350° FOR 1 HOUR.