CAFE LATTE TURTLE CAKE... Sooooo Goooood!

Most everyone in this area has been to Cafe Latte on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul.  Without exception, their food is delicious, especially their desserts!  Many years ago their recipe for Turtle Cake was posted in the newspaper, and I immediately tore it out.  I've made the recipe a few times over the years, always to great reviews, so I recently made it for a potluck picnic.  Here is the recipe for your future enjoyment!

CAFE LATTE TURTLE CAKE - Makes 12 (big) servings.
*  1 egg
*  2/3 c. vegetable oil
*  1 c. buttermilk
*  2 c. flour
*  1-3/4 c. sugar
*  1/2 c. cocoa
*  1 tsp. salt
*  1 tbsp. baking soda
*  1 c. hot coffee
Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a 9"x12" pan.
Combine egg, oil and buttermilk.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda.  Combine the egg mixture and the flour mixture, mixing well.  Slowly mix in hot coffee.  Turn into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes.  Frost when cooled.

Frosting
*  1 c. sugar
*  1/2 c. milk
*  5 tbsp. butter
*  1-1/2 c. chocolate chips
*  1/2 c. caramel topping [I used Hershey's brand this time, but I don't recommend it.]
*  1 c. toasted pecans
Mix sugar and milk in a saucepan, add butter and bring to a boil.  Put chocolate chips in a bowl, pour hot mixture over them and mix until smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.  Drizzle caramel topping over the frosting, and crunch toasted pecans over caramel with your hand.

Coffee adds a nice boost to chocolate cake.

Always use the best ingredients for the best result.

Making this cake requires no electric mixer; just mix with a spoon or whisk.
The result is more dense - a good thing in a chocolate cake!

The cake is quite rich; so cut smaller portions.  Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

RHUBARB BUNDT CAKE

In no time at all my rhubarb plants will throw off the snow, shoot out of the ground, and be ready for harvesting.  That means it is time for me to pull the remaining batch from last season out of the freezer and use it.  With that in mind, I decided to make a rhubarb bundt cake.  Unfortunately, I had no recipe and was unable to find a recipe on-line that I thought would yield what I was looking for.  Did that stop me?  NO!  In fact, I feel very good about the cake that resulted!  

RHUBARB POPPY SEED BUNDT CAKE.  Serves 10 to 12.
*  1-2/3 cups sugar
*  5 eggs
*  1-1/4 cups butter at room temperature
*  2 tablespoons Creme de Cassis (a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants)
*  2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*  1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*  3 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces
*  3 tablespoons poppy seeds
*  Powdered Sugar sprinkled on top
Preheat oven to 325º.   Use shortening to grease, and then flour, bundt pan.
Add sugar and eggs to electric mixer bowl and blend well.  Add the butter and Creme de Cassis and beat mixture until it is light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.  Slowly add flour to the mixture, continuing to beat until the batter is smooth and the flour is incorporated.  Fold in the rhubarb and poppy seeds.  The batter will be quite thick.  Add cake batter to the prepared bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, let rest 15 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

This makes a delicious breakfast!

DELICIOUS APPLE TORTE

Like most people, I cook most days and, yet, I don't post to my blog very often.  Why?  I prefer to only post recipes that I find to be exceptional, tried and true.  While I love our day-to-day meals, I'm not sure my readers, you, have interest.  You also want something special!  Am I right?

Which brings me to this Torta di mele (Apple Torte).  So easy, so delicious, so versatile.  I don't know where I got this recipe, but it notes:  "For a real treat, serve the torta with a glass of vin santo."  I can see that.  Vin Santo is a delightful Italian dessert wine.  Typically (but not necessarily) somewhat sweet, in a small glass it would be the perfect accompaniment.  

