Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting is a spice cake featuring raisins cooked in brown sugar. This vintage cake is flavored with a combination of cinnamon nutmeg, ground cloves and allspice.

Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

We were delighted to be sent on a vintage recipe hunt for a blog follower.  The mission was a Boiled Raisin Cake with a frosting.  Patti wanted to surprise her 91-year-old father by making this cake that he remembered fondly.  After searching high and low through all her vintage cookbooks, Barbara came up empty-handed.

And then, like divine intervention, someone posted a photo of their dinner in a Facebook group.  Included in the photo was a Boiled Raisin Cake. The cook was kind enough to share her recipe, so Barbara went to town tweaking it just a tad. The original recipe called for the cake to be made in a tube pan sans a glaze or frosting.

This Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake is made with raisins that are boiled in water and brown sugar to soften them, making a sweet, sugary syrup.

Barbara decided to go the route of a 13 x 9-inch glass dish which she thought would compliment the cake to frosting ratio.  Barbara also came up with a delicious brown sugar frosting.

This cake is full of spice flavor with the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and allspice.  It may be the perfect cake to accompany a cup of coffee.  Our mom noted that it reminded her of an applesauce raisin cake her mom used to make.  Our dad gave this cake 2 thumbs up.  It passed the test!

How to Make Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Full Recipe at the Bottom of the Post

Bring to a boil, water, brown sugar, raisins, butter and cocoa. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then remove from heat and let cool. In a different bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. Pour into greased 13-by-9 inch glass dish or cake pan. Bake in 350-degree F oven for 35 minutes. While the cake bakes, prepare the frosting. On the stove, stir together brown sugar, water and milk. Heat until brown sugar dissolves while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and cool completely. Once cooled, pour into mixer bowl and add powdered sugar. Mix until a frosting is formed.

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Old-Fashioned Boiled Raisin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

Boiled Raisin Cake

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup butter
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Brown Sugar Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Boiled Raisin Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In a medium saucepan, mix together water, brown sugar, raisins, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves.  

4. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely incorporated. 

5. Pour into a 13x9 inch glass dish or cake pan that has been generously sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 

6. Bake for 35 minutes of until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.

7. While cooling, prepare the Brown Sugar Frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1. In a medium sized saucepan, mix brown sugar, butter and milk.  Heat until the sugar is dissolved, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

2. Once the sugar mixture is cooled, pour sugar mixture into a mixer bowl.  Add powdered sugar and mix until a frosting is formed.  If a runnier texture is desired, add milk 1 T. at a time until desired consistency. 

3. Frost the cake, and enjoy!