Williamsburg Pork Cake

This is an old recipe for spice cake made with salt pork and raisins. It's baked in a tube pan and contains no eggs or dairy.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 458 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup molasses
• ½ cup brandy
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 ½ cups raisins
• 1 ½ cups dried currants
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• ½ pound finely ground salt pork

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine brandy, raisins and currants. Bring to an boil, then remove from heat. Set aside until all liquid is absorbed and mixture is cooled.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the ground salt pork, boiling water, molasses and sugar. Beat well. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the raisin mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool 15 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and cool completely.