Clifton’s Pumpkin Cake Recipe Scores Points as Family Favorite

Dear SOS: I would greatly appreciate it if you would send me another copy of Clifton’s Pumpkin Cake, which became a family favorite over the years. Unfortunately the recipe was lost during a move.

--CAROL

Dear Carol: Thank you for asking. The cake with a cream cheese frosting is just in time for the holiday season.

CLIFTON’S PUMPKIN CAKE

3 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups oil

3 1/4 cups canned pumpkin

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Cream Cheese Frosting

Raisins, optional

Candied fruit, optional

Blend sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt at medium speed of mixer until well mixed.

Add oil and continue to beat until dry ingredients are moistened. Add pumpkin and mix again until well blended. Add lightly beaten eggs and blend 1 minute longer. Do not overmix.

Turn batter into 3 lightly greased paper-lined 9-inch cake pans. Smooth batter in pan with spatula so it will be level when baked. Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes or until done. Cool on racks, then turn out and fill and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish top with raisins and candied fruit. Makes 1 (3-layer) cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup chopped raisins

Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and butter. Mix until blended. Add raisins and mix until blended. Refrigerate until needed.

Dear SOS: I lost your recipe for French Breakfast Doughnuts made in a muffin pan.

--JEROME

Dear Jerome: These doughnuts made in a muffin pan are rather unusual (and much lower in calories than fried doughnuts). We are happy to resurrect the recipe, which won a My Best Recipe prize in 1975.

FRENCH MUFFIN DOUGHNUTS

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

Melted butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sift flour with 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Combine milk, egg, 1/3 cup melted butter and vanilla.

Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, stirring only until all ingredients are moistened. Fill greased muffin pan half full and bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes. Remove from pan, immediately brush with melted butter and roll in mixture of remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Makes 12 muffins.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.