Election Day!

Interesting times. . .I felt it necessary to use today for all things Election Day.  This nation has seen some tough times.  Elections are an important piece of being an American citizen.  It is the duty and right of all citizens to get out on election day and vote for the candidates they feel will accomplish what this nation needs.  What direction will we go next?

So with that in mind, a little music from the 80s and a recipe for your day. 

Back in the day, it wasn't as easy to vote as it is today.  We have early voting and absentee voting and polling places all over the city and county.  But in the early days of our nation it was necessary for people to travel to vote.   And in a quick online search for election day recipes I came across a post from the Washington Post from 2004 about an election day cake.  This is one I am going to serve my family today and I thought it was worth sharing with the rest of you.

Election Day Cake
12 to 14 servings
This recipe makes a tall, sturdy cake when baked in a 10-inch tube pan. The cake is not very sweet, and not as dense or as moist as a fruitcake. Adapted from Fleischmann's "New Treasury of Yeast Baking" booklet (1968):

For the cake:
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
2 packages active dry yeast (not rapid-rise yeast)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for the pan

1 1/2 cups very hot water

2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups seedless raisins
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped candied citrus peel or a mixture of chopped dried fruit such as apples and apricots

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, combine 1 3/4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, mace and undissolved yeast. Add butter and mix until combined.

Gradually add the hot water and mix on the lowest speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until combined. Add the eggs and an additional 3/4 cup of flour. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the raisins, pecans, candied peel or dried fruit and 1 1/2 cups of flour, reduce the speed to low or switch to a wooden spoon, and mix until combined. The batter should be stiff; if it is not, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Butter a 10-inch tube pan (may substitute a Bundt pan). Turn the batter into the pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out dry and lightly browned on top. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, remove the pan and set aside to cool completely.

For the glaze: In a bowl, stir together the sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle; if necessary, add additional milk, a little at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the top of the cake with the glaze.

Per serving (based on 14): 430 calories, 7 gm protein, 68 gm carbohydrates, 16 gm fat, 59 mg cholesterol, 7 gm saturated fat, 181 mg sodium, 3 gm dietary fiber

Original article here