A spice cake made without eggs, milk, or butter … a tasty treat even when wartime rationing makes ingredients in short supply.
The Historical Table · Paris · 1940s · Recipe + historical essay
To say that life in wartime Paris was difficult is an enormous understatement. Nazi occupation made every aspect of living nearly impossible. From the lack of the intangible object of freedom to the lack of the very tangible reality of food, Parisians felt scarcity at every turn. The culture that prided itself on its world-famous cuisine was left literally starving in its own homeland. Severe rationing prevented people from obtaining even the most basic ingredients. Fresh ingredients such as eggs, milk, or butter were especially hard to procure. French people had to learn to make do with much less as they fought to ward off starvation while resisting their German invaders.
The history
The term gâteau de guerre, when translated, means “war cake.” This eggless, milkless, butterless creation served as a simple dessert-like treat that could be made when those ingredients could not be found. Sources indicate that it was created during the First World War and the rationing that occurred in those years. When similar conditions developed in the Second World War, the cake rose in popularity again. People in France and other war-ravaged countries turned to recipes such as this one to put something on their plates.
Like the Streuselkuchen served in Berlin cafés of the 1920s, the gâteau de guerre is beautiful in its simplicity. The ingredients are just as ordinary — water, flour, sugar, spices, raisins. When blended together and baked in a pan, the results are quite miraculous — probably a welcome, albeit brief, respite from the strains of life in occupied Paris.
The cake is dense and moist. The raisins and the syrup base provide a delicious sweetness, without being cloying. The outside develops a delicate crust, encasing a soft center. For Parisians enduring their substitute “coffee,” often made from roasted barley or chicory, a small slice of a freshly baked spice cake could bring back more pleasant memories of days gone by, and perhaps offer hope for better days in the future.
Below is a version you can recreate at home, along with two pictures from my experience.
The recipe
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups raisins (or mixed dried fruit)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Boil the base: Combine the water, raisins, brown sugar, shortening or oil, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large saucepan.
Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Cool: Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm. Stir in the baking soda, and let the mixture foam.
Preheat: Heat your oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.
Combine: Stir the cooled raisin mixture into the flour in a large mixing bowl until just combined and smooth.
Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve: Let the cake cool before slicing and serving.
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