Torta di mele (Apple Torte).  Serves 8-12
*  2 large eggs
*  1/2 cup sugar (split)
* 1-1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
*  2 teaspoons baking powder
*  1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
*  2/3 cup low-fat milk
*  4-5 cups apples (I used a mix of apples but would recommend Granny Smith or similar)
*  1 tablespoon melted butter
*  Cinnamon 
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.  Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.  If your pan tends to leak, wrap the outside with aluminum foil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat eggs with a wire whisk; mix in 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Beat well.  Whisk in flour, baking powder and lemon zest.  Slowly whisk in milk.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut into thin slices.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Pile in the apple slices, pressing down to make them all fit.  Drizzle the top with butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar mixed with cinnamon to your taste.  

Bake for 45 minutes, until firm to the touch.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the sides.  Place the torte on a platter, rearranging any bits of apple that have gone astray.  

Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.  Other ideas might be to lightly drizzle with caramel sauce.  

The batter is quite thin.

Right out of the oven.  The foil around the springform pan alleviates any potential leaks.

If you like raisins, they could be added to this recipe, yielding a somewhat sweeter cake.  The original recipe didn't call for cinnamon at all; it suggested dusting with powdered sugar just before serving.  Whatever you do, I think you'll like this easy recipe.

CUPCAKES?

Sorry that most of my posts these days are from the comic strips, but they're so funny!!!!

 

RHUBARB GRAHAM MUFFINS

My rhubarb plants are beginning the season with new growth, which means that in no time at all I'll have a fresh harvest of rhubarb.  The thing is, though, I still have rhubarb in the freezer from last year that needs to be used up!  With that in mind (and, of course, with my unlimited craving for sweets), I decided to make:

RHUBARB GRAHAM MUFFINS.  Makes 12.
*  1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve of crackers)
*  1 cup flour
*  1/2 cup packed brown sugar
*  1 teaspoon baking powder
*  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*  1/4 teaspoon salt
*  1 egg, beaten
*  1/2 cup buttermilk (see note below)
*  1/3 cup canola oil
*  3/4 cup chopped rhubarb (okay to add frozen)
*  1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut  
    Preheat oven to 375º.  Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
    Whisk together cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl, stir together the egg, buttermilk, and oil.  Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Fold in rhubarb and coconut.  Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden.

As you can see, it would be hard to find a simpler recipe!  These turned out light, moist and delicious.  They also held up well in the refrigerator.

Note:  Buttermilk substitute = Put 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a 1/2 cup measure.  Add milk to fill 1/2 cup.  Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Source:  Rhubarb Renaissance by Kim Ode

APPLE-PECAN CAKE

Time to use up some apples!  Our apple trees had a good year and I want to be baking every day!  The only trouble is that I am the one in this household who eats the sweets.  Oh well... this is a task that I can handle!

I am always looking for relatively simple recipes that use up a lot of apples at one time.  The recipe I made today fits both those requirements.

APPLE-PECAN CAKE
*  3 large eggs
*  2 cups sugar
*  1 cup oil (I used olive oil.)
*  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*  2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 teaspoon baking soda
*  1 teaspoon salt
*  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*  1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
*  4 cups peeled and chopped apple
*  1 cup chopped pecans
Beat the eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale.  Gradually add sugar, beating until blended.  Add oil and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to beaten mixture, stirring until blended.  Stir in apple and pecans.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or bundt pan.  Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.  

Source:  Southern Living 1992.

Just a little mess!

Ready to go in the oven.

A long baking time - 1-3/4 hours!

Cooling on a wire rack.

A simple dusting with powdered sugar.

As soon as the cake was cool enough to eat, I had my first piece.  Conclusion... very good BUT it will be even better with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  Next time....

RHUBARB HONEY MUFFINS

Here we are again, Springtime, and lots of rhubarb!  So far this season I've made Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb base (for making fun martini drinks), Rhubarb bread and RHUBARB HONEY MUFFINS, the recipe for today.  I made these for a potluck and they turned out perfectly!  

RHUBARB HONEY MUFFINS.  Makes 22 - 24.
*  2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 teaspoon baking soda
*  1/2 teaspoon salt
*  1 egg, beaten
*  1 cup brown sugar, packed
*  2/3 cup corn/vegetable oil
*  1/2 cup honey
*  1 teaspoon pure vanilla
*  3/4 cup buttermilk (or substitute 1 tablespoon plain vinegar plus milk to make 3/4 cup)
*  1-1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, finely chopped
*  1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Topping:  Mix the following ingredients together until crumbly
*  1 tablespoon butter
*  1/2 cup granulated sugar
*  cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350º.  Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & salt).  In another bowl, stir egg, brown sugar, oil, honey, vanilla extract and buttermilk until blended;  stir into flour mixture just until moistened.  Fold in rhubarb and pecans.  Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.  

