Poor Mans Cake Recipes

POOR MANS CAKE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a saucepan mix brown sugar, raisins, water and shortening. Bring to a boil and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. When raisin mixture is cool, add to dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 or 40 minutes. Do not over bake or it will be too dry. Test after 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of cake should come out clean.

POOR MAN'S CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine raisins and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cold water and shortening.
• Add raisin mixture to flour mixture; stir until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes.

CHOCOLATE POOR MAN'S CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Grease and flour an 8 x8 square cake pan(s). For layer cakes, double the recipe, and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Then grease and flour it.
• 3. Sift the flour sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together.
• 4. Next, add the oil, water, and vinegar.
• 5. Mix together well with either an electric hand mixer (beaters) or a standing mixer, stopping occasionally to scrape the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be thin.
• 6. Add the vanilla, and mix well until it is all incorporated into the batter.
• 7. Pour the batter into the greased and floured pan(s). Tapping the pans lightly to release the air bubbles.
• 8. Bake until done, about 40-45 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. If leaving it in the pan to frost, cool the cake completely. For layer cakes, cool completely, then turn out the layers onto a rack to drizzle icing over it.
• 9. When cake has completely cooled, ice with the Poor Man's Cake Icing.
• 10. For the icing, mix the sugar, milk, shortening, and cocoa powder together in a small saucepan.
• 11. Heat over low heat to incorporate the ingredients, and melt the shortening.
• 12. Once the shortening starts melting, use a spatula or a small whisk and constantly stir to avoid burning, until the mixture is liquid and all the ingredients are incorporated.
• 13. When the edges of the saucepan start to bubble slightly, take the saucepan off the heat to a cool burner, and then add the vanilla. Mix together quickly, making sure the vanilla is evenly distributed. Icing will be thing and liquid.
• 14. Pour the icing onto the cake in the pan to cover cake completely. Let icing cool, completely, and it will set. Then cut and serve. This cake goes well with vanilla ice cream.
• 15. If frosting layers, dab a small amount of shortening on the cake rack so the cake will eventually slide off onto a platter. Place the cake rack over a jelly roll pan to catch the extra frosting. Cut off the top of the bottom layer if it domed slightly during baking, so that it is flat and even.
• 16. Pour a small amount of icing sparingly onto the middle of the bottom layer first and using a knife, spread it evenly. Let it set for about 1 minute, then place the top layer on.
• 17. Pour the rest of the icing over the top of the cake, using a knife to spread down the sides. Excess frosting will drip through the rack or jelly roll pan. Transfer cake immediately from the rack to a platter by sliding it carefully. Let frosting cool and set before slicing and serving.

GRANDMA'S POOR MAN'S CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° and spray two 9 x 5 baking pans or a 13 x 9 baking dish with non stick spray. Set aside.

BOILED CAKE (AKA DEPRESSION CAKE, WAR CAKE, POOR MAN'S CAKE)

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine shortening, water, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and sugar. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until COMPLETELY cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, a Bundt pan, or 9 x 5-inch 2 loaf pans. Set aside.
• Stir the flour and baking soda into the cooled raisin mixture and mix until just combined and flour is mostly incorporated.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch pan or until the top of the cake is just firm to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Traditionally served un-frosted.

ZUCCHINI CAKES "CRAB CAKES" FOR THE POOR MAN'S BUDGET

Steps:

• Spread grated zucchini on a kitchen towel and roll up. Twist towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. If you fail to do this, your cakes will be too wet.
• In a large bowl, combine zucchini and butter. Stir in bread crumbs, onion, Old Bay, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Coat your hands in oil, and shape mixture into patties. Coat each patty in flour. In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Fry patties until golden brown on both sides. (About 3-5 min per side).

POOR MAN'S CAKE

Steps:

• Boil together all ingredients.
• Add water just enough water to cover raisins.
• Boil until raisins are tender.
• Cool.
• Add 1 t baking soda and enough Unbleached flour to make a stiff batter.
• Pour batter into 9-inch round cake pan.
• Bake in moderate oven until cake springs back when touched lightly (about 1 hour at 350 degrees F).
• Serve warm or cold with cream, custard sauce or powdered sugar frosting.
• Walnuts may be added to batter just before baking.