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glass cake sand holding Jam Cake with Caramel Frosting

Old Fashioned Jam Cake and Caramel Frosting Recipe

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Blackberry Jam Cake is a cherished Kentucky tradition, and in my family, it was my mom Sally’s favorite birthday cake. The spiced cake layers, enriched with cocoa, blackberry jam, raisins, and pecans, bake up moist and fragrant. A smooth, buttery, and richly caramel-flavored frosting finishes it off to perfection.

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cake Assembly: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Jam Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup blackberry jam – see Note
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk – can use buttermilk powder and 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans, optional

Caramel Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Jam CakE

  1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with buttered parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  4. With an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  5. Add vanilla and mix until well blended.
  6. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Blend in jam.
  7. Add half of the dry ingredient mixture, then half the buttermilk. Repeat and mix just until blended.
  8. Stop the mixer (or use the “stir” speed) and fold in raisins and pecans just until combined.
  9. Pour batter into prepared pans, place on a large cookie sheet, and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
  10. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes in pans placed on a wire rack to cool.
  11. Run a knife around the edge of the pan; place wire rack over the top and invert to remove cake from pan. Repeat with second cake layer. Leave on wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Frosting

  1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring slowly, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy, with no visible granules, for about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Stir in the milk. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and remains glossy.
  3. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla. Let cool for 2-3 minutes without stirring (stirring while cooling can encourage sugar crystals to form and cause grittiness).
  4. Gradually whisk in sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable.
  5. Let frosting sit for a few minutes until it mounds slightly on a spoon but is still spreadable.

Notes

Note on jam: you can use any flavor jam, but blackberry is the traditional Kentucky ingredient.

Make ahead: Cake layers can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, well wrapped and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before frosting. Can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Frost the day of serving.

Doubling the recipe: use three 9-inch cake pans.

High altitude: Above 7500 feet, make the following adjustments:
Jam Cake:
1. Don’t flour the baking pans; just butter them and the parchment paper.
2. Baking soda: Reduce by half, to 1/4 teaspoon.
3. Flour: Add 2 tablespoons.
4. Sugar: Reduce by 1 tablespoon.
5. Buttermilk: Keep at 1/2 cup.
6. Eggs: Add 1 extra tablespoon egg white (just the white, not the yolk).
7. Bake time: It will probably take longer, around 28 – 29 minutes total. Check early, around 23 minutes, as oven temperatures vary.
Caramel Frosting
1. Cook the butter-brown sugar mixture a little longer, closer to 4-5 minutes.
2. Boil the milk mixture for 2-3 minutes instead of 1-2, until glossy and slightly thickened.

  • Author: From "A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®" by Sally Clayton and Lee Clayton Roper
  • Category: desserts, cakes
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Southern

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 592
  • Sugar: 71.2 g
  • Sodium: 222.1 mg
  • Fat: 24.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 12.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 92.1 g
  • Fiber: 1.8 g
  • Protein: 5.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 87.7 mg

Find it online: https://www.seasonedkitchen.com/jam-cake-with-caramel-frosting