{"id":1728050,"date":"2021-12-17T08:06:49","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T14:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1728050"},"modified":"2024-04-28T11:53:54","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T16:53:54","slug":"how-to-make-vintage-poor-mans-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-make-vintage-poor-mans-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Vintage Poor Man’s Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"

Known as \"poor man's cake,\" this recipe was first created in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. At that time, dairy products were considered a luxury, so Americans sought recipes that could do without.<\/p>\r\nLater, during World War II, variations of this cake came about, often called \"war cake,\" that incorporated some<\/em> dairy, but still in modest quantities due to wartime food rationing. The recipe we're sharing is a World War II-era \"poor man's cake\" that was originally published in The Birmingham Eccentric<\/em> around 1941.\r\n

What's in Poor Man's Cake?<\/h2>\r\nSince poor man's cake typically requires little to no butter or milk, it relies on other basic pantry ingredients<\/a> for flavor, tenderness and moisture, like brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon and cloves.\r\n\r\nIt also contains one special vintage ingredient you likely have never heard of (or tried): watermelon rind preserves.\r\n\r\nYep, you heard us. One of the main ingredients in poor man's cake is fruit preserves made from the rinds (that's the white part) or watermelon (similar to pickled watermelon rinds<\/a>).\r\n

What are watermelon rind preserves?<\/h3>\r\nThis old-fashioned recipe uses something that would otherwise be tossed to make candied watermelon pieces in a cinnamon-spiced syrup. It used to be more common in the United States; however, today it can be tricky to find them outside of small Amish markets or specialty food retailers<\/a>.\r\n

Your best bet at finding a jar of this stuff is to make a batch of homemade watermelon rind preserves<\/a>\u00a0yourself!<\/p>\r\n\r\n

How to Make Poor Man's Cake<\/h2>\r\n\"Poor\r\n\r\nThis moist vintage spice cake is made with limited dairy ingredients but loaded with plump raisins and crunchy walnuts.\r\n

Ingredients<\/h3>\r\n