Anna Sultana’s Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cakes (Chocolate or Raisin) and Two-Egg Sponge Cake

Well, we’ve just gotten through about a month of living in quarantine.

To be honest, for many seniors in Manitoba staying home during early Spring is  just a regular part of our usual way of living.

During this time we have icy sidewalks, what with our usual freeze and thaw weather pattern.

But the shortages at the grocery store is becoming a bit unnerving.

Sometimes it calls for a bit of ingenuity in the kitchen before we can make dinner, or desserts.

Flour is a staple, but it can cause a problem if you run out.

Check the back of your cabinets.

If you have cake & pastry flour and the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, just add two tablespoons to each cup of cake and pastry flour.

If you have all-purpose flour and the recipe calls for cake & pastry flour, just remove two tablespoons from each cup of all-purpose flour.

I’m hoping that you've also got a bag of raisins just sitting on the shelves.

Depression Cake, also called Boiled Raisin Cake or War Cake, is a recipe that doesn’t call for milk, eggs or butter.

Neither does Ma’s Easy Raisin/Sultana Cake.

Got raisins? Got cake.

Hints:

About the Chocolate Cake, when we're over the virus crisis:

Instead of the water you can use 1 Cup lukewarm sour milk or buttermilk.

Instead of the oil, you can use 1/2 Cup margarine, melted.

If you’ve got a tin of frosting, or feel like making some, it would be appreciated.

Chocolate Mocha Frosting

Dissolve

1 Tablespoon instant coffee

in

1/2 Cup hot water

Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl cream

3/4 Cup Crisco

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa

Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, add

4 1/2 Cups sifted icing sugar

Alternately with the prepared coffee.

Beat well until smooth.

You could split the cake to make it more like a layer cake.

                        Chocolate Cake

Grease an 8 inch square pan

Preheat oven to 350º F

Sift into a medium bowl

1 1/2 Cup flour

1 Cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Add

3 ounces oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 Cup water

Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 40 minutes.

Insert a toothpick to test the cake to be sure it's done.

Place the cake in the pan on a rack.

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a platter.

                        Two-Egg Sponge Cake

Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan

Preheat oven to 325º F

Note: This cake batter is thin.

Place in medium bowl

1 Cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend together and set aside.

Heat but do not boil

1/2 Cup milk

In a mixing bowl beat thoroughly at medium speed

2 large eggs

Slowly add

3/4 cup sugar

Continue beating for another five minutes.

Gradually add

3 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Make 3 dry (the flour) and 2 liquid (the milk) additions to the egg mixture.

Mix lightly, only enough to blend well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes.

Insert a toothpick to test the cake to be sure it's done.

Place the cake in the pan on a rack.

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a platter.