How to Make an Old Fashioned Jam Cake with Carmel Icing

I've been looking through my Mother's recipes and I found the recipe for her delicious Jam Cake with Caramel icing! She made it the old fashioned way with fresh blackberries that she picked in season. She would pick and freeze enough blackberries to last through the winter. She also made delicious blackberry jam.

Rosa Lee Turner Greene

1907-1987

This recipe came from her Mom and has been passed down for generations. My Mother was a school teacher and an exceptional Southern cook. She cooked everything from scratch and put up loads of vegetables and fruits from the garden.

She taught me to always make extra just in case someone stopped by for dinner. She was from the old school and lived through the Great Depression in the 1930's, and she saved everything to the very last bite!

Sometimes if we got up late on a school day and didn't have time for breakfast, we would get a piece of jam cake and eat it on the way to school which was only less than a block away from our house. It was soooooo good!

So, here is her recipe which I will type exactly as she has it written down on a file card. This was written on this card in the 1960's.

Remember to put on an apron to keep your clothes clean. She had many aprons that she sewed and I always thought they were so elegant and colorful. Of course she had aprons for everyday use, Sunday only aprons, holiday aprons, and other aprons for various occasions. I remember she would change her apron and put on a clean one if someone stopped by for dinner.

OLD FASHIONED JAM CAKE

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter (she used real butter)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon, Allspice, and Nutmeg mixed together.

3 eggs

1 cup Blackberries
***I always mash the blackberries with a little water before adding them. Don't use too much water though, as the cake will fall. Just moisten them enough to mash. This is a little tricky, but will come with practice.

2 teaspoons soda (baking soda)

1/4 cup Buttermilk

Cream sugar and butter, measure and mix dry ingredients.

Add creamed sugar and butter.

Add eggs. 

Add berries and buttermilk.

Mix until well mixed. Bake in a 9 x 12 cake pan or 3 round cake pans.

Bake at 325 or 350 until done. Allow to completely cool before icing it.

TIP: Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Also, when the cake pulls away from the edges of the pan, it is done. The toothpick trick works every time!

TIP: She always let her eggs come to room temperature before using in a cake recipe. She said the cake would be fluffier and I have been doing that for years.

CARAMEL ICING

In saucepan melt 1/2 cup of butter. 

Stire in 1 cup of brown supar. 

Cook 2 minutes on low heat. 

Remove. 

Add 1/4 cup milk, return to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.

Cool to lukewarm, and then add 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. 

Beat to spreading consistency. 

TIP: Be sure cake is completely cooled before spreading icing.

I hope you enjoy making this cake and especially enjoy eating it!

 On my next post, I will be sharing her 'RAW APPLE CAKE' recipe. So stay tuned! Let me know how yummy it was! If you have any questions, just ask.

  

                 Thanks and have fun baking!!!! 
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