I haven’t baked or consumed much in the way of sweet puddings or cake for ages. Infact I’m just not using any of my sugar ration and hardly any of my margarine or butter either. I’ve therefore got plenty in my cupboard to do some baking and this is what I’ve done on this bank holiday weekend!
As I am preferring to poach my one shell egg a week, my baking normally has to be egg free. When I came across this wartime recipe online it was perfect! No eggs!
This particular recipe is suitable for vegans too if you use a dairy free margarine or oil.
Was VERY pleased with the taste and consistency of this simple cake and greedily enjoyed a couple of generous slices with hot tea, using my pink vintage china of course!
Hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients
200g caster sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
175g raisins, currants or sultanas
350ml water
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Method
Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease one 7 or 8 inch cake tin.
In a saucepan over medium high heat combine: the sugar, margarine or oil, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, salt, raisins and water. Bring to the boil and continue to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together. Add the flour mixture to the cooled raisin mixture. Stir until just combined. Tip mixture into prepared tin.
Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for 30-40 minutes until skewer comes away clean from middle.
The 1940's Experiment 
A recipe that I have using this ‘boiled’ method also includes eggs, so the one you have shared is one I must try. Thanks, Carolyn, and please keep up the good work – you are such an inspiration!
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Thanks Tina… it’s hard to comprehend how scarce fresh eggs were during ww2. My ex MIL told me that during the war, as a really special treat, her sister and her were allowed to have 1/2 a fried egg each and the one who cut it in half would have to let the other one pick which half they wanted! xxx
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Looks lovely – I have to try this ASAP! Now to just find an excuse for cake…
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Very nice! What is your sauce?
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It’s just a bit of custard… 🙂
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No excuse needed. Just need to bake it
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Heehee!!!
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I’m lusting after your china right now. The cake looks pretty darn good too!
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Cake was yummy seeing as there wasn’t a whole lot in it 🙂 The pink vintage china I won online on Facebook and I LOVE it!!!
https://www.facebook.com/Violets-Vintage-Tea-Cup-784219425007633/?fref=ts
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That looks soooo delicious! Thanks for tempting us further with the lovely photos, however, I have a request of you, if I may: I live in the USA…would it be possible to list the ingredients by also either ounce weight or cups for things like the sugar, raisins, flour, and water, please. I can understand teaspoons & tablespoons, but ml & gr I’m not as good with. Have a great week!
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Hi Lynn…I have promised to put a conversion chart on the website somewhere but haven’t got around to doing it so I do apologize xxx I’ll see what I can do going forward xx
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Yum! That would be good for a breakfast treat, too, I think. And I wonder if blueberries would work….:)
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I have a similar cake from Yorkshire which is called Vinegar Cake, that is egg less too and was my gran’s favourite frugal times cake!
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I remember trying that too! You’d never think that someone would use vinegar in a cake and it would taste good!!! LOL! https://the1940sexperiment.com/2014/03/05/vinegar-cake-recipe-no-130/
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It look’s lovely,i’m making one to take on holiday with us.(i might make two and have one now).
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Being located in the US I love reading your recipe instructions! I can just hear your lovely British accent as I read. I will have to give this a try. Thank you.
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This looks delicious… must try it . have decided that i will put myself on wartime rations seeing as my teenage sons arnt impressed lol , keep the recipes coming Carolyn ..Joy xx
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I have made this cake and it was lovely, came out a bit like a malt loaf, i used trail mix that i had at the back of my cupboard and it was really juicy and flavourful a good recipe if you havent got eggs 🙂
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Mine came out like malt loaf too! I used whole wheat flour and butter, so maybe that made it a bit richer too. 🙂
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What is castor sugar? I live in the USA and have never heard of it.
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Yes we have two grades of granulated sugar here in the UK…coarse and fine. When I lived over in Canada I found all their granulated white sugar to be as fine as our caster sugar xxx
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Thanks! I’ll zap it wth the vitamix.
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Castor sugar is just ordinary white sugar ground fine!
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Pingback: Home Front – Wartime Recipes (5) | Pacific Paratrooper
I made this today. I substituted the marge for butter and the white flour for whole-wheat. My, oh my! Seriously delicious. I even spread a little butter on the warm cake! So good I gave my neighbor half and she was thrilled. This will definitely become a staple favourite! Thank you 🙂
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It’s my favourite cake and i make it in the saucepan so it saves washing up..
On Sun, 1 Nov 2020 at 19:54, The 1940’s Experiment wrote:
> Heidi commented: “I made this today. I substituted the marge for butter > and the white flour for whole-wheat. My, oh my! Seriously delicious. I even > spread a little butter on the warm cake! So good I gave my neighbor half > and she was thrilled. This will definitely become a ” >
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