Sunday, December 14, 2008

Gumdrop Cake

I have just put the gumdrop cake in the oven. Now Christmas can come.
This cake was made by my mother-in-law every Christmas and I have made it now for the past forty-seven Christmases. My daughter has been making one for the past twenty-four Christmases. It takes a little bit of time because you have to cut up two pounds of gumdrops into small pieces. It is hard because the pieces always stick together and the knife gets all sticky. The effort is worth it and the cake is part of what makes Christmas really Christmas. It looks like a fruit cake but tastes much better.

What food makes you know that Christmas is almost here?

Gumdrop Cake
By Gramma Kay

1 lb. seedless raisins
2 lbs. Gumdrops – No black ones (Buy lbs. ‘cuz we always snitch)
4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-cup margarine
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups applesauce
1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbs. hot water

Cut up gumdrops into sifted flour.
Add nuts and raisins. (If you don’t mind picking them out later)
Add all other ingredients

Bake in big wax paper lined pan for 2 hours on low oven (250 – 275 degrees)

A family tradition every Christmas !

5 comments:

AM Kingsfield said...

MMmm, my favorite! I'm coming over!

rosemary said...

Sounds like a tasty cake...since I don't cook or bake....I'd have to say seeing Egg Nog on the cooler shelves....and those cookies with red and green sprinkles that look like they are just dough and not cooked....all in our local market.

John said...

Christmas is not Christmas without my mothers peanut brittle. My kids know, that when it shows up in the mail, they would be wise to keep their grimy mitts off of it. This one thing, I have a hard time sharing. But maybe one day.

Magenta said...

I can't believe Gramma's secret family receipe is out there for everyone to see!!! I do, however, alter it ... I hate raisins (dead grapes)!

Merry Christmas to us all, God Bless us EVERYONE.

Sling said...

I'm with Rosie on the egg-nog!
I don't think about it all year,but come Christmas I can't think of anything else.