Grandma's Jam Cake

Name: Grandma's Jam Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1/2 cup lard (optional); 1/2 cup fresh butter; 1/2 cup shortening (instead of the lard); 2 cups white sugar; 2 large eggs or 3 small eggs; 4 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon allspice; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 cup seeded blackberry jam; 1 cup chopped walnuts; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 6 tablespoons cocoa powder; 6 tablespoons strong black coffee; 6 tablespoons softened butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 cups powdered sugar

Submitted by gourmetmomma

"This was a special cake growing up. For us, it started with picking the blackberries so my grandmother could make the jam. My grandmother altered the recipie over the years, but I found this very old version in a letter written to my (then newlywed) mother. This would have been in the late 1950s. My grandmother wrote that she got the recipe from her grandmother, so that puts the recipe at about 100 years old. Jam cake just isn't the same without the crunch of the blackberry seeds. When I can't find jam with seeds, I add 1 tablespoon of poppyseeds for crunch."

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Ready In:: 1hr
Ingredients:: 20
Serves:: 12

ingredients

Cake
¹⁄₂ cup lard (optional)
¹⁄₂ cup fresh butter
¹⁄₂ cup shortening (instead of the lard)
2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs or 3 small eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup seeded blackberry jam
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons strong black coffee
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

directions

Cake:.
In the original recipe, my grandmother starts out by insisting that this be mixed BY HAND with a wooden spoon for 500 strokes. The mixer works fine. The original recipe was written for half lard and half butter (fresh churned), but in the letter my grandmother mentioned that she had started using shortening instead of the lard.
Cream shortening and sugars.
Add eggs, jam, and vanilla. Mix well.
Sift all dry ingredients and add to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix well.
Add buttermilk and nuts and mix by hand.
This makes 3 round layers of a 8 or 9 inch layer cake. Bake 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Allow layers to cool before frosting.
Icing:.
For the frosting, my grandmother's original instructions called for using the leftover coffee that had been sitting on the stove all day keeping warm. I find that making up a cup of coffee with espresso powder works well. You do want a strong mocha flavor for the icing.
Mix all the icing ingredients using a mixer. It will be a stiff icing.
Making layer cakes must have been common back in the early 50s, because my grandmother didn't even bother to write down instructions for making icing or assembling the cake. She just listed the ingredients and how to make stong coffee. Needless to say, assemble like any other layer cake.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

gourmetmomma

my name is susan and i'm the proud momma of 2 boys. after 10 years as a project manager in high tech, i'm now a happy sahm. the boys are only 16 months apart, so i always have my hands full. oldest is "in process" of potty training and youngest is just now sleeping thru the night. <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155733404-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732230-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732380-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732619-Th.jpg> my husband is Chef #553989. he is my partner in cooking, photographing, raising kids, and every other aspect of life. when hubby travels, i tend to rely on OAMC to make sure i eat well and feel taken care of. <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/13665820-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/297546-Th-2.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/291210-Th-2.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/142205931-Th.jpg> like most mothers of young children, i've seen my share of pb&j and processed toddler friendly foods. i'm slowly but surely returning to my pre-baby roots and beginning to take pride in what i cook again. the big difference is that now things tend to be faster, simpler, and healthier than 5 years ago. the common theme is that flavor and presentation still matter. quality ingredients and visually appealing food really do make a difference. my fall garden has tomatos (fingers crossed), radishes, broccoli, chineese cabbage, and onions. i have rosemary, sage, thyme, catnip, dill, basil, mint, and bay laurel growing in pots for my fresh herbs. zaar has helped me discover a new passion - food photography. the act of photographing my food has altered the way i cook. our food these days is filled with more color and variety, in part because fresh fruits and vegetables make for better photos. and our food is simpler. simple foods are easier to photograph. <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/189413108-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/188592339-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/184677008-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/183997798-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/178246284-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/178830143-Th.jpg> i've decided i'm not a fan of tea sandwiches and that i can't bake a decent biscuit. i could live the rest of my life without eating octopus again. i don't like to cook with canned soup, i think cool whip is an evil abomination, and i think the only purpose for iodized salt is to de-ice things. crisco has been banned from the house. i have a passion for fresh quality ingredients. i spend extra money for fresh herbs and spices because i believe i can taste the difference. i buy organic when i can, but don't sweat it when i can't. i use whole grains for my kids. i look forward to my occassional trips to central market and specs downtown. i still have a secret fondness for lucky charms and the insides of oreos. i love chocolate, the darker the better. i've never met a stinky cheese i didn't eat. i cook and eat globally... thai, sushi, curry, morroccan, brazilian, french, you name it. but i also cook and eat locally. i'm a texas girl, and that means i grill/bbq when hubby isn't around. i also love chili burgers, chili cheese dogs, frito pies, and a good cold shiner (beer). i could eat tex-mex every day. i'm a confirmed afficianado of cheap wine and the occassional cheap cigar. when i'm not momming, wife-ing, or cooking, i like to read sci fi, scrapbook, watch baseball, or collapse in a general state of exhaustion. but these days, just keeping up with all my zaar games keeps me busy. <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/189989822-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/200234980-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/202850878-Ti-1.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/203598844-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124662-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124664-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124666-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124687-S.jpg>

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