Holiday Cranberry-Raisin Spice Cake

This is from American Profile submitted by Mary Helen Jeffrey

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• Cake

• 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

• Icing

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  cups powdered sugar
• 2  tablespoons milk
•  maraschino cherry (optional)

Directions

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.