Abraham Lincoln Marble Cake

The Spice Cookbook, 1964

1 1⁄2 hours — 1 9-inch square or 9-inch tube cake

Ingredients

2	cup	all-purpose flour (sifted)
1⁄2	teaspoon	salt
2	teaspoon	double-acting baking powder
1⁄2	cup	shortening
1	cup	sugar
1 1⁄2	teaspoon	vanilla extract
2	large	eggs
2⁄3	cup	milk
1⁄4	cup	unsulphured molasses
1	teaspoon	ground cinnamon
1⁄4	teaspoon	ground cloves

Instructions

Sift together the first 3 ingredients and set aside. Cream together the next 3 ingredients. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Add milk alternately with flour mixture. Beat batter 1/2 minute. Place 1/3 of the batter in a small bowl. Stir in molasses and spices.

Spoon light and dark batters alternately into a well-greased, lightly floured, 9x9x2-inch pan or into a 9x3-inch tube pan. Bake the 9x9x2-inch 45 minutes in heated moderate oven (350F), the tube cake in a slow oven (325F) 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve without frosting, or frost as desired with coconut, chocolate or browned butter frosting.