posted by cowgirl 08-11-102 7:49 PM
Pumpkin Cake
from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts
360 gr (3 cups) sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon ( I used 2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Allspice ( I can’t stand that, left it out)
1 tsp. salt
150 gr ( 5 oz. , 1 cup) raisins, dark, light, or mixed
100 gr ( 3-1/2 oz. , 1 cup) walnuts, broken into medium size pieces
2 cups pumpkin puree (1 one pound can)
2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups flavorless oil
4 lg. Eggs
Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of oven and preheat oven to 175° (350° F). Butter a 10 x 4 inch tube pan and dust with fine, dry breadcrumbs.
Sift together , baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add a tablespoon of the sifted dry ingredients to the raisins in a small bowl. With your finger, toss the raisins to separate them and coat each one with the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and set aside.
In a large mixer bowl place pumpkin, sugar and oil. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs individually (medium speed) and beat until well incorporated after each one. On low speed add the dry ingredients, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until smooth. Remove from mixer, stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into pan, rotate briskly to level top
Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, until cake tester comes out dry. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. The baked cake will fill only about 3/4 of the pan. Cover cake with rack and invert. Remove pan, re-invert, cool right side up. Serve as is or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and Ginger whipped cream.
Cake freezes very well.