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Election Cake
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Chicago
Election Cake
Martin Sorge
Martin Sorge
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$1.00
This cake isn't like any other cake you've probably had. It started as an election day tradition way back when. It's risen with yeast and eggs. It's less rich and sweet compared to other cakes., with a slightly bread-like quality while still being very...cake. To me, it’s like a less-sweet pound cake stuffed with fruit and nuts. The texture is lovely—soft yet hearty. Fresh yeast works best for this recipe. I've made it with osmotolerant instant yeast, but it didn't have the same energy as the fresh yeast. I got a much better texture and rise from the fresh stuff. You can play with the spices in the cake, but do not put cinnamon in the cake batter. Cinnamon will significantly slow (or even stop) the yeast.
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You Need

12-16 servings
16:00

  • Soaked fruit

    • 100 g golden raisins
    • 100 g dried (sweetened) tart cherries
    • 100 g dried apricots, chopped
    • 115 g (1/2 cup) whisky, rum, or brandy

  • Sponge

    • 227 g (1 cup) warm water
    • 14 g fresh yeast (yes, fresh yeast)
    • 1 Tablespoon sugar
    • 300 g (2 1/2 cups) flour

  • Batter

    • 227 g (1 cup) butter at room temperature, plus more for buttering the pan
    • 300 g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
    • 1 teaspoon fine salt
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
    • 2 Tablespoons orange Zest (from about 1 medium navel orange)
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
    • 180 g (1 1/2 cups) flour
    • 4 large eggs, room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    • All of the Sponge (from above)
    • All of the Soaked Fruit (from above)
    • 150 g toasted pecans, chopped

  • Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

    • 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 6 tablespoons melted butter

    • How To

    1. Combine all soaked fruit ingredients in a bowl, cover, and let sit for at least 12 hours, up to 3 days. Stir a couple of times while it soaks.
    2. Add the warm water to a large mixing bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast and add the sugar. Whisk to dissolve. Dump in all the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms and you don't see any lumps of flour. Cover and let rise for about an hour. It should at least double in size.
    3. Thoroughly brush a large bundt pan with softened butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle, add the butter, sugar, salt, lemon zest, orange zest, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and mace. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar mixture is light and fluffy.
    4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then add about 3 Tablespoons of flour and beat for 30 seconds. Beat the eggs and extracts together with a fork in a 2-cup measuring cup. While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture. Add half of the remaining flour, beat until combined, then add the rest of the flour and beat until combined.
    5. Using wet hands, take the risen sponge and add it to the dough in clumps in roughly 3-Tablespoon chunks, with the mixer on medium-low speed. Continue mixing until all of the sponge has been added, then mix for another 1 full minute until you don’t see any chunks of the sponge.
    6. Drain the soaked fruit. Turn the mixer off and add the soaked fruit and chopped nuts, then mix on the lowest speed just until the fruit is evenly mixed in. (Don't mix for long with the fruit, because the soaked fruit is soft and can break apart.)
    7. Scrape the dough into the prepared bundt pan, cover it, and let it rise until just slighly puffy (it will not double in size, not even close), about 2 full hours at 72F.
    8. Heat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle position. Bake for about 45-60 minutes until the cake is deeply golden brown, risen, and springs back when pressed in the center, and a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
    9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar. With the cake still in the pan, brush the cake with some melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
    10. Invert the warm cake onto a cooling rack, and liberally brush with melted butter then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let the cake cool completely and slice and enjoy.