Sprinkle tops with butter-sugar mixture.  Bake 25-35 minutes or until golden.  Remove from pan; cool on a rack.

Smear with butter and ENJOY!!!!

46TH ANNUAL PILLSBURY BAKE-OFF: COCOA-PINK CUPCAKES

It began in 1949.  Bakers throughout America entered Pillsbury's Grand National Bake-Off.  One hundred finalists joined together at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York to compete for $100,000 in prizes and the title "Cook of the Year."

On November 11, 2013 the 46th Annual Bake-Off was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and well known TV chef, Padma Lakshmi, announced the winner.  Her prize was $1 Million for her Loaded Potato Pinwheels.  Times have certainly changed in the Bake-Off contest.  Although it is still required that  Pillsbury/General Mills products be used in the recipes, the products today are manufactured food products rather than just Pillsbury flour which was the primary ingredient used in 1949.

For those of you who don't know of  Pillsbury, it began in 1872 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Charles Pillsbury and his uncle, John Pillsbury.  At the time, its rival was General Mills, which subsequently purchased the company in 2001.    "Pillsbury" is now a brand name used by the General Mills Company which is still based in Minneapolis, and which is among the largest food producers in the world.

Tonight is the annual Bake Sale by the Garden Club of Ramsey County.  To commemorate the Bake-Off, my contribution to the bake sale is a recipe out of this Pillsbury book, copyright 1959:

The recipe I chose, "Cocoa-Pink Cuplets" was from Mrs. Robert Hoefer, Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Cocoa-Pink Cuplets
Bake at 375º for 20 to 25 minutes.  Makes about 2 dozen.
Sift together:
*  2 cups sifted Pillsbury's Best All Purpose Flour
*  1 tablespoon cocoa and
*  1 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.
Add:
*  1-1/4 cups sugar gradually to
*  3/4 cup shortening, creaming well.
Blend in:
*  2 unbeaten eggs and
*  1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine:
*  1 teaspoon soda and
*  1 cup cold water.  Add alternately with the dry ingredients to creamed mixture.  Blend well after each addition.
Fill muffin cups, lined with paper baking cups, half full.
Sprinkle:
*  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces and
*  1/2 cup nuts, chopped, over cupcake batter.
Bake at 375º for 20 to 25 minutes.

"Sifting" the dry ingredients.

 Creaming the sugar and shortening.

 All assembled for baking.

 All ready to eat (or to take to the Bake Sale!!).

CRANBERRY-PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Remember when we were children and our mothers' made pineapple upside-down cake?  It was so fun and different and delicious!  Since then, bakers have developed endless options for upside-down cakes.  One of my favorites is banana upside-down cake.  With this recipe, I encourage you to make your own cake with the fruit of your choice.  I made this cake for dessert last night for a little dinner party of four people.  Less than one day later, this is all of the cake that remains:

CRANBERRY-PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE.  Serves 8.
Topping:
*  1 cup packed brown sugar
*  1/2 cup unsalted butter
*  2 tablespoons lemon juice
*  1-1/2 cups cranberries
*  1-1/2 cups whole pecans, toasted
Cake:
*  1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
*  1 cup sugar
*  2 eggs
*  1 tablespoon grated orange peel
*  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*  1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*  3/4 teaspoon baking powder
*  3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*  1/4 teaspoon salt
*  1/2 cup sour cream
     Heat oven to 350º.  Line bottom of 9x2" round pan with parchment paper.  In small saucepan, heat brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring frequently.  Pour into pan; sprinkle with cranberries and pecans.
     In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar at medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in orange peel and vanilla.
     In medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt).  At low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture in three parts alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Carefully spread batter over cranberries and pecans.
     Bake 45 minutes or until cake is rich golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack 15 minutes.  Run small knife around edge of cake.  Place serving plate over cake; invert cake onto plate.
TIPS:
1.  Using a stand-mixer is much easier than a hand-mixer.
2.  To toast the pecans, place on a baking sheet and bake in 350º oven, stirring regularly until slightly darker in color.
3.  If you are using frozen cranberries, allow to thaw before using.
4.  Serve with whipped cream.
5.  The source of this recipe is "Cooking Pleasures," a magazine published by the Cooking Club of America. To learn more about this club go to www.cookingclub.com.

