The Jam Cake

By LRay

Southern Living, February 2016, page 232.

The origins of jam cake lie deep in Appalachia where store-bought sugar was once scarce. Cakes were often sweetened with homemade jams, filled with wild berries and mountain fruits. The payoff for the genius swap? Rich, dense cake layers with a depth of flavor sugar alone can’t deliver. Vintage cookbooks offer century-old favorites, from Alice May Cresswell’s Blackberry Jam Cake to Zella McDowell’
s extravaganza made with strawberry jam and fig preserves. Most recipes start with a tangy buttermilk batter ramped up with one or more flavors of jam and a flurry of ground spices. Foraged hickories and black walnuts, or wind-fallen pecans were added along with raisins and dates. Optional flourishes ranged from cocoa and freshly grated apple to pickled watermelon rind. This latest addition to our
archives is finished with a quick caramel cream cheese frosting instead of the traditional burnt sugar icing. And yes, it’s every bit as luscious as it looks.

Ingredients

• CAKE LAYERS:
• ’
• r
• archives is finished with a quick caramel cream cheese frosting instead of the traditional burnt sugar icing. And yes, it’s every bit as luscious as it looks.
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 4 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 3 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 2 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 2 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cups seedless blackberry jam
• 1 1 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1 1 1 cup peeled and grated Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
• Shortening
• CARAMEL-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
• 2 2 packages 2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 2 cans 2 (13.4-oz.) cans dulce de leche
• to 4 Tbsp. whipping cream

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

1. Prepare Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2. Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients. Stir together buttermilk and baking soda in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.

3. Stir jam until smooth. Add jam and vanilla to butter mixture, and beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in toasted pecans and grated apple. Spoon batter into 4 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round shiny cake pans (about 2 1/2 cups batter in each pan).

4. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

5. Prepare Frosting: Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add dulce de leche, 1 can at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Gradually add 2 Tbsp. whipping cream, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat at medium speed. Add up to 2 Tbsp. additional cream, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat until frosting is desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting between each layer and on top and sides of cake.