Christmas Gift from the Kitchen - Boiled Cake or War Cake
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Boiled Cake or War Cake
Ingredients
One pound seedless raisins
Two heaping tablespoons of lard or shortening
One teaspoon ground cloves
One teaspoon ground cinnamon
Two teaspoons salt
Two cups white sugar
Two cups boiling water
One and a half teaspoons of baking soda dissolved in boiling hot water
Three cups all purpose flour
One cup candied mix peel and fruit
One cup chopped nuts
Combine raisins, lard or shortening, cloves, cinnamon , salt, sugar and water in a saucepan and boil for five minutes.
Pour the boiled ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add the baking soda mixed with a little hot water and stir into the mix. Add three cups of flour and mix well add the candied fruit and chopped nuts and mix well.
Prepare loaf pans by buttering and flouring them and fill them one half to three quarters full with the batter . Bake in a 300 degree F oven until a cake tester comes out clean time will vary depending on the size of your pans. I lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top of the pond to prevent the top of the cake from burning. A large loaf pan will likely take two hours or longer to bake.
Cool on a cake rack after removing from the pan then wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature in a cake tin or plastic bag for two to three weeks before cutting.
Yummy, my grandma made War Cake. Cooked it in a cast iron skillet. I always got in trouble for picking the cherries out and hiding them in a napkin so I would have a snack for later. Lol...😀
Eileen LeValley / What a clever idea! Thanks!
Eileen LeValley, that is funny, I just had a mental picture doing just that!
Eileen that sounds like fun. Never heard of a fruit cake in a skillet before, interesting.
Dale, " Thanx for the memories" I miss my Mom most at Christmas time!!! She would have enjoyed watching your channel.
Thank you Gerald.
I luv fruit cake. Fruit cake gets a bad rap.
very true but I have had a few tough to chew cakes to understand why some call them bricks :D
I agree and have always love fruit cake so I can't understand it.
DavePa little I agree! It’s been a while since I’ve had one, though. I like this series Dale.
Reminds me of the book, "A Christmas Memory," by Truman Capote. I hope you read it sometime. My husband of 30 years passed away in 2008 and he and I watched the movie on Hallmark channel. It was playing while he lay dying in the hospital and I haven't been able to view it since. I did find a copy of the book and purchased it for my son to give him at Christmas. I am going to include a note about how in the last hours of his father's life we enjoyed this movie about fruit cakes. I might even make one like yours to give him as a gift. Thank you
Thank you Barbara those are very special memories and that will be a very special Christmas gift.
10 p.m. and now I'm hungry, looks very good! I miss my mom's cooking, THANKS SO MUCH for sharing. ✔🖒🖒🌷
Thank you Peggy.
Perfect treat for the holidays🎄. Can you let it age longer than 3 weeks at room temperature, or maybe just refrigerate it after that? Thanks for reminding me to get out my Mom's recipes, they were special.
@@volition51 Houses are warmer today so I wouldn't leave it out longer than that and it must be well wrapped or in and airtight container.
You have made my day even year! I have my mom's cook book. Many of her recipes are hand written through out the Search Light cook book. No place have I found the recipe you just posted. I watched her make it many times in my young life during the 1950s. All I can figure she knew the recipe by heart. I have asked so many older women if they had ever heard of a fruit cake using boiled water. No..........but now I have the recipe thanks to you!!! Thank you so much. Cheryl
That's wonderful Cheryl so glad to hear it.
Hello Dale, my mum and I make boiled fruit cakes. The traditional British recipe calls for black tea instead of plain water :) We used mixed fruit. Once the fruit mixture has been boiled it is put to one side and cools overnight, allowing the fruit to plump up. The next day the cake is mixed together and baked. Your cakes looked delicious and I like the idea of decorating with nuts and fruits. Thank you for sharing your cooking recipes and ideas, its always a pleasure to watch.
Thank you I've heard of using tea but have never tried it.
This looks yummy, Dale. I really love fruit cake. Your Mother’s handwritten cookbook is a beautiful gem. I have my Mother’s Betty Crocker 1955 cookbook with lots of handwritten notes, and extra handwritten recipes intertwined between the pages. I treasure it so much.
Thank you Lori I agree these things are real treasures.
Looks very good. Nice to have your mom's handwritten recipes.
Thank you Lona Yes I have two of her hand written favourite recipes books a real treasure.
