Eggless-Butterless-Milkless Cake

Despite the "lessness" of the ingredients, this cake is quite delicious even if you don't need to ration your supplies. The taste and texture remind me of a spiced bread pudding. Serve plain, dust with powdered sugar of top with cinnamon cream cheese icing. Bonus: You don't even have to break out the mixer for this one!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 TBSP water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups cake flour sifted
  • 1 cup walnuts chopped

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

  • 8 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

To make the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Dissolve the baking soda in the tablespoon of water, set aside.
  • Combine the shortening, sugar, raisins, 1 cup of water, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the dissolved baking soda mixture, flour, and walnuts; mix well with a spatula until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan; bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack, cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing the collar of the springform pan.

To make the cream cheese icing:

  • Use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix until smooth; add extra cinnamon if desired. For a thinner consistency, add more milk; to thicken, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.
Keyword Depression Era Recipe

Eggless-Butterless-Milkless Cake