The cake that brought together communities while celebrating civic engagement in America’s early days
Nervous about election season this year? You’re not the only one. But no matter which way the vote swings this November, there will always be cake. You may not know it, but at one time, cake served a vital role on election day. Appropriately named election cake, this centuries-old boozy spice cake was once baked in quantities large enough to feed a town in celebration of Election Day. More than a dessert, it honors American culinary heritage and the bond of communities through food. It recalls a time when civic engagement united people in the most delicious way possible. In colonial America, these cakes were called “muster cakes.” Communities served them at militia gatherings called musters. Men trained in local defense, and the community celebrated with food and festivities. After the American Revolution, mustering gave way to celebrations of democracy in the new republic. Local communities across the new nation held election-day festivities. With that transformation, the spiced cakes served on muster days became known as election cake. It symbolized the nation’s shift from colonial rule to self-governance, reflecting the importance of civic participation and community spirit. Families traveled from distant farms to town centers, where they enjoyed a holiday—visiting friends, dancing, drinking, and, for men, voting. In America’s earliest days, elections weren’t only about casting ballots. They were a major social occasion that helped forge community and family connections. While women were not allowed to vote at the time, they organized the festivities and prepared the food, and the baking was often publicly funded. The effort it took to accommodate the townsfolk and the influx of people from regional farms was nothing short of Herculean. Election cakes were a culinary marvel. Bakers made massive cakes that required ingredients that, at the time, were often scarce and costly, such as sugar and spices. Amelia Simmons’s 1796 cookbook, “American Cookery,” lists a recipe with dozens of eggs, 12 pounds of raisins, a quart of brandy, 14 pounds of sugar, and copious amounts of butter and flour. The goal was to feed the entire town, and this cake would do it. Although election cake was nearly forgotten over the past twoand-a-half centuries, these cakes remind us of food’s role in uniting people at significant moments. Like all culinary legacies, they help connect us to our heritage and and the early Americans who celebrated their civic duties with food and fellowship. As the next election nears, consider making this cake andshare a few slices with friends and neighbors. It honors a time when election day wasn’t just a chance to vote, but celebrated democracy and our republic. In divided and uncertain times, everyone can get behind a good cake shared among friends. It symbolizes unity, community, and the great American experiment. Election Cake Serves about 12 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup active sourdough starter 4 ounces salted butter 1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar, such as rapadura or muscovado 2 tablespoons molasses 2 tablespoons brandy 1 tablespoon white wine 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg 1 cup dried currants Beat the flour, buttermilk, and sourdough starter together until it forms a ball. Oil a large mixing bowl, plop the dough into the bowl, and cover it tightly. Allow the dough to rise for 8 to 12 hours (or 2 to 4 hours if using instant yeast). After the dough has doubled in volume, grease a 9-inch Bundt pan. Beat the butter, sugar, molasses, brandy, and wine until fluffy, then beat in the egg. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl, and tear it into 1/2-inch pieces. Drop them into the bowl with the butter. Add the salt, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, and nutmeg. Beat them all together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until they form a uniform batter. Fold in the currants. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, and cover it tightly. Allow the batter to rise until it reaches 3/4 up the sides of the bowl, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before unmolding
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