Part 3/7:
The distinctive aspect of this cake lies in its leavening method. Unlike most cakes that utilize chemical leaveners, Election Cake employs yeast, harkening back to a time just before the introduction of baking soda. The leavening process includes creating a bread dough in combination with the cake batter, a method that adds curiosity and challenge to the recipe.
Ingredients include basic staples such as flour and milk, paired with rich additions like raisins, butter, and brandy. Importantly, the use of beer, or specifically ale barm, is reminiscent of 18th-century practices, lending unique flavors typically absent in modern iterations of cake.