Pumpkin-Raisin Cake with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

To make the cake, heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour one 13-by-9-inch pan, or two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, combine the self rising flour with the cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring with a fork to mix everything well. In another medium bowl, combine the raisins and nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and 2 tablespoons of the oils and toss to mix well.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and the remaining i cup of oil, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining flour mixture all at once and stir just until the flour disappears into the batter. Add the pumpkin and mix thoroughly. Stir in the floured raisins and nuts, gently mix them in well, and then quickly transfer the batter to the cake pans.
Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack or folded kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Then, if you used round pans, turn the cakes out and place them, top side up, on wire racks or plates to cool completely. Or cool the cake in the large, rectangular pan.
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, cream cheese, salt, and lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Mix until creamy and smooth, and add the milk only if you need it to make the icing easy to spread.
To complete the cake, place a layer, top side down, on a cake stand or serving platter, and spread frosting on the top. Place the second layer, right side up, on top. Frost the sides and then the top of the cake, or spread frosting over the top of the rectangular cake and serve it in squares, right from the pan.

NOTE If you don't have self-rising flour, combine 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.