APPLE PUDDING CAKE.

This was a great year for our apples.  In the Spring we had a late frost that killed off many of the buds on the trees, leaving far fewer than usual.  That resulted in fewer, but bigger, apples.  I've made the usual applesauce and a variety of apple desserts, but this recipe for a fruity, crusty and gooey cake was the best of the season.  Sorry that I have no pictures... The cake was gone in a flash!

APPLE PUDDING CAKE.  Serves 10+
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups flour
6 cups peeled and chopped apples
Sauce Mixture:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream (for whipped cream topping)
     Preheat the oven to 325º.  Grease a 9"x13" pan.
     In a frying pan over low-medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
     In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and granulated sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.  Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour, and beat into the sugar mixture.
     Fold in the chopped apples and the nuts.  The mixture will be stiff.
     In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Add the butter, vanilla and water, stir, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring often.
     Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan.  Pour the hot sauce evenly over the batter.  Do not stir.  Bake 1 hour.
     Make whipped cream to use as topping.

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY - JULIA CHILD. CLAFOUTI.

Perhaps the most celebrated chef of our time is Julia Child who passed away August 13, 2004, two days shy of her 92nd birthday.  Had she lived, today she would be celebrating her 100th birthday.  Read a short bio of Julia at:  http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767
See also a fun PBS video at:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2267156929

In her honor, today I am posting a recipe for Clafoutis, a French fruit flan.  The recipe comes from her preeminent book:

Quoting from the book:  "The clafouti which is traditional in the Limousin during the cherry season is peasant cooking for family meals, and about as simple a dessert to make as you can imagine:  a pancake batter poured over fruit in a fireproof dish, then baked in the oven.  It looks like a tart, and is usually eaten warm."

CLAFOUTI.  Serves 6 to 8.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place the following ingredients in your blender jar in the order in which they are listed.  Cover and blend at top speed for 1 minute.
1-1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Pour a 1/4 inch layer of batter in a 7-8 cup lightly buttered baking dish or pie plate about 1-1/2 inches deep. Set over a moderate heat for a minute or two until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish.  Remove from heat.

On top of the batter spread:
3 cups pitted black cherries [Other fruits can be substituted.]
Then:
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.  Place in middle position of preheated oven and bake for an hour.  The clafouti is done when it has puffed and browned, and a needle or knife plunged into its center comes out clean.  Sprinkle top of clafouti with powdered sugar just before bringing it to the table.  (The clafouti need not be served hot, but should still be warm.  It will sink down slightly as it cools.)

RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Once again it is time to harvest rhubarb and I have quite a bit to use!  Yesterday my niece came over and we baked Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake.  The recipe is from The Joy of Rhubarb by Theresa Millang.  I'm not going to recommend the book as I've made a number of its recipes and have found that most of them require modifications.  That is true for this recipe as well.  I found the cake to be too sweet.  Thus, if you decide to make the cake, you will want to reduce the sugar.  That said, here it is one day after we baked the cake and it was gone by 8: a.m. this morning!

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake.  Serves 8.
2/3 cup boiling water
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup corn oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour mixed in a bowl with:
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350º.  Pour boiling water over oatmeal in a bowl; cover and let stand 20 minutes.
Stir melted butter and granulated sugar in an 8-inch square baking pan.  Sprinkle with rhubarb.
In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn oil, vanilla and egg.  Add oat mixture; beat well.  Add flour mixture; beat just to combine.  Carefully pour mixture over rhubarb.  Bake about 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.  Run a knife along sides of pan to loosen cake.  Carefully invert cake onto a cake plate.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Refrigerate leftovers.

