Yield: 1 cake
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3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, sotened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon orange rind, grated
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon warm water
1 cup raisins
Cooking time: 30 minutes
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking pan.
Sift flour, cream of tartar, ginger, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg onto waxed paper.
Beat margarine, sugar and eggs in a large bowl with mixer at high speed until fluffy.
Heat milk in a small saucepan just enough to take the chill off.
Stir in molasses, orange rind and juice.
Add flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture to the butter, sugar and eggs.
Beat with a wooden spoon after each addition until batter is smooth.
Stir baking soda into warm water in a small cup.
Quickly stir into batter.
Stir in raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until center springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip.
Cool in the pan on wire rack.
Cut into squares to serve.