Texas Pecan Cake

An intensely flavored, delicious pound cake from the publishers of Southern Living. It's just lovely garnished with fresh berries.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 10 inch tube cake

Ingredients

• 2  cups butter (if using margarine, not spread or tub product) or 2  cups margarine, softened (if using margarine, not spread or tub product)
• 2  cups sugar
• 6  eggs
• 4  cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 (2 ounce) bottle  lemon extract
• 4  cups pecans, chopped
• 2 1⁄2 cups golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan.
3. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Sift 3 1/2 cups flour and baking powder together, reserving 1/2 cup flour.
6. Gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with lemon extract, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
7. Beat well after each addition (the batter will be quite thick).
8. Dredge pecans and raisins in remaining 1/2 cup flour; stir into batter.
9. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
10. Bake for 1 3/4 hours or until cake tests done with a toothpick.
11. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
12. Turn out onto cooling rack and let cool completely before serving.