The author of this recipe, who lives where citrus fruits abound, suggests that the juice of one-half a grapefruit can be substituted for the sour milk in this cake. It is well to know this for an emergency, but the city dweller will hardly avail herself of it often. In appearance and texture this cake is more like gingerbread than fruit cake, though with citron and a little more of each spice it could substitute for the more expensive fruit cake, for it costs only 50 cents for two loaves!
Fruit Gingerbread
½ package of mincemeat
½ cup molasses or cane syrup
½ cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1-3 cup melted fat
½ cup sour milk
½ cup hot coffee
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1-3 teaspoon cloves
1 egg
3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Simmer the mincemeat in one cup of water for twenty minutes. Add to this the other ingredients in the order given, remembering to sprinkle a little flour over the raisins first and to dissolve the soda in the warm coffee. The egg can be beaten without separating.
Bake this in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for an hour if the quantity is divided into two loaves; if baked in one loaf then give a much longer time.
The addition of one cup of citron will make this more nearly resemble fruit cake.