Harvest Loaf Cake
My older sister, Joyce Graham, gave me this recipe as a bridal shower gift in 1968. It has always been one of my
most popular cakes for family meals and dessert buffets. It can be made either in loaf pans, sliced thinly, or in
a bundt pan, sliced in wedges. It's a nice variation on the usual pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. If you don't care
for nuts, or are allergic to nuts, leave them out and add more raisins and chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- 1 cup solid vegetable shortening or butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1.5 cup canned pumpkin (1 14.5 ounce can, solid-pack pumpkin)
- 1.5 cup chopped walnuts
- 1.5 cup chocolate chips
- 1.5 cup raisins
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 T. orange juice
Oven Temp: 350°F., 65-75 minutes
Yield: One tube pan or bundt pan or two loaf pans (9"x5")
Spray pan(s) with vegetable oil spray. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and put aside.
Cream the shortening or butter, adding sugar gradually. Blend in the eggs, beating well.
Add the dry ingredients at low speed, alternating with pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Stir in 2/3 of the walnuts, all the chips, and all the raisins. Put in pan(s) and cover with the last third of the walnuts.
Bake for 65-75 minutes.
Blend all the glaze ingredients while the cake is baking. In fact, for those who want
a moister and sweeter version of this cake, I suggest doubling the glaze. It
soaks into the cake and makes it even richer and tastier.
Test the cake with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. Place on a rack, in the pan.
Drizzle with the glaze, and cool at least 30 minutes before removing from pan. Let the cake stand for 6 hours before eating.
This cake freezes very well, or you can keep it for about 4 or 5 days at room temperature.