Halloween hascandy corn , Thanksgiving hasturkey , and during America ’s early beginnings , Election Dayhad “ election cake . ”
According toAtlas Obscura , Election Day used to rank much higher on the holiday scale leaf — a solar day for the great unwashed to file into Ithiel Town from far - flung farms and keep their right to vote . Since women were more than a one C away frombeing grantedthat right , they advance ( white , landowning ) men to vote by passing out thick slice of spiked , spiced screwball . Before this particular treat became an Election Day staple fibre , it wasknown as“muster cake ” and bake for colonial military personnel whom the British military had “ mustered ” for education . Once Britain had lost its hold on the colonies , women reappropriated the cake as a symbol of majority rule .
A recipe from Amelia Simmons ’s 1796 cookbook , American Cookery , revealsjust how much of a community endeavor election cake really was : In add-on to a pint of vino and a quart of brandy , it call for a astonishing 30 quart of flour , 10 Cypriot pound of butter , 12 pounds of raisin , and 14 pounds of sugar . Because household oven could n’t accommodate such a mammoth dessert , women would apply communalbreadovens .
These days , however , baker unremarkably make much small versions of election patty . cardinal among them are Susannah Gebhart and Maia Surdam — owners ofOWL Bakeryin Asheville , North Carolina — who led the charge to resurrect the custom during the generalelectionof 2016 . Together withRichard Miscovich , the department chairman of Johnson & Wales University ’s College of Food Innovation and Technology , the bakers devised a recipe for election bar that call in for sourdough dispatcher or instantyeast , sherry ( which is optional ) , and rehydrated yield , among other ingredients . The result is a dense bundt cake that Gebhartdescribedto NPR as “ not too sweet . ” “ It ’s quite a beguiling little bar , ” she order .
If you ’re look to celebrate upchuck yourvotewith a homemade , historically meaning cake , you’re able to check out OWL Bakery ’s recipehere .
[ h / tAtlas Obscura ]
