Election Cake is a traditional cake historically served at the time of mustering or elections in early America. It is a sour-leavened caked sweetened with unrefined cane sugar, molasses, dried fruit, brandy, white wine, and spices..
In the basin of a stand mixer, beat the flour together with the milk and sourdough starter until it forms a ball. Then oil a large glass bowl, plop the dough into the bowl, and cover it securely. Allow the dough to rest at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
Beat the butter, sugar and molasses together with the brandy and wine until fluffy, then beat in the eggs.
Remove the ball of dough from the bowl, and tear it into ½ inch pieces. Drop them into the bowl with the butter and spoon in the salt and spices. Beat them all together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until they form a uniform batter. Fold in the currants.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and then grease and flour two 9-inch tube pans.
Spoon the batter evenly into the two pans, filling them about ¾ up their sides. Bake the cakes about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes' center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, and allow them to cool completely before unmolding.
Notes
If you don't keep a sourdough starter, but want to make election cake, beat 1 tablespoon instant yeast and an additional 1 cup milk and ½ cup flour into the flour in the first step.