In the 1960's in Philadelphia there was a bakery chain called
Hanscom's Bakery.  One of the items that they sold was called a
"Raisin Tea Cake".  The cake was sold by the pound.  You would tell
the counter person approximately how much you wanted, e.g. "I would
like 2 pounds of Rasin Tea Cake".  The counter person would then take
a knife, and lop off a piece from the Tea Cake that they had behind
the counter.  The counter person would then weigh the resultant
hunk/slice, (often the counter person could hit the EXACT weight), and
charge you the appropriate amount.

This cake was round, approximately 8 inches tall, and was cooked in an
Angel Food pan, so there was a hole in the center.  The cake had a
diameter of about 12 inches.  The cake itself was LOADED with raisins,
surrounded by a yellow cake.  The raisins were evenly suspended in the
cake.  The cake was richer than a Pound Cake, very tight, very moist
and VERY buttery.  The cake color was a bright canary yellow.  The
crust of the cake was the color of milk chocolate.

Unfortunately, Hanscom's is gone.  To where I don't know.  I am now
living in Southern California, so I don't have the resources to go
nosing around the Philadelphia area, as much as I would like to.  I
would like to have the recipe for this cake!  As an aside, the recipe
listed in RecipieSource.com for Raisin Tea Cake is NOT IT.  I made
that cake, and while it is very good, it is the wrong color and
texture.

Extra credit and a tip if you can point me at a Bakery that is
currently baking this.  Thanks for you help!

Hi,
(I usually start my answers by greeting the customer with their name.
But I just couldn’t with you.) :)
 
Thank you for such a “mouth-watering” question to answer!

I believe I found the recipe you are asking about. I compared it to
the recipes found in Recipe Source website and it is entirely
different. And following the description you gave of the cake, this
cake sounds like the one.


RAISIN TEA CAKE

Mixed Spice:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 two-inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 1/4 cups water
3 cups raisins
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten 

The day before baking, make the mixed spice: In a spice grinder,
combine the coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Grind
until powdery. Pour into an airtight container. Add nutmeg and ginger
and mix well. Measure out 1 level tablespoon and store the remainder
in a cool place for later use.

Combine the mixed spice with the water, raisins, butter, and sugar in
a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20
minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cover and
refrigerate overnight.

The next day, let the raisin mixture sit at room temperature for 1
hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake
pan.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. Stir
in the raisin mixture and blend well. Stir in the egg. Pour into the
prepared pan. Place on the center rack of the oven with a pan of
water.

Bake until the cake is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the
center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

The Irish Heritage Cookbook
Margaret M. Johnson
Chronicle Books

“A Cappagh, County Tyrone, native who now lives in Redbank, New
Jersey, has been making this raisin tea cake for so long that she can
almost do it from memory. She says, "I can't remember where the recipe
came from, but we used to bake it over an open turf fire back home. It
came to me on a piece of dilapidated paper, which I still have." It's
a very moist cake, she says, nearly foolproof. "You can't go wrong
with it."”

Source:
- Epicurious: The World’s Greatest Recipe Collection -
http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=101268

Search words used:
“Raisin Tea Cake” recipe
“Raisin Tea” cake recipe

If you have any questions regarding my answer please don’t hesitate to
ask before rating.
Bon Apetite!

Best regards,
rainbow-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by stupidboy-ga on 24 Mar 2003 10:08 PST

Hi!

It's a long story, but Stupid Boy is actually a term of enderment, so
it doesn't bother me at all.  Feel free to use it, or not also.

I made this cake this weekend, and once again, it is a very tasty
cake.  I have no complaints, and I feel that you have earned your
money.  BUT...

This is not the cake that was the comfort food of my youth!  The key
thing I remember was a very distinct taste of BUTTER.  You would bite
into this and immediately taste butter.  I am going to try and
recreate the recipie using the taste that I have in my mind.  It will
start off with a pound cake recipie, but I am going to try getting
more butter into the mix.  Also, I don't think that the raisins should
be plumped.  The plumping would turn the color more brown.  This cake
is bright yellow.  I think that the cinnamon is a good idea too.

I'll probably try this next weekend.  I try to keep you informed as to
my progress.

Thanks for trying!

Stupid Boy :-)

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Clarification of Answer by rainbow-ga on 24 Mar 2003 10:53 PST

Hi stupidboy :)
I'm sorry the recipe wasn't the exact one you were looking for. If
there is anything more I can do for you please let me know.
Yes, let me know how your "new recipe" turns out!
Best regards,
rainbow-ga