Grandma always made fruit cake about this time of year for Christmas, too. However, she added bourbon whiskey about once a week till Christmas. She also used walnuts in her cake. Everybody that visited had to try it. It was grandma’s favorite cake! I’ll bet yours is good too. Brings back memories.
Thank you Marty your grandmother's cake sounds very good.
Yes, as you said, people, (like me) who don't like the traditional fruit cake would probably LOVE this. I think I'll try this out and if I like it, I'll make it for my relatives. Thanks !
Thank you hope you like it .
They look delicious Mr Dale. You did a great job, just like all the other dishes 💚❤️🧡💙💛👍👍👍
Thank you Kathryn.
Very similar to boiled raisin cake. Mom made that often when we were kids. It made a 9X13 cake that vanished quickly in a household of five kids! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Carol.
My mum used to do her all in fruit cake..no real instructions to follow,just bung it all in..still used to come out nice though.
Thanks Dale ..such wholesome food you bring to us.
Can’t wait till your spending some winter times in the cabin..my favourite spot.
Thank you Susan there were several things that my mother made that she didn't use a recipe for as well. Bread and rolls come to mind .
I made the boiled cake and my husband and I couldn’t wait....we held out for only 11 days! This fruitcake is fabulous! Thank you, Dale, for sharing. Next up....the Arnie cake!!!
Thank you I'm glad you liked it good luck with your Arnie cake.
I love the old recipes that came from your mother. The one for fish chowder is a real winner and I make it from time to time. Like you, I have had troubles with gout in the past, and so my diet is moving towards more and more fish and vegetables. When I first moved to Providence, RI in 1988, you could buy fresh fish right off the boat at a Portuguese market. Unfortunately all the mom and pop stores closed over the years. Now that I am living inland in Virginia, most all fish comes frozen. Still good, but not the same.
I find that the frozen fish in most supermarkets is much better then what they are trying to sell as fresh fish, I doubt if a cat would eat it .
I enjoyed this video so much Dale. It brought back a lot of memories of my Mom baking Fruit Cake. There's 6 of us kids and not a one of us like Fruit Cake. But, once a year she would bake one around Christmas and she really enjoyed that. Bonus- Mom didn't have to share with anyone, lol. Thanks for the happy memories!
LOL Thank you Willow.
Looks tasty Dale. l want to get my Mother to cook one for christmas. all the best Dale, and Angel.
Thank you Jason it is one of my favourite Christmas goodies.
Another season of winter cabin videos! Always look forward to these. Cake looks wonderful as well.
all of a sudden it is very cold here today.
I love fruit cakes and love when recipes have an connection to our loved ones... enjoy!
Thank you Terrie.
Fruit cake is one of the things that I most look forward to at Christmas time. This one looks very good.
Thank you Rob.
Unique, This has got to be a very historic recipe! ♥️
I think so too!
So much on our holidays are based on family recipes that have been passed on from my grandmother and mother. Our favorite holiday dessert is persimmon pudding. Can't wait to make it next week for our Thanksgiving. Loved watching you make a recipe from your Mother.
Thank you .Persimmons don't grow in this area so I have never tasted one.
What a lovely made fruitcake. One to add to my holiday's list of baking yummy goodness.
Thank you Grace.
Yummy 😋 thank you for sharing. I am going to try this one for sure. 💕👍🏼💕,
Thank you Kaye good luck with yours.
I love to use and receive baked goods in cake tins.
Is that a hint Grace LOL.
@@DaleCalderCampobello Ooo no, I just love them. Hugs sweetie.
Hi, My youngest son and I just love fruit cake so we would absolutely try this recipe. The best fruit cake that I have ever had was made by the Monks; it was really good. I will probably use pecans since we live in an area of SC that has a lot of pecan orchards and plantations. Your cakes turned out great! Get the hot tea ready! LOL ---- Last week I made a pumpkin bread and forgot to roll my raisins in flour so they would suspend through the bread. Well they sank to the bottom during baking and burned a little. Live and learn.
Yes I've done the same thing with blueberry cake.
Hello there and thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I have made war cake. A friend I worked with many years ago gave me the recipe which had been in her family for years. She didn't add the candied fruit peels and nuts but that looks so yummy! I do make fruitcakes for Christmas gifts. I have my favorites I've used over the years. I'll be making 8 fruitcakes this year as many in the family really like them! This recipe looks like a good filler recipe to use any time of the year.
Thank you Pat I used to do the same thing but haven't given them as gifts for years now.
Hello Dale, we used to make boiled fruit cake when I was young and also a fruit cake made with fruit soaked in tea. Lovely
Sounds good Terry I've heard of the fruit soaked in tea before but I still haven't tried it.
