Pumpkin cake, or a genuinely easy holiday dessert

[wshaffer]

Inspired by orichalcum's linking to a NYT article on "easy" holiday desserts that are not all that easy, I would like to present a genuinely easy holiday recipe: my mother's recipe for pumpkin cake.

This recipe is not only easy, it is idiot proof. I know it's idiot proof, because the first time I made it, I used a 28 oz. can of pumpkin, instead of a 15 oz. can of pumpkin. The cake needed a little longer baking, and was *very* moist, but still delicious.

I usually leave out the raisins, because I'm usually baking for folks who are a bit dubious about little bits of fruit in their cake.

Pumpkin Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon EACH, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
½ teaspoon EACH, salt and ground cloves
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin( I use Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin. It is actually 15 oz. and about 1 ¾ cups but it works great.)
4 eggs
½ cup raisins
Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9x13 baking pan. To make cake combine all ingredients except raisins and beat on low until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium and stir in raisins. Pour into greased pan and bake 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
For frosting combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Frost cake. I double frosting.