Grandma's Husband Cake - Spice Bundt Cake

5 from 5 votes

Grandma's Husband Cake - Spice Bundt Cake

A vintage recipe from the 1960s called Husband Cake - a spiced Bundt cake with nuts, raisins and cream cheese fondant icing.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 496kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

For the cake

¾ cup shortening grandmother used Crisco
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup tomato soup
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups cake flour
4 large eggs room temperature
¾ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon or 2 teaspoons, if desired
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger powdered, not fresh
1 ½ cups chopped nuts I used pecans and walnuts
1 ½ cups raisins

For the cheese fondant icing

8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 large egg yolk
1 cup powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For garnish

¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

For the cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with shortening. Really put on a thick-ish layer, getting into all the nooks and crannies. Dust with about 2 tablespoons of flour, rolling all around the pan to make sure every bit of shortening is covered with the flour. This is an important step as you don't want your cake to stick. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside.
Measure shortening and sugar. Blend together (I used an electric mixer). Add eggs and mix well. Combine soup with water and baking soda in a separate bowl or large measuring cup. Add alternately with the flour mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool. Turn out onto cake plate and drizzle with cheese fondant icing. Garnish with chopped nuts.

For the cheese fondant icing

In a large bowl, blend cream cheese with egg yolk with an electric mixer. With mixer on low, gradually add sugar, then salt and vanilla. Turn up to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Stir in cream until completely combined (don't beat the cream because you want an icing you can drizzle).

Notes

Note about the raw egg yolk in the icing: If you're concerned about using a raw egg, place the egg yolk in a small pan on the stove. With medium low heat, stir constantly for about 90 seconds. Do not stop stirring or you will have scrambled eggs.

Nutrition