You always have some interesting recipes.Love it.
Thank you .
I was thinking about my own mother while watching this video and one of my favorite cakes she use to make was a oatmeal cake I have her hand written recipe too, think i will make it for thanksgiving, lovely video Dale and the cakes looked very good.
Sounds great! I made this caked today to send to my sister
LOVED WATCHING YOU----EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you .
I love fruit cake. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
Looks great! You are looking great too Dale!
Thank you !!
That was absolutely fascinating.
Thank you Paul.
I love fruit cake, i can eat it any time of day with a cup of tea ,I prefer it plain without any icing also, that cake looks amazing Dale.
Thank you Georgina the same here.
Just making my second batch of your cake. I like it and am glad that there is not a lot of fattening things, like butter. Thanks again.
Thank you I'm glad you like it .
Getting the Christmas spirit
Yes.
They look good Dale, I might give one a go for Christmas. I'm just about to make our Christmas pudding which is also a family recipe and something we've had in our family for generations, also I suspect in part because of what was available during WW2.
Thank you Alan I've made Christmas Pudding a few times and like it but it was never a tradition in this area for some reason. Do you make sure that everyone in the house takes a turn stirring it for good luck.
@@DaleCalderCampobello yes we do. In fact just a few moments ago. I have three-and-a-half puddings. Just steaming the first one now.
Beautiful cakes, Dale. ❤️
Thank you .
wow Dale .you are such a wonderful cook .that cake looks fantastic for Christmas .my mouth was drooling .we could almost smell it through our phone .were going to try it next month candied pineapple yummy .if you took all the things we have seen you make to a flea market .you could make yourself some money .I know we would buy them .thank you again for another great video.we love you and Angel .God bless .
Thank you Thomas .
Dale i have been looking for a good recipe and this looks like i have found it,But just want to say listening to your barn yard chickens took me back to a time when i was a little girl and would listen to our chickens while Mama was cooking and we would be waiting for a bowl to glean from lol...Thanks for sharing.
Thank you I think my hens retired I haven't had an egg in about two months LOL. Days are getting longer and soon we hope warmer so the old girls will start to lay again soon.
That is a great desert for Christmas and I am gonna cook one up. Thanks Dale !
Thank you Mike hope you like it, good luck with yours.
This looks so easy! I am going to make a bunch of small ones ( I have some mini loaf pans) for my Christmas packages this year. I really like this holiday sweets series, Dale.
Thank you Marcia . My mother always made small ones to give to the people that she worked with she decorated the top with Glace Cherries.
Another great video Dale. Reminds me of the "Christmas cakes" my darling Grandmother ( from Northern Ontario) made every year. Thank you Dale. Your kitchen must smell devine.
Thank you Patricia yes the smell of the spices cooking is wonderful.
This looks good and simple to make.
Thank you Sonia it is and quite good too.
I've used cocoa powder instead of flour in my greased pans. Works fine. Looks like a very good recipe. Thank you very much. I subscriped.
Sounds great!
Love fruit cake, will give that one a try, thanks Dale. :-)
Thanks Kevin I like it but them I've been eating it since I was a child LOL.
Beautiful!! Thank you so much!! Looks yummy!!
Thank you Vickie.
Beautiful!
Thank you .
Love this cake. We called it Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cake when I was growing up and it is also known as Depression Cake here in the US. I like that you use it as a base for fruitcake.
Thank you Denise it wouldn't be Christmas without it .
Looks really good, I have heard that if your batter tastes good, Then the product will be just as good. Have a peaceful night Stay safe in all you do
Thank you Misty.
They look delicious!
Thank you Christine.
Looks very good. I know they will taste wonderful. I love fruit cake and this similar. We may give it a try in a week or two. Thanks and have a good day. Cheers!
Thank you David hope you like it .
Well Dale, I have thought about this cake for days. In your video, you said your mother made this cake, then you took a bite and said "I love this", which is exactly why I decided to make it this week (had to order the fruit and peel from Amazon, none to be found in my area). Hubby was smelling the cake bake and began hanging around the kitchen. I let the cake cool, wrapped it and then told him he had to wait 2-3 weeks before cutting. I wish you could have seen the look on his face. Ha! I cannot wait to try this cake - I am calling it my Christmas Cake. The batter was good so I am pretty sure the cake will be. I will let you know. I hope your Christmas season is going well.
