This cake, made with sweet wine, golden raisins, and spices, is a tasty base for sautéed apples and sweetened whipped cream. Make both the cake and apples the day before serving, if desired.

Prep: 45 minutes   Bake: 1 hour   Cool: 2 hours   Oven: 350°F

1 1/2 cups golden raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup Muscat wine (or sweet wine)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. apple pie spice (or 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2 recipes Sautéed Apples
1 recipe Nutmeg Cream

1. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted-tube pan; set aside. In a glass measure, soak raisins in the muscat wine for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving wine and raisins; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 1/4 cup reserved wine and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Add flour mixture and pumpkin alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Stir in raisins.

3. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap and store overnight to blend flavors. Slice and serve with Sautéed Apples and Nutmeg Cream. Makes 12 servings.

SAUTÉED APPLES: If making 2 recipes, as directed in cake recipe, prepare 1 at a time. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 12-inch skillet. Peel, core, and slice 4 Granny Smith apples (about 4 cups) and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Sauté apples in hot butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in 1/3 cup reserved wine from cake recipe or apple cider. Continue cooking 8 to 10 minutes more or until apples are lightly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve warm with Pumpkin Spice Cake. Apples can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Warm before serving (place double recipe in microwave-safe bowl and heat on 100% power for 4 1/2 to 7 minutes, stirring gently after each minute).

NUTMEG CREAM: Beat 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Per serving: 643 cal., 28 g fat (17 g. sat. fat), 114 mg chol., 430 mg sodium, 92 g carbo., 5 g fiber, 6 g pro.