Pumpkin Raisin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here is a great dessert for fall when pumpkin recipes are getting into full swing. I love this cake since it is so moist and yummy! You will notice in the picture that it is falling apart when I cut it; that is because it is so moist and a good part of that is because of the vegetable oil and the fact that you will not forget to sift the dry ingredients as that makes your cake lighter, fluffier, and more moist.



Pumpkin Raisin Cake

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins
nutmeg sprinkle for the top if desired
(cream cheese frosting recipe follows after cake directions)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x8 long baking dish. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a large bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cloves into pumpkin mixture. Mix well; stir in raisins.

Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting, recipe follows. After frosting, lightly sprinkle nutmeg on top if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, margarine, and vanilla in medium bowl on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth and good spreading consistency. Frost pumpkin cake when cake is cooled completely.

Notes:
Make sure you sift the dry ingredients with either a dry ingredient sifter or you can use a fine mesh strainer. As you can see by the blue product links, I recommend the Oxo brand for kitchen gadgets because they are one of the best quality products I own, my store has many other brands but I recommend what I use myself at home.