Ginger Spice Coffee Cake

I haven't posted for awhile as I was on vacation from work and then my computer got a virus. The whole thing just shut down and I couldn't to anything. Why people spend their time creating harmful computer virus' is something I just can't figure out. If they have the ability to do that why don't they just use their abilities in a positive way instead of causing others to have to pay to make things right.
My husband's computer also went down at the same time. I think it is his motherboard. Luckily I remembered that I still had my old computer tower from back in 11/07 when I got my new one. So we hooked it back up and are using that until we get the others fixed.
The other day I was looking at my original cookbook collection and I found a cookbook from 1949; The Economy Cook Book compiled by the staff of The Journal of Living. I have no idea what that was but they did produce a slim book with lots of frugal recipes. It has twelve recipes using organ meats but I don't think I'll post any of them. The idea of stuffing a heart to produce a frugal meal just doesn't appeal to me! This recipe is for a coffee cake that is very similar to gingerbread, it sounds much more tempting.

Ginger Spice Coffee Cake

2 cups enriched flour

1-1/2 teaspoons Ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup sour milk

1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup molasses

4 tablespoons shortening (melted)

Sift flour, add spices and salt to flour in sifter and sift. Stir in raisins. Stir baking soda into sour milk and beat until well blended. Add molasses and beat thoroughly. Add liquid (milk-molasses mixture) to dry ingredients gradually, beating just until smooth and creamy. Stir in melted shortening. Grease baking pan (or 12 muffin tins) with melted fat. Pour mixture into greased shallow pan. Bake in 375 degree oven about 25 to 30 minutes for the cupcakes in small tins, or 30 to 40 minutes for the shallow cake. Serve hot or cold, plain or frosted as desired.