Election Day Cake
A yeast-raised American celebration cake with raisins, dried cranberries, orange zest and a light orange glaze for Election Day. Source-informed, not kitchen-tested; includes rising and cooling time.
30 minutes, 12 Servings
Ingredients
| 4 cups plus 1 Tbsp | All-purpose flour, divided |
| 1 1/2 cups | Warm water, 105°F to 110°F |
| 4 1/2 tsp | Active dry yeast (two 1/4-oz packets) |
| 1 cup plus 2 tsp | Granulated sugar, divided |
| 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp | Unsalted butter, softened, divided |
| 2 large | Eggs, at room temperature |
| 1 tsp | Vanilla extract |
| 1 tsp | Fine sea salt |
| 1 1/2 tsp | Ground cinnamon |
| 1/2 tsp | Ground nutmeg |
| 1/4 tsp | Ground allspice |
| 2/3 cup | Raisins |
| 1/2 cup | Dried cranberries |
| 1/2 cup | Chopped walnuts |
| 2 tsp | Finely grated orange zest |
| 1 cup | Powdered sugar |
| 2 Tbsp | Fresh orange juice |
Preparation
| 1. Stir the warm water, yeast and 2 tsp granulated sugar together in a large bowl . |
| 2. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy; replace the yeast if no foam develops. |
| 3. Stir 1 1/2 cups flour into the yeast mixture until smooth. |
| 4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. |
| 5. Let the sponge rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes, until bubbly. |
| 6. Grease a 14- to 16-cup tube pan or large Bundt pan thoroughly with 1 Tbsp butter; if its capacity is unknown, measure with water and dry thoroughly before greasing. |
| 7. Dust the greased pan with 1 Tbsp flour. |
| 8. Whisk the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a separate bowl . |
| 9. Beat the remaining 3/4 cup butter and remaining 1 cup granulated sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. |
| 10. Beat in the eggs one at a time. |
| 11. Beat in the vanilla and orange zest. |
| 12. Beat in the bubbly yeast sponge until combined. |
| 13. Mix in the flour-spice mixture gradually on low speed until a thick, sticky batter forms. |
| 14. Fold in the raisins, dried cranberries and walnuts. |
| 15. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan ; the batter should fill it no more than about half full. |
| 16. Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel. |
| 17. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy and increased by about half, with the top still at least 1 inch below the rim; do not let it rise higher, and allow extra time in a cool kitchen. |
| 18. Heat the oven to 350°F near the end of the rise. |
| 19. Remove the towel from the pan . |
| 20. Bake on the center rack for 50 to 60 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out without wet batter; the center should register about 200°F to 205°F. |
| 21. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. |
| 22. Turn the cake out onto the rack. |
| 23. Cool for about 1 hour more, until completely cool. |
| 24. If you want to freeze any of the cake, cut those slices now and wrap them tightly while unglazed. |
| 25. Whisk the powdered sugar with the orange juice until smooth. |
| 26. Drizzle all of the orange glaze over the cooled cake that remains. |
| 27. Store the glazed cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze the wrapped unglazed slices for up to 2 months and thaw them at room temperature. |
Mise en Place for Home Cooks: The Secret to Stress-Free Cooking
Discover the art of mise en place, the professional chef's secret to efficient and enjoyable cooking, now simplified for...
The Ultimate Guide to Copycat Restaurant Sauces
Make your favorite restaurant sauces at home. From Big Mac sauce to Raising Cane's, Chick-fil-A, Outback blooming onion,...
Comments or questions? contact us. Read our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
FirstPageRecipes.com participates in the Amazon Associates Program. When you use a link on our site to buy a product on Amazon, we earn a small commission.
© 2026 FirstPageRecipes.com. All rights reserved.