The cake is actually a classic English fruitcake or plum cake. The original cakes included molasses, spice, raisins, and currants were used in this cake. Later brandy was added. Also known as oak cake, Hartford Election Cake, and training cakes, because another name for Election Day was Training Day.

Historically Election Day was considered an important holiday in early New England. In importance it ranked second only to Thanksgiving. As our Puritan ancestors were denied the joys of Christmas and Easter, Election Day with its festivities of parades, religious ceremonies, balls, and fine foods helped compensate for the loss. Because of this, they made Election Day into a holiday in which everything broke loose, people gathered in town and visited each others’ houses.

Election Day Cake (Modern Version):

I created this wonderful modern version of the old-fashioned Election Day Cake after reading many older and a few more modern recipes. My husband actually help me make this cake, which is unusual for him, as he was excited to try it. He loved it!

Cake:
1 cup raisins or currants
4 tablespoons brandy
Sponge (see recipe below)
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used pecans)
Lemon Glaze or Milk Glaze (see recipes below – your choice of which glaze to use)

Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl, combine raisins or currants and the brandy. Let sit at least 1 hour or overnight to let the raisins plum up. Strain the brandy and the raisins; set the brandy and raisin aside in separate bowls until needed.

Prepare Sponge (yeast mixture).

Prepare cake batter while the Sponge is rising for 30 minutes.

Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and nutmeg; set aside.

In a large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, adding one at a time and beating well after each addition. Beat in the brandy. Add the Sponge (yeast mixture) and continue to beat. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth (the batter will be soft and sticky). With the electric mixer on low, blend in raisins or currants and nuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with a rubber spatula, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (away from drafts) until doubled in size, approximately 2 to 3 hours. This batter rises very slowly and the rising time may take as long as 4 to 6 hours, depending on the temperature of your room.

Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can’t comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.

Cool or Refrigerator Rise: If I don’t have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oven rack in center of oven.

After the cake has risen, bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean or the internal temperature on an instant-read digital thermometer registers 190 degrees F. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Prepare either Lemon Glaze or Milk Glaze and brush on the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Aging and Storage: Election Cake was always considered better if left to ripen for a day or two in a covered crock. Nowadays we prefer to slip it into a plastic bag and let it age. These loaves freeze well, but will not age or mellow in the freezer.

Sponge:
2 packages active dry yeast or 3 1/3 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F.)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the water; stir to dissolve. Add sugar and flour; beat 2 minutes either by hand or with your electric hand mixer at medium speed. Cover and let rise in a warm place until bubbly, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Cake Batter Before Rising

Cake Batter After Rising

Lemon Glaze:
1 cup sifted powdered (confectioners’) sugar
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

In a small saucepan over low heat. Heat the powdered sugar and lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved and slight thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and brush over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Milk Glaze:
1 cup sifted powdered (confectioners’ sugar)
3 tablespoons milk or light cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over low heat. Heat the powdered sugar and milk until the sugar is dissolved and slight thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and brush over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Recipe by Nancy Miyasaki

I love lemon soup done Greek style and with orzo pasta. This is a nice soup to make that is quick and healthy. Add some cooked chicken if you like and then dip your crusty homemade rolls or bread into the soup – its great on a cold night, rainy night or as a starter for any meal. I hope you enjoy it – Cheers, Dale

6 cups chicken stock or broth
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chick-peas), rinsed, drained
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large eggs (or 3 egg whites)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (add more if you like)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions

Combine the stock or broth, garbanzo beans, garlic, turmeric and cumin seeds in large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 15 minutes. Whisk eggs and lemon juice in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk 2 cups hot soup into egg mixture. Return egg mixture to saucepan; stir over medium-low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Add cayenne pepper. Season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

We ate rice pudding a lot a kids for dessert. Sometimes served a bit warm from the oven, other times cold. It was always great with ice cold milk poured on it and maybe a little whipped cream – although we didn’t get whipped cream very often. My mother, Lucy, would make this often and while I’m not a huge dessert fan it was, and still is a favourite of mine.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
5 cups milk
1/3 cup raisins
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Place rice and boiling water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until rice has absorbed water. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in 1 cup milk. Add mixture to rice along with remaining milk and add raisins.

Bring pudding to a boil. Partially cover and cook gently – medium low – for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very creamy and thick.

Gently stir in egg yolks. Cook for 1 minute and then stir in vanilla. Garnish with ground cinnamon.

Enjoy!

My friend Jamus lives in a wonderful part of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in the community of Louisdale. They are some of the most friendly people you’ll ever meet and they know the true meaning of hospitality. Food plays an intergral part in their daily lives and if you ever get a chance to be invited to one of their homes you’ll see what I mean.

Jamus recently mentioned that he was looking for a few new recipes that are gluten free. At the Inn we often have guests who ask for gluten free options and we are always pleased to oblige. Here is one recipe that I’m sure Jamus will enjoy making at his house and we’d thought we would share it.

Freebies (that’s what we call them at the Inn)

An easy gluten-free pancake with a taste comparable to those made with wheat flour.”

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
4 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
1 packet sugar substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups water

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix or sift together the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, dry buttermilk powder, sugar substitute, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Stir in eggs, water, and oil until well blended and few lumps remain.
2. Heat a large, well-oiled skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Spoon batter onto skillet and cook until bubbles begin to form. Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on bottom. Serve immediately with condiments of your choice – and they always taste better with real maple syrup.

If you have a favourite gluten free recipe email us at recipes@baccalieuhospitalitygroup.com and we’ll feature it.

Cheers, Dale & Todd

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons mild oil
• 2 large white new potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 11⁄2 pounds cod fillet
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup dry hard cider
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the potatoes until they begin to brown.
3. Add the onions and half the salt and pepper and cook until the onion softens.
4. Preheat the oven to 350˚F, season the fish with the remaining salt and pepper and the lemon juice and lay it in a shallow bake-and-serve dish.
5. Transfer the potatoes and onions to the baking dish.
6. Deglaze the skillet with the cider and add it to the fish.
7. Sprinkle with parsley, cover with a lid or foil and bake until the fish and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve from the baking dish. Yield 4

Course Hors D’oeuvres & Appetizers
Prep. Time 20 mins
Cooking Time 4 mins
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (180 mL) whipping 35 % cream
1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced Canadian Havarti
Ground Cayenne, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado, diced
2/3 cup (160 mL) crabmeat, well drained
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) sugar
You’ve got choice

Instructions

Preheat broiler.

In a saucepan over low heat, heat cream and milk until steam starts to form.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks for 2 minutes then beat in flour. Pour a little warm cream into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add Cayenne and salt and pepper generously.

Evenly divide avocado and crabmeat among 4 medium-sized 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) ramekins and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour cheese mixture on top; sprinkle with sugar.

To caramelize, broil for about 4 minutes. Serve hot or warm.