LOL thank you Dana the wait is the hardest part.
That really looks good I will have to give that a try. Oh my gosh I love those candies pineapple 🍍 also! I could sit and eat them till they are all gone. Hahaha then be sick later 😊
Fruit cake is my favorite cake. Your mom's cake looks delicious. Take care!!! 👍❤️💙
Thank you Judy.
TFS Dale.This brought back wonderful memories,of my mother!She loved that cake!😍
Thank you Linda.
Looks amazing
Thank you Lisa.
looks delicious i will try it
Hope you enjoy It isn't Christmas here without it .
I can’t wait to try this! Thank you so much for sharing. 😃
Thank you Karen hope you like it .
Awww this video/recipe brought back so many wonderful memories of my Mom baking at Christmas. Your cakes turned out beautifully! Thanks Dale:)
Thank you Nancy.
Nice view Dale and love keeping family memories with recipes. Your video has set my calendar to make two one from each side of the family, Divinity and a cake that sounds much like the war cake but not as heavy we know as Gramma's Cake, she was my great gramma mom's side from Denmark Circa 1900.
Thanks Dale you always do such a nice job.
Thank you Harold is that Divinity Fudge you are talking about I love it but have never made it . When I was in University an old lady in the community used to send it to me . She always said it was best made in a thunder storm.
Yes Dale - My grandmother who was born in 1895 made it each Christmas and I have lots of childhood memories of it. It is very unusual and most people have not had such candy - I look forward to it this season. See below;
DIVINITY
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water*
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon real vanilla
2/3 cup broken nuts, I like pecans
Heat sugar, corn syrup & water in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 260 degrees on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball. Remove from heat.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites. Add vanilla; beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull (mixture may become too stiff for mixer). Fold in nuts. Drop mixture from tip of buttered spoon onto waxed or parchment paper. About 4 dozen candies.
*Use 1 tablespoon less water on humid days.
Love all the unusual things you make and especially the really old style ones. I remember my mother used to line her tin with brown paper and also greaseproof paper and then peel it off when the cake was cooled. Why don't you show people how to make steamed puddings some time. I don't think people here know about those and how delicious they are, and you would be the one to get it done.
Thank you Jackie. That sounds like something that would be good to make in the cabin this winter.
This looks like what my mother made when I was a little girl. I can taste it now! She called it fruit cake. She had one called war cake but it was pretty different from this. Enjoyed the video !
Thank you its is my favourite Christmas Cake,
That looks so good Dale. I love love fruit cake and your War Cake looks so delicious. Think I will try making this. Thank you so much for your Mom's recipe. Merry Christmas to you.
Thank you I hope you like it .
Those are beautiful😇😇😇
Thank you Michele.
Mr Dale that looked absolutely delicious, I've never been a fan of fruit cake but this one looks like something I could change my mind with. Delicious looking. I might have to dig out some of my cooking tins and give this a go. Thank you your channel is awesome.
Thank you I hope you like it .
Thanks for this recipe from Yarmouth Nova Scotia
My pleasure 😊
I just made 2 but i boil mine in cloth straight into the water for 5 hours than hang out side for one and a half months till christmas plus i put rum in mine cheers from Australia
Wow that is different never heard of that before.
This is one thing I didn't learn from my grandmother. She started teaching me to cook at the age of 5 but had quit making it a few years later.
Well I hope you give it a try.
Thank you for sharing this Dale! Will definitely make it sometimes this week. Looks delicious!
Thank you Mev hope you like it .
They look truly beautiful. Thank you
Thank you .
looks good Dale
Thank you Alan.
What a scrummy yummy looking cake Dale. I have got to bake this one. Last year I baked a fruit cake after soaking some dried fruit and nuts in hot tea. More like a tea loaf I suppose. So I'm quite looking forward to trying your mum's old recipe. I love nostalgic recipes. Fun and fancy modern baking is all well and good. But you can't beat an old fashioned real slab of fruit cake. Especially at Christmas with a piece of cheese. Or is that just me?.
Sounds good Sue good luck with your cake,
Looks yummy Dale, Yes you baking your Mom's Apple cake at your Cabin would be nice and your Cabin will fill with the aroam of apples Mmm. and be nice to read a good book and sip some warm Apple cider or Tea while the cake bakes, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Marcia it is feeling more like Cabin weather now -5 C this morning and a gale of wind.
My parents love fruit cake. Have you ever made stollen before. My father loves the stuff and it is very common in a local German restaurant.
