Recipe: Boiled Cake

I did a little searching and came up with a version from WWII which is more precise and probably a better choice.

WWII Cake

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 8x8x2 pan; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, shortening, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

When completely cool, mix salt and soda solution into boiled mixture then stir in flour combined with baking powder.

Pour into prepared pan spreading into corners and bake about 50 minutes until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean. Cool in pan
on wire rack.