Pumpkin Cake (Recipe)

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup cooked and cooled fresh pumpkin or 1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped baking nuts

Raisin-Brown Sugar Icing

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a 9x9x2-inch baking pan.  Line the bottom with waxed paper.  Set aside.

2. To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening.  Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

4. Combine the pumpkin and milk.  Stir in the baking soda.

5. Add the flour and pumpkin mixture alternately to the shortening-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.  Fold in nuts.  Turn the batter into the prepared baking pan.

6. Bake in the 350° oven for 50 minutes.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn the cake out onto the rack; remove the waxed paper and cool completely.  Frost the top and sides with the Raisins-Brown Sugar Icing.

7. Raisin-Brown Sugar Icing: In the top of a double boiler, beat together 1 large egg white, 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 3 tablespoons water just until blended.  Place the mixture over rapidly boiling water and beat with a rotary beater or an electric mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy and holds stiff peaks.

8. Remove from the heat.  Carefully fold in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raisins.

Tips:

Don't add the baking soda to the pumpkin-milk mixture until you're ready to combine it with the flour mixture.  Otherwise, the soda will lose much of its leavening power.

Don't be surprised or worried if the icing thins a little when you add the raisins.