Raisin cake, also known as funeral pie, is a traditional dessert dating back to the 18th century. German settlers brought it to funerals due to the long shelf life of raisins. Amish and Mennonite cultures still use raisin pie for funerals, and home cooks can make it by boiling raisins, adding sugar and spices, and baking it in a pie shell.
The raisin cake features a filling made from raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vinegar. Dating back to the 18th century, German settlers in the early United States often brought raisin cake to funerals, giving it the nickname “funeral pie.” The reason for this was very practical: raisins have a long shelf life and are available all year round. These dried fruits made a delicious filling no matter what time of year the funeral was held.
People in Amish and Mennonite cultures keep this tradition alive by bringing raisin pie to modern funerals. These cultures often don’t use electricity indoors, so raisins are still the most practical pie filling for any time of year. Even Amish or Mennonite orders that allow electricity often bake raisin pie for the sake of tradition.
Home cooks looking to make a raisin cake, whether for a funeral or just for dessert, should start with 2 cups (453.6 g) of raisins and 2 cups (473 mL) of water. The cook should boil water in a saucepan and add raisins. After the raisins have boiled for five minutes, they should be soft and plump.
The cook should add one-half cup (113.4 g) of white sugar and brown sugar to the boiling raisins. It should also add 1 teaspoon (about 4.8 g) of cinnamon, a quarter of a teaspoon (about 1.2 g) of allspice, and 2 tablespoons (28.6 g) of cornstarch. Stirring for 3 to 5 minutes helps the mixture thicken to a very syrupy consistency.
After stirring the mixture until thick, the cook should remove it from the heat and add 1 tablespoon (14.3 g) each of the vinegar and butter to the raisin mixture. The cook should let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes to thicken some more, then pour it into an unbaked pie shell and top it with a second unbaked pie shell. Cutting holes in the top pie shell allows gases to escape during baking and prevents the top and bottom crust from separating.
The cake should bake for at least 30 minutes at 400-425 degrees Fahrenheit (204.4-218.3 degrees Celsius). The cook should remove the baked cake from the oven and allow it to cool for at least an hour before eating. Cooks who are making a raisin cake for a funeral can make it a day in advance. The cake tastes good either hot or cold, so the cook might choose to reheat the cake for the funeral or simply serve it straight from the refrigerator.
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