CRANBERRY SAUCE & CHRISTMAS MORNING COFFEECAKE

Thanksgiving has come and gone, that is, all except for the left-overs.  Aren't they wonderful?!  One thing we always have left over is cranberry sauce.  It's been years since we ate canned cranberry sauce.  Why buy it in a can when it is so SO easy to make and turns out so much better?  Here is my go-to recipe.

WHOLE CRANBERRY SAUCE.  Makes about 2 cups.
*  1/2 pound fresh cranberries
*  1/4 cup port
*  1/4 cup fresh orange juice (1/2 of an orange)
*   zest from 1/2 orange
*  1/2 cup diced dried apricots
*  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
*  1/3 cup granulated sugar
*  1/3 cup toasted pecan halves (optional)
Place everything except the nuts in a saucepan.  Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are cooked and the sauce is thick, 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cool, and stir in the pecan halves.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  Sauce will keep for several weeks and is best brought to room temperature before serving.
Adapted from Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase.

So now we are moving into the Christmas season and we will have cranberry sauce left over.  What to do with it?  Make a coffeecake!  Here's a delicious and easy recipe.

CHRISTMAS MORNING COFFEECAKE.
*  2 extra-ripe, medium bananas, peeled
*  1 egg
*  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*  2 cups. buttermilk baking mix (such as Bisquick)
*  2 tablespoons sugar
*  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*  1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
*  1 cup cranberry sauce
Topping:
*  1/2 cup packed brown sugar
*  1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
*  2 tablespoons melted butter
*  2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 400º; grease a 9" square pan.
Puree banana chunks in blender or processor (to make 2/3 cup).  Add egg and vanilla to pureed bananas.  In a mixing bowl combine baking mix, sugar, cinnamon and allspice.  Beat in the banana mixture.  Pour into prepared pan.  Break up the cranberry sauce and distribute over the batter.  Make topping by stirring together all ingredients.  Sprinkle entirely over the top of the coffeecake batter.  Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.

ENJOY!

CAKES FOR TOUGH TIMES

I don't recall how Sherrill and I got started on this topic but she and I both have cake recipes for tough times.

First, Crazy Cake.  A very easy, dense chocolate cake that is made right in the pan.  No eggs are needed.

CRAZY CAKE
Whisk together in an ungreased 9"x13" cake pan:
3 cups unpacked flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
Smooth out in the pan and make three wells.
3/4 cup salad oil goes in the first well.
2 teaspoons vinegar goes in the second well.
1 teaspoon vanilla goes in the third well.
Then pour 2 cups water over everything and blend all with a fork.
Bake 35-40 minutes in preheated 350º oven.

Second, Sherrill offered up the recipe for Poor Man’s Cake saying:  "Also called 'Boiled Cake,' this is a very dense World War II spice cake that uses no eggs, butter, or milk.  I get a craving for this every October.  It was about that time of year that I would arrive home from school and open the door to the heady spice aroma of this great cake. In my list of comfort foods, this is way up near the top." 
Thanks for sharing, Sherrill!

TOUGH TIMES CAKE (f/k/a Poor Man's Cake)
2 C sugar
2 C cold water
1 C bacon drippings, lard or Crisco
1½ - 2 C raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
scant 1 tsp cloves
4 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ - 1 C walnuts
Combine sugar, water, drippings, raisins and spices in large saucepan (this will become your “mixing bowl” so should be large enough to hold approx. 10-12 cups of batter and have stirring room). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until sugar is dissolved.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

In large bowl, combine flour and baking soda thoroughly. Add walnuts and mix to combine.  Slowly add dry ingredients to boiled ingredients. Mix well to avoid lumps. Batter will be thick and sticky. Thin with a tiny bit – 1-3 Tbsp – water, if you must (and I generally do), but resist making this as thin as regular cake batter.  Pour batter into 4 lightly-greased mini loaf pans or 9x13 glass baking dish.

Bake in pre-heated 350º oven for about 60 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.