Period Southern Jam Cake

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This is the only cake, actually the only dessert, my maternal grandmother ever made. It's a 19th century recipe with simple ingredients. If you have never had jam cake you are in for a special treat. The caramel icing alone is a sugar delight.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup blackberry jam
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp.baking powder
• 1 tsp.ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp.vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 eggs

Caramel Icing

• 1/2 cup real butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or flour 2 (9 inch) round baking pans. Put all ingredients into a large bowl except walnuts and mix well. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved.
• Fold in walnuts and pour into pans. Bake 40 minutes or until cake pulls away from side of pans. Test center of cakes to make sure they are done with a toothpick or a broom bristle.
• Remove cake from pans and cool completely before adding frosting. (This is important)

Frosting Instructions

• Over low heat melt butter in a saucepan. Add brown sugar. Boil over low heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk and vanilla and still stirring constantly, bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until icing is thick enough to spread. If icing is too thick add a bit of hot water, if too thin add more powdered sugar.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Southern Jam Cake |

Southern Jam Cake. A traditional cake brought to America from Europe by settlers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio from Europe. It's a delicious coffee cake for the winter months.

hollytrail.com

"In the article, Make America Bake Again: A History of Cake in the U.S., she says that Jam Cake actually hailed from Europe, arriving in America via German immigrants who settled in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio (OK, so Ohio isn't in the South!)."

 

[donna]

Thanks for recipe. My Granny made Jam Cake too. It was very popular at her Church's Bake sales.

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

This seem reminiscent of the old fashioned Appalachian Stack Cake. Layers of gingery spice cake with apple butter in between.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This seem reminiscent of the old fashioned Appalachian Stack Cake. Layers of gingery spice cake with apple butter in between.

Sounds like a great recipe to share

 

[Pollaco]

If it came from German immigrants it's bound to be good. Those people made good food and knew how to eat.

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

Sounds like a great recipe to share

I have it in an old recipe book. I will see if I can dig it up.

 

[Union_Buff]

I will definitely give this recipe a try sometime soon