Funny you should mention that Jennifer I made Stollen yesterday and the video will be out this weekend.
Just a beautiful cake. Im going to add roasted pecans. What do you suggest instead of raisins? Which I dont like. Those old recipes are a keeper and withstands time. You are blessed to have your moms and in her own hand writting. Watching you in your cabin and listening to you is very soothing. Thank you.
Thank you Melesai maybe chopped prunes or figs maybe dates but they might turn to a paste when boiled.
@@DaleCalderCampobello Ok thanks for responding. I decided to use golden raisins and dark raisins with pecans or walnuts. Hope it turns out great. If it does I will give as gifts. I usually make banana bread and russian tea mix for christmas. Nothing like homemade with love. Blessings!
Thank you for showing your mother's recipe it looks delicious!! ❤️Our family has made a similar version,I am the fourth generation to make it.
Thank you Rae.
I have to play “Fur Elise” on my iPhone while watching the start of the video on my iPad.😁
LOL Thank you .
Deej T I do miss that lovely musical intro too! 🌝
thank you I will make this recipe ....looks so good ..
Thank you Lisette hope you like it .
enjoyed the video....good night...
Thank you Jody.
Oh boy that looks yummy! :-)
Thank you Michelle.
Very interesting. Thanks. It is not a method I have seen being used very much. I do have some recipes for this method though. One seems to be a Welsh recipe, which uses tinned pineapple chunks, glace cherries and mixed fruit. The fruit, butter and sugar are warmed through rather than boiled before the self-raising flour is added together with the eggs. It makes a very moist cake
Thanks for sharing
Hope you do some more in the cabin
I will be and it is getting colder here now too.
Looks good and then the finger
Awwww, this brings back many, many memories. Oh, God Bless you Dale Calder! ☺️🕊🙏🙋♀️
Thank you Victoria.
My Mom is 100th last month and I have Loved Her 0LD RECIPES BACK THEN TAKE care DALE
Thank you Theresa and a belated Happy Birthday to your Mom.
Thank you.
You're welcome Sarah.
Yum.
Thank you .
Enjoy watching you bake Dale but not a big fan of fruit cake. Have an awesome evening!
Thank you .
In the south, fruitcake in the tin was the one thing you didn't want for Xmas. I remember them being awfully dry. This looks delicious however. Thanks for the video Dale...
Thank you Kent this one is quite moist once it has been aged.
Yum!
Thank you Barbara.
My mother's recipe had nutmeg and allspice in it.I leave them out.I boil only the raisins and let them cool.makes 2 loaves or one bunt. I add ginger and Deluxe fruit cake fruit and candied pineapple. Add cherries last 15 minutes with apricot glaze. Then wrapped and aged at least 30 days.
My mum made steamed pudding like a Christmas pudding. No temperature there is a saying when its cooked its cooked when its burned its buggered. My grandmother used to say that lol. She had to cook on a coal range I remember that.
I wasnt a fan of fruit cake as a kid but like it now tastes change as you get older I guess.
Now that I think of it my Grandmother's range might have been coal fired , she had gas when I was a child but the house was heated with coal. A lot of the old cookbooks used to give baking instruction like , bake in a moderate oven until done, which would drive most of todays cooks nuts.
Wheres the recipe ?
You sure make it look soooo good.
Thank you for the memories
In the description
Yummmmmmy
Thank you Michael.
I value and adore and enjoy your videos ! Your content is interesting and helpful to learn. It is such a peaceful place to visit !
Wondering ... in war time .. could they afford candied fruit ?
Was it available in stores to buy ? Or did they prepare their candied fruit ? Which leads me to wonder .. how do you make candied fruit ? ... .. but that's a whole other question ! .. Cheers 😊❄
No the candied fruit is an addition that has been made since the war. Candied peel is made by adding it to sugar and water once it has started to thicken from boiling it.
I can not wait to try this. But a couple questions, What do you wrap them in and do you just leave them out on the counter wrapped or do you put in fridge? I love fruit cake!
Hope yo like it. I wrap it isn plastic wrap then either put it in an airtight container or seal it in a plastic bad. I keep it in a cool room for a few weeks then either refrigerate it or freeze it.
My Grandma used to make this minus the candied fruits. It was popular during the Depression and called Poor Man’s Fruit Cake. My mom makes it now, and ironically, the walnuts cost more than candied fruit. It is delicious, though.
We just called it boiled cake in my house but others in the area referred to it was war cake because eggs and butter were rationed during the war and you could still make this cake without them.