Preparations are underway for Tuesday’s election. While moderators are preparing ballots, bakers are preparing treats for the polls.
The tradition of bringing a sweet treat to the polls goes back to colonial town meetings that predate the Declaration of Independence, according to State Archivist Ashley Miller.
“We have a long history of town meeting days,” she explained. “And this is a part of town meeting day: coming together as a community and sharing in both democracy and a little cake.”
A recipe for election cake created by Mrs. Sheldon was part of a display Miller put together for American Archives month. The identity of Mrs. Sheldon is unknown, but her recipe was part of a display about New Hampshire’s history of democracy. Other versions of this recipe, including muster cake and the first recipe for an American election cake, appeared in the first U.S. cookbook called “American Cookery” which was published in 1796.
Mrs. Sheldon’s Election Cake
(courtesy of the New Hampshire State Archives)
8 pounds flour
4.25 pounds butter
4.25 pounds sugar
5 eggs
1 quart homemade yeast
1 pound citron
4 pounds raisins
1 ounce mace
1 ounce nutmeg
Milk (as needed)
1 tumbler of mixed wine and brandy
Beat to a cream the butter and sugar. Mix half of it with the flour at two o'clock in the afternoon, wet with new milk, slightly warm. The batter should be thinner than biscuit dough. Add the yeast; a little salt. Let it rise. When light, at night, add all other ingredients, with balance of butter and sugar. Let it rise again; then put in pans, making ten medium- sized loaves. Let it rise an hour.
*The recipe does not include baking instructions.
Miller explained that the original recipe was so big because it was meant to make cake for a whole town and was popular across New England. However, this particular recipe has fallen out of favor.
“If you look at the recipe it doesn't sound as great to us today. It doesn't have as much sugar as we're probably used to these days –it's dried fruit and it's more of an almost bread consistency,” she said “Cake is being generous.”
NHPR made a version of the recipe. Before baking soda and baking powder were invented in the mid-19th century, baking was a tedious process. To get a baked good to rise, most households cultivated their own wild yeast, which is known today as sourdough starter. However, baking with a starter can be a time-intensive process as it requires a long time to rise.
The loaf NHPR made had a crumbly consistency, something between an Irish soda bread and an Italian Panettone. It does have a nice, citrusy flavor that balances the raisins.
Even if Election Cake has fallen out of fashion, the tradition of bringing a little treat to the polls is still alive and well in New Hampshire. Secretary of State David Scanlan said elections are a social event as the majority of voters go to the polls in-person in New Hampshire.
“You see your neighbors and colleagues and friends. You know that maybe you haven't seen since the last election,” he said. “It's not uncommon to see a potluck supper being served in the back room.”
This kind of community gathering is common around the state. Organizers from parent-teacher associations and friends of the library committees raise money by selling baked goods at the polls.
For instance, Andi Lantiegne in Concord said that butterscotch rice krispy treats sold out quickly at their last bake sale. She’s president of Parent-Teacher Organization at Abbot-Downing Elementary School and is looking forward to raising money again this year.
“We have a great variety of bakers and volunteers in our community,” she said. “And they all make an unbelievable variety of things and specialty things.”
At other polls, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and oatmeal raisin cookies are also popular. Volunteers are also donating snacks to poll workers and are hoping that sweet treats can remind voters about the things they have in common.
Library Director Bonnie Angulas leads the Daland Memorial Library in Mont Vernon and is organizing the town’s annual bake sale. Angulas has been running the Election Day bake sale for as long as anyone can remember.
This year, she’s a little worried about tensions escalating at the polls and is reminding volunteers to stay friendly and politically neutral.
“It's high, high drama usually on voting day,” she said. “But I think it's a good message to say, ‘You know what? We're all going to be neighbors tomorrow again.’”
NHPR’s Election Loaf
(adapted from Mrs. Sheldon’s election cake)
3 ½ c. of flour, plus enough to knead dough (about 1 c.)
8 oz.of butter (two sticks)
1 c. of warm milk
1 egg
4 oz. of active sourdough starter (or 1 oz. of dry active yeast)
1 lemon, zested and squeezed
8 oz. raisins
1 tsp. Mace
1 tsp. Nutmeg
Beat to a cream the butter and sugar. Mix half of the mixture with the flour. Add warm milk and yeast and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 10 hours.
Add remaining ingredients with the other half of the butter and sugar. Knead on lightly floured surface.
Don’t add too much flour –the dough is supposed to be a little sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for another hour in a warm place. Push down the dough and place in a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for an hour or until the knife comes out clean.
Special thanks to Pam Schachter, who provided the sourdough starter for NHPR’s election loaf.
