Holiday Cranberry-raisin Spice Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned cranberry sauce
• 3/4 cup sour milk
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans or 1 cup walnuts
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• maraschino cherry (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f grease a 10-inch tube pan.
• 2 to prepare cake, sift together flour, baking soda, spices and salt. combine shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl. beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. add eggs, one at a time. blend in cranberry sauce. add flour mixture alternately with sour milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. stir in raisins and nuts.
• 3 pour batter into pan. bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. cool in pan on a wire rack. invert onto a serving plate.
• 4 to prepare icing, combine cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl; mix well. add powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth. spread over top and sides of cake. decorate with cherries, if desired. store cake in the refrigerator.