Mother's Spice Cake

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and attributed to her mother, El.

The sour milk ingredient in this recipe was common in recipe in the early 20th century. It was a way to use milk that had gone sour and not waste it. To "artificially" sour milk, add vinegar to it (e.g., 1 tablespoon of vinegar added to 2 cups of milk).

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon chocolate
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup salad oil
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups sour milk
• 2 cups sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Bake in a moderate oven

This is of the few recipes in the recipe box that I recognize as possibly being a favorite that was passed down to my mom and made many times as I was growing up. It was a family favorite. My mom made this in a bundt pan and then iced it with a simple powdered sugar drippy icing. Sometimes she omitted the raisins. It is delicious either way.

Here the recipe my mom has always used:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sour milk (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to regular milk to make it sour)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cloves
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup raisins (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients well with a mixer until smooth and no lumps
2. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan (or two greased and floured bread pans)
3. Bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes (it's done when a toothpick come out clean)