Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan,
knocking out any excess flour.
For the cake, combine the whole-wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together the oil and brown sugar, mixing well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin puree and then the molasses. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the raisins and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert and cool completely.
Sour Cream Frosting:
For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and mix well. It should be thinner than a typical cream cheese frosting.
Place the cake on a cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and all over the side. Freeze any leftover frosting, or reserve for muffins or cupcakes.
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake, serving 10 to 12
"My grandmother came up with Nepenthe's pumpkin spice cake for her son Griff's wedding to his wife, Rosalyn, in 1960. By running out of one ingredient and substituting another, adding in a little whole-wheat flour and other flavorings, she declared it a "Bohemian wedding cake," said my aunt Dorcas, who helped make it.
This dense, very moist cake is loaded with nuts and raisins and comes out a deep, chocolate brown. My aunt Rosalyn sent me my grandmother's original handwritten recipe, calling for less sugar and eggs than we use today, and for oleo or butter (it makes a dense, more earthy cake) rather than oil. As a matter of taste, the cake is quite good either way." from My Nepenth
Reprinted with permission from ©My Nepenthe by Romney Steele, published by Andrews Mc Meel
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