Election Cake

Name: Election Cake
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 2 cakes
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 2/3 cup/160 milliliters warm water; 2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons/13 grams) active dry yeast; 3 2/3 cups (470 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus more for greasing pans; 2 eggs, beaten; 2 cups/200 grams firmly packed light brown sugar; 1 cup/240 milliliters buttermilk; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon mace; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/3 cups/220 grams raisins; 1 cup/110 grams chopped pecans

Recipe from Marion Cunningham

Adapted by The New York Times

Updated Nov. 7, 2022

Total Time: 1½ hours, plus 1½ hours’ resting
Rating: 3(422)
Comments: Read comments

Marian Burros brought this cake to The Times in 1988, but election cakes are part of a rich tradition that predates the Republic. In May 1771, Ezekiel Williams submitted a bill to the Connecticut General Assembly for the cost of making the “cake for the election.”

Connecticut elections were held in early spring, and representatives gathered in the capital in May for the vote count. These Hartford election cakes were made to serve out-of-town lodgers.

“Every woman had her own recipe, but election cake is a specific type,” a Connecticut Historical Society researcher told The Times in 1983. “It was generally a yeast cake, to which was added spices and fruit such as raisins and citron and sometimes wine and brandy, depending on a household’s resources.”

For something a little more festive, try this citrus-glazed version, baked in a Bundt pan. —The New York Times

Featured in: Election Cake: Noble Tradition

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:2 cakes

⅔cup/160 milliliters warm water
2packages (4½ teaspoons/13 grams) active dry yeast
3⅔cups (470 grams) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus more for greasing pans
2eggs, beaten
2cups/200 grams firmly packed light brown sugar
1cup/240 milliliters buttermilk
1teaspoon baking soda
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
½teaspoon ground cloves
½teaspoon mace
½teaspoon ground nutmeg
1teaspoon salt
1⅓cups/220 grams raisins
1cup/110 grams chopped pecans

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Pour the warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.
Step 2
Add 1 cup/130 grams of the flour and beat until well blended. (The mixture will be quite stiff.) Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups (340 grams) flour, plus the eggs, light brown sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, spices and salt; beat for 3 minutes.
Step 3
In a small bowl, toss the raisins and pecans with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour until coated, then stir them into the batter until distributed.
Step 4
Using butter, grease two 8½ -by-4½-inch loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between both pans, then cover loosely with towel and let rest for 1½ hours.
Step 5
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center tests clean, about 1 hour or up to 1¼ hours. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Ratings

3 out of 5

422 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Cadi4 years ago

Our dough is rising by the fire now. We soaked the raisins in bourbon. Can't hurt with this election...

David4 years ago

Thank you so much for putting gram/ml equivalents! It makes life so much easier when making new recipes. Or in deference to the original authors maybe that should be 'when making new receipts'.

Allison4 years ago

James Beard, in his classic AMERICAN COOKERY, has a recipe for Election Cake that is without the nuts but has an option of candied peel, He also says that the tradition is to make the cake in advance to let it "ripen".

John3 years ago

I absolutely love these old-fashioned cakes. They don't always please the contemporary palate, but that's just too bad! This is a lovely version of it. One can also look at a similar and lovely version in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook edition by Marian Cunningham. It's up there with wartime cakes, depression-era cakes, and older-grain cakes.

Marisol4 years ago

Huge disappointment. I made them as muffins, so I didn't have the problem of the batter falling or not cooking evenly many other reviewers mentioned. Instead, mine were light and evenly baked. They also held together well. The problem was flavor - I thought they were bland. I even brushed them with rum after they baked to try to infuse them with more personality, but it didn't help. I ate one, my husband ate one, and we threw the rest away. At least the election had a happy ending!

prep notes4 years ago

For me this on election night and came out dry even though I didn't bake it as long as indicated. Then it crumbled apart and was a mess, kinda like the election...

Private comments are only visible to you.