Greenfield or Quick Tea Cake-James Beard's

By stancec44

This is high altitude version.

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 2.625 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. minus 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 c. butter(cut into pieces)
• 1 c. + 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 eggs, or 2 1/2, unbeaten
• 1/2 c. seedless raisins
• (I add 1 finely chopped apple, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg)
• Topping:
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1-3 tsp. cinnamon
• For 1 1/2 batch:
• 3 c. flour
• 3.94 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. sugar minus 3/4 tsp.
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. milk + 1 1/2 Tbsp.
• 3 eggs or 3 1/2 eggs
• 3/4 c. seedless raisins
• Still 1 apple, but 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• For Double batch
• 4 . c. flour
• 5.25 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. sugar minus 1 Tbsp.
• 1 c. butter (cut into pieces)
• 2 c. milk + 2 Tbsp. more
• 4 eggs or, more likely, 5 eggs, unbeaten
• 1 c. seedless raisins
• 2 finely chopped apples, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg
• Topping:
• Same

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400-425 (high altitude).

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into mixing bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry blender or fingers until the mix resembles meal. Add the milk and eggs and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the raisins. Turn into well greased 10x14x2 in. pan (if you have larger, use that for 1 1/2 or double batch).

Mix the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the top and bake in a moderately heated oven (375 -400 for sea level). (James forgot to put in how long, but at sea level I usually did 25 minutes for double batch, so less for high altitude. Check often, as you don